Zeeland, Michigan, is a community that is clearly very proud of itself - and with good reason! Virtually all of the homes we passed were well-kept, with tidy, attractively landscaped yards. Many of the homes bore plaques indicating the date of construction. Zeeland's inventory of lovely houses included Queen Anne, Victorian Gothic, Craftsman, Prairie, and even a few based on Frank Lloyd Wright's work - each one delightful.
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| The "Painted Lady" - a Queen Anne style Victorian built in 1898 |
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| A quintessential Craftsman home |
Zeeland, a town of around 6,000, is home to the Herman Miller furniture company and the Howard Miller Clock Company, as well as Mead Johnson (baby formula). Zeeland was founded in 1847 by Dutch settlers seeking religious freedom. The Dutch roots are still very apparent in the names on local businesses, street names, and orderly neighborhoods. We passed at least eight Dutch Reformed or Reformed churches (and one Baptist church). Diversity is not one of Zeeland's strong suits, but the town does well in all other respects..
Zeeland is a delightful community - what you would imagine Lake Woebegone to be like. The people are friendly, all of the homes are charming, the yards are neat, and the town is bedecked with banners proclaiming : "Feel the Zeel."
I must add that the route instructions were excellent. I got a nice little pamphlet that contained instructions, an excellent map, and several pages of annotations about the various buildings along the route.
Walk Route: A
Walk Documentation: A+
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