Reviving the historic Manor on Glen Lake
From staff reports
Chicagoans Robert and Sue Rife (pictured above) plan to revive the historic Manor on Glen Lake, whose restaurant overlooking Little Glen Lake closed after Sue’s sister Nancy Wright passed away in 2020. Nancy had managed the fine dining establishment since 2004.
Built out of hand-hewn lumber, the structure opened as a hotel in 1906, and the Wright sisters’ grandparents acquired it in 1954.
The Rifes will officially unveil their plans for the Manor at the Empire Township Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18. They aspire to revive the kitchen space, renovate three cottages in the back of the property, and eventually restore the inn’s upstairs, whose rooms they will rent out.
No longer a white linen restaurant, the Rifes will offer the Manor for private events, including weddings. They’ll also serve coffee, ice cream, and grab-and-go items for boat and beachgoers, but without restaurant table service. They hope to gather input and support from the public on Oct. 18.
Long-term plans could include a public dock on their 122 feet of Little Glen Lake frontage, where boaters could stop and pick up their picnics.
Caitlin Olmsted-Phillips, a descendant of D.H. Day and an adaptive reuse planner and preservationist in Ann Arbor, is helping guide this project.
“This area has a tremendous need for an event space,” said Olmsted-Phillips. “What we’ll start doing is asking people to come have their events and parties here.”
Once approved by Empire Township, phase 1 of the Manor’s restoration will involve renovating the cottages, which the Rifes hope will be ready for rentals by Spring 2024. Phase 2, expected to span 2025-26, will focus on the Manor’s second floor, whose rooms will also one day be rented out.
For now, the 15 upstairs bedrooms are filled with teddybears, beds, old bicycles, and even a yellowing Chicago Daily News from 1957 with Cold War headlines.
“She’s such a cool building,” said Olmsted-Phillips during a recent walkthrough tour. The adaptive reuse planner said that preserving wood is her talent. “The truss-work is phenomenal. We’ll fix all these windows and keep them in alignment with their historic value.”
The Rifes are eager to hear feedback from the community. While they plan to rent out the Manor for private events, including weddings, they will limit the hours of activity and curtail outdoor music and amplification. Neighbors have also called for their lighting to be dark-sky approved, so lights time out when not in use.
“This old building is so much fun,” said Olmsted-Phillips. “We’ve gotta get it all cleared out after 100 years.”
