A one-time northern Michigan oasis that attracted Black performers and vacationers alike, the Hotel Casa Blanca in Idlewild has been named one of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places.
The long-vacant Hotel Casa Blanca hasn’t been used since it housed a day care center 30 years ago, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In 1979, the hotel was designated as part of the historical district of Idlewild by the Michigan State Preservation Historic Office and the National Register for its significance during the Civil Rights era, 1st Neighbor said on its website. In 2024, it was acknowledged as an African American Civil Rights Network location by the United States Park Service.
It’s the oldest structure where African Americans could stay and exercise their rights, marking its importance in American history, the National Trust said.
During its heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, the hotel attracted Black musicians, including African American artists like Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Aretha Franklin.
Designed and built by Black architect Woolsey Coombs in 1949, Hotel Casa Blanca served as a premier lodging site for African American travelers, entertainers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders during segregation, and was included in The Negro Motorist Green Book, the Trust said.
After integration, like many formerly segregated Black resorts, Idlewild experienced lower visitation and economic disinvestment.
Today, the historic resort community off U.S. 10 near Baldwin has a population of about 700 residents, and Hotel Casa Blanca has been vacant and deteriorating for more than 30 years.
What to know about Hotel Casa Blanca and the list.
What is the Most Endangered Historic Places list?
Now in its 38th year, the National Trust’s annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has “proven to be a highly effective tool for shining a light on the threats facing our nation’s greatest treasures.”
The Trust and its supporters, have “galvanized public support behind more than 350 sites to date with only a handful lost.”
This year’s list “exemplifies how preservation is about creating something new, spotlighting efforts to repurpose historic buildings and activate them to serve their communities in new ways.” The collection of places on this list also helps illustrate how resilience and recovery are intertwined with preservation and emphasizes the economic benefits that come with revitalization.”
Why is the Hotel Casa Blanca in danger?
The current owner of the building needs to raise money to move ahead with rehabilitation efforts.
The previous owner of Hotel Casa Blanca sold it to 1st Neighbor LLC, a Black woman-led nonprofit.
1st Neighbor hopes to rehabilitate the hotel into a bed-and-breakfast including overnight suites, meeting spaces, and a heritage and learning center, and has taken crucial steps towards restoration, including removal of hazardous material and developing architectural plans for reuse, the National Trust said.
Grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust and others have provided seed funding, but an additional $5 million is needed to complete the $6.3 million rehabilitation.
“It’s history — musical history, African American history, American history,” Roni McGregory, project manager for 1st Neighbor, a nonprofit working to restore the hotel, told USA TODAY. “There’s a lot of stories in that building that need to be preserved.”
The windows of the brick building are boarded up. Asbestos was recently removed and electricity restored.
“That building holds a lot of history and for it to be demolished or not be able to be rehabbed would be a shame,’’ McGregory said. “It’s got good bones. (But) there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to bring it back.’’
National Trust says historic sites tell stories
The National Trust, chartered by Congress in 1949, spends about a year selecting sites to include on its endangered list, considering factors such as its importance to the community, whether there’s a strong partnership to support preservation and what impact the site might have once it’s protected.
The latest list comes as President Donald Trump has led an effort to shift the national conversation on U.S. history.
“In a time of division and polarization, I think preservation is more important than ever,’’ said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization. “These projects bring together unlikely coalitions across the country, which form specifically around a meaningful place.’’
The listings began in 1988. The recognition doesn’t come with funding, but often garners attention and support for the sites.
What other historic places in Michigan are endangered?
Over the years of compiling the list, the National Trust has highlighted several Michigan locations, including:
Other places on the 2025 US list
The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2025 list of endangered historic places also includes:
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: National Trust says one-time Michigan hotel is among ‘most endangered’ sites. Here’s why
Reporting by Deborah Barfield Berry and Dan Basso, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
