CADILLAC — A well known historic house in Northern Michigan that’s been sitting vacant for close to three years, will be getting a new look and a new purpose.
The historic Frank J. Cobbs House in Cadillac, off of Chapin Street was built in the late 1800’s by Frank Cobbs, the son of Jonathan Cobbs, a prominent lumber baron in the 1800’s.
The building was sold recently and the new owners are making moves to turn it into an owner occupied 3 story bed and breakfast.
Jennifer and her husband Brian Haney, from the Chicago area, purchased and moved into the three-story Colonial Revival style home back in November.
“We want the Cobbs House bed and breakfast to be cozy. We want it to be a sanctuary. We want it to be a place where people can come and relax and enjoy the city of Cadillac,” said Jennifer.
She said it’s always been a dream of hers to open up a bed and breakfast. Jennifer said they were vacationing in Northern Michigan for years, and jumped at the opportunity.
“Our house is walkable to downtown, where there are all these amazing shops, and two lakes, amazing restaurants. And so close to, just lots of amazing things to do and nature and Traverse City and the wine country. It’s perfectly situated,” said Jennifer.
She said the home has so much potential. They plan to keep the historical integrity of the home, while renovating parts to give it a more modernized feel for guests.
“There are three bedrooms on the second floor that all have their own bathrooms, and those are going to be the rooms that we would use as the bed and breakfast. There’s an attic space that is like an attic loft, and that’s where we’re going to live,” said Jennifer.
She said they plan to keep the historical integrity of the home, while renovating parts to give it a more modern feel.
“There are some renovations that we’d like to do. As far as the interior of the house, certainly there’s a lot of, there’s a lot of wood, there’s a lot of built ins. There are a lot of historic fireplaces here. You know, we would never change any of that,” said Jennifer.
She said she’s an avid fan of history and historical homes, having lived in one, previously to this one.
“We are very interested in keeping the historical integrity of this house. It’s on the National Register. It’s on the State Register, and we’re in a designated historic district. So being part of the historic district, anything, any changes that are made to the outside of the house have to be approved,” said Jennifer.
She said she plans to share the history of the home with others who live in Cadillac.
“We have already been asked to be on the Christmas walk in 2027. I would really like to have events here, maybe an open house for locals at some point when we are more ready. We’ve talked to somebody about possibly having porch concerts,” she said.
Jennifer said they still have to get approval from the planning commission for a special permit to be able to turn the historic home into a bed & breakfast.
They hope to have a soft opening in the fall and officially launch the bed and breakfast in 2027. She said they also plan to hold local community events, working with area businesses in the future.