THE DOUG AND JIM PEARCE COTTAGE (# 43) “GWAMP”
Taken from the 2005 MIPCA History Book, Volume 3.
(Update In Progress)

Shareholders have included:

1913 W. A. Zerbel

1919 Ms. Lillian Swan

1937 Dr. J. W. Rigterink

1949 Daughters added, Dorothy Supernau and Helen Pearce

1975 To Helen’s sons, James and Douglas Pearce

XXXX To The James and Douglas Pearce Family Trust with Elizabeth and Kate Pearce as Beneficial Users

This cottage was constructed by W. A. Zerbel in 1912 and 1913. Mr. Zerbel owned a motor launch, the “Gwamp”, and transported most of his materials with the launch to the Point. He also constructed a stone and concrete dock with mooring irons for the boat in the little cove in front of the cottage. His boat was stored in one of the boathouses in the lower harbor on some of the cribbing on which the coal dock now stands. The cottage consisted of one room with lean-to kitchen on the first floor with bedroom on the second floor. Mr. Zerbel was then employed as a clerk in the L. S. & I. Railroad general offices and recently retired as Chief Clerk.

In 1919 Mr. Zerbel sold the cottage to Miss Lillian M. Swan, a critic teacher at the Normal School. Mr. Zerbel was one of the charter members of the Association but before the stock was issued he sold out to Miss Swan and the original stock covering the site was issued in her name.

After Miss Swan resigned her position at the school the cottage began to run down for lack of care. It was not convenient for her to use the cottage herself so in 1937 it was sold to Dr. J. W. Rigterink of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For a period of four years the doctor and family had rented the Pettee and Jackson cottages during the hay-fever season. The doctor reported that this was the only place they found where their son Hillis D. obtained complete relief. The family became convinced that the Point was the ideal spot to spend their vacations, which really in­duced them to purchase a cottage of their own.

During the spring of 1937 Dr. Rigterink had contractor Franz Menze tear down the lean-to kitchen and construct a new and larger kitchen with sleeping room above. The main living room was sealed with insulating board. The entire cottage was restored in first-class condition.

The following year the cottage was one of the targets of the great storm of 1938 and a detailed account is given in the section of this book, STORMS.

The entire family was fascinated with the cottage and its sur­roundings. They were eager for the time when they could return to the cottage. Hillis D. Ringterink later graduated in medicine and passed on in 1939. Mrs. Ringterink passed on in June 1941. In 1949 Dr. Ringterink transferred his stock to Chester D. and Dorothy Supernau and Don M. and Helen Pearce, his daughters.

The cottage owners and townspeople will recall Mrs. Rigterink as the first person to bring a real button collection to Marquette. She be­came a great student of buttons and could relate so many interesting stories of their origin. She appeared before several clubs in the city displaying her collection of buttons and gave a most interesting talk on them.

A new unique privy was constructed in 1949, the only one at the Point with a picture window overlooking Partridge Island and Sugar Loaf.

Both Supernau daughters spent their honeymoon at the cottage.

In 1975 James Pearce and Doug Pearce were given their mother Helen’s half of the cottage and they purchased the other half from their aunt, Dorothy Supernau of Grand Rapids.