Stuart House Exhibits Historic Replicas
Island Buildings Focus of Miniature Gallery Display
By Jessica Delaney

Dale Gensman (left) and Armand “Smi” Horn worked together to build and exhibit small replicas of Island buildings at the Stuart House.

Memories, talent, and a strong sense of community have come together for one of the newest exhibits at the Stuart House museum. On display in the Stuart Gallery are four replicas of historic buildings on the Island: the Thomas Ferry School, Little Stone Church, Mission Church, and the Court House.

The replicas were built by Dale Gensman, a former builder who was struck one day by the desire to replicate, in miniature, City Hall. He set to work on this project, which eventually led to him completing miniatures of many of the Island’s historic buildings.

He began work on the project a little over five years ago, but the idea had been milling around in his brain.

“Dale had been talking about this, about doing something just for Mackinac Island for a long time,” said Armand “Smi” Horn.

Mr. Horn and Mr. Gensman, long-time friends, worked together on the project. Mr. Horn worked on getting the exhibits a room at the Stuart House, while Mr. Gensman put in the man-hours of carefully reconstructing the buildings.

“I am a builder. I build and he tells me what to build,” joked Mr. Gensman about his collaboration with Mr. Horn.

Along with the buildings on display at the Stuart Gallery, Mr. Gensman also has constructed miniatures of the Round Island Lighthouse, Biddle House, Benjamin Blacksmith Shop, Astor House, and the Real Estate Office. He is trying to complete all of the historic buildings on Market Street.

All of the replicas were done based on Mr. Gensman’s memories and on old photographs of the Island from when he was a child. Some of the buildings will not look identical to the buildings on the Island today, as they have undergone some renovations. For example, the front windows of Mr. Gensman’s model of Little Stone Church are cut differently than the ones in existence today. There was such an attention to detail that the insides of the buildings were also recreated, down to the benches in the church and even little people attending a church service. The school is similarly outfitted inside with school benches and desks.

“I wanted everything to be as original as possible,” said Mr. Gensman. “They’re all built from memory.”

According to Mr. Gensman, once all the replicas have been moved to their new home in the Stuart House, they cannot be moved anywhere else. They are extremely fragile, and Mr. Gensman was relieved to see that they arrived on the Island in one piece.

To transport the models, Mr. Gensman packed them tightly into the back of his pick-up, and covered them all with blankets before driving them up from his Rochester Hills home, then across to the Island by ferry.

The exhibits are being displayed as part of an attempt by Stuart House to showcase Island history beyond what is already known about the fur trade and military presence.

“We’re trying to show Mackinac’s history, and Dale is adding to the community of Mackinac history,” said Mr. Horn.

Mr. Gensman gave careful consideration to which buildings he replicated. Some were based on of a desire to showcase some of the more historically important buildings on the Island, while others had personal significance. For example, Mr. Gensman attended the Thomas Ferry School, which is the old Indian Dormitory. His father was also one of the founders of Little Stone Church and built Round Island Lighthouse.

In addition to the replicas, there are also some side notes of interest. Mr. Gensman’s wife, Georgianna, for example, wrote short informative articles on the buildings to describe their significance. There is also a picture of Charles Wellington, who taught at the school from 1927 until it’s closing in 1960 and a photograph of the students attending the school about 1940, which has never been exhibited before. All the students who once attended the Thomas Ferry School are encouraged to sign a guest book at the Stuart House exhibit.

Mr. Gensman has several other projects for the Stuart House, including a room dedicated to Mr. Wellington and recreating Stella King’s medical center, with antique beds and desks.

He also hopes to start an exhibit about Cubby the Bear, which was raised on the Island, up at Stonecliffe. Mr. Gensman has 157 pictures of the bear, including one that was taken on the set of “This Time For Keeps.”

In the meantime, the Sheldon Roots Gallery has moved from exhibiting local artists to including local builders with the addition of Mr. Gensman’s buildings. Long-time Island residents are also encouraged to contact Mr. Gensman about exhibiting their old photos.