THEN
The Pump House was the first pump station in Saugatuck. It was built in 1904 by John Alvord. The purpose of the pump house was to gather, filter, and distribute water to the city. The pump house would pump water out of the of the river from several wells. The water would then be filtered and cleaned of all the mud and gunk in the water so it was clean and drinkable. The water then would be put in a pipe that ran to the top of Mount Baldhead. Once the water was to the top it would be put in the holding tanks.
In the 1950’s the pump system was moved to a larger building and the building had no use. By the 1970’s the heavy slate roof started pushing the walls out from the roof and it was unsafe as it was. The building was practically abandoned until the building was leased to the historical society in 1993 were they turned it into a museum.
NOW
Nowadays the Pump house is a museum that draws in nearly ten thousand visitor annually and almost forty thousand people to its gardens each year. The museum has exhibits featuring things from dance to shipwrecks from history all along city and around the area. The exhibits are educational and the museum is a very fun environment to learn in.
The Pump House Museum is a great place for families, it is a fun and yet educational. Families can enjoy the view of the river and the wonderful garden outside of the museum. You can learn about the history of the area you live in and all in all it is a great place to enjoy an afternoon with your family and friends.
The Pump House was the first pump station in Saugatuck. It was built in 1904 by John Alvord. The purpose of the pump house was to gather, filter, and distribute water to the city. The pump house would pump water out of the of the river from several wells. The water would then be filtered and cleaned of all the mud and gunk in the water so it was clean and drinkable. The water then would be put in a pipe that ran to the top of Mount Baldhead. Once the water was to the top it would be put in the holding tanks.
In the 1950’s the pump system was moved to a larger building and the building had no use. By the 1970’s the heavy slate roof started pushing the walls out from the roof and it was unsafe as it was. The building was practically abandoned until the building was leased to the historical society in 1993 were they turned it into a museum.
NOW
Nowadays the Pump house is a museum that draws in nearly ten thousand visitor annually and almost forty thousand people to its gardens each year. The museum has exhibits featuring things from dance to shipwrecks from history all along city and around the area. The exhibits are educational and the museum is a very fun environment to learn in.
The Pump House Museum is a great place for families, it is a fun and yet educational. Families can enjoy the view of the river and the wonderful garden outside of the museum. You can learn about the history of the area you live in and all in all it is a great place to enjoy an afternoon with your family and friends.