Mushroom House Coaster

Have you ever wondered why Earl Young built half of a house? As one of the most widely photographed houses in Charlevoix, the “Half House” may be small in size, but it has big curb appeal and charm. This unusual shape of the house has helped create the various nicknames given to Young’s structures; “mushroom houses,” “hobbit houses,” “gnome homes” and “Mother Goose houses.”

The house was built in 1947 and is composed of solid masonry, mainly granite boulders and local fieldstone. It was built on the base of the former carriage house for the house next door. Even though Young owned the neighboring lot, the city would not permit him to build over the property line. He situated the house close to the property line and constructed the vertical stone wall and cement chimney we see today, essentially making the house appear to be half the size of a larger house.