Over a span of 52 years, Earl Young, a self-taught architectural designer, built some 31 structures in Charlevoix, Michigan.

Working mainly in stone, much of which he collected from the beaches and shores of the area, his designs were distinct because of his use of curved lines.

Young developed some bad habits which continued throughout his career. He never made blueprints; workers were lucky to get a rough sketch; he never thought about practicality, making very short doorways and kitchens like hallways; and, he was an on-the-spot designer and said the stones spoke to him!

Half House. This unique house gets its name for the unusual manner in which the house appears to be cut in half.

M. Sucher House – so called because William Sucher headed “Speedway 79”, a chain of petrol stations, commissioned Young to build the home. Today it’s on the market for $2.75 million! 

 

Boulder Manor is considered to be the turning point in Young’s architectural career. For years Young saved boulders, both physically and mentally. He had the ability to remember the dimension and colours of hundreds of boulders at the same time. He dug up the boulders he liked and hid them underground, deep in the woods or in Lake Michigan. Many of these boulders came together when he started building Boulder Manor for his family in the autumn of 1928. However, the Great Depression hit in 1929 and Young had to sell the unfinished house to the bank. In 1937 he regained possession of Boulder Manor completing it two years later.