The Beginnings
The roots of the Saugatuck Methodist Church date back to 1865, when the Saugatuck Methodist Society first gathered in the workshop of Adrian Zwemer under the leadership of Rev. George Heis. That modest building at 266 Mary Street also served as the village’s first schoolhouse and remains part of local history today.
As the congregation grew, plans were made for a permanent church home. The original church building, located at the corner of Main and Joseph Streets, was dedicated on April 24, 1884. One of its most treasured features—the bell from the former Wesleyan Methodist Church—was purchased and presented by Capt. R. C. Brittain, linking the church to generations of lakeshore history.
In 1913, during the pastorate of Rev. George B. Millar, plans began to move the church to its present location. By the summer of 1914, enough funds had been pledged for the ambitious relocation and remodeling project to begin. On October 17, 1915, the church was officially re-dedicated at its new location following a complete move and renovation.
Today, many of the building’s defining historic features remain. As the building enters a new chapter, its history continues to be preserved and shared with future generations.
The Bell & Lily
At the heart of The Bell & Lily Inn is the historic bell that inspired our name and continues to connect the property to its roots. For decades, its sound marked gatherings, celebrations, and moments of community life along the lakeshore. When restoring this historic church property, preserving the bell was never a question — it was essential to honoring the building’s heritage and the people connected to it through time.
Today, the bell still remains in its original belfry that overlooks the corner of Mason and Griffith Streets, preserved as one of the building’s most meaningful historic features. As part of a future Phase II restoration, guests will have the opportunity to stay with the historic bell in the Bell Tower Suite.
While the building begins a new chapter, the history it carries continues to live on through the bell itself — a lasting symbol of welcome, tradition, and gathering.
The lily has quietly appeared throughout the history of the former church for generations, becoming a lasting symbol tied to both the building and the people who shaped it. Historical writings and remembrances connected to Rev. Millar often referenced lilies as symbols of purity, grace, and spiritual service, values that became closely associated with the church’s identity over time.
Today, the lily continues to represent renewal, peace, and beauty — values that inspired the transformation of this historic space into The Bell and Lily Inn. The symbolism can still be found throughout the building itself, including fleur-de-lis details within portions of the original stained glass. Derived from the French phrase meaning “flower of the lily,” the fleur-de-lis became another meaningful connection between the inn’s name and the building’s historic character.
As restoration of the property began, lilies blooming along the side yard are being preserved and replanted as a living tribute to the building’s history and its new chapter ahead.