May Heath and the Homes named "Heathcote"

May Francis Heath was born in a home on Butler street across from her grandparents Morrison. The building at 134 Butler was later to become known as "The Elms" hotel, named for the Elm tree in front which May wrote her grandfather planted when she was born.

At the time of her marriage to Doc Anderson Heath in 1895, she went to live in the home of his widowed mother at 607 Butler Street. In Oct. 1903 the Commercial Record talks about Doc moving the family to his farm on "the State Road", but by 1907, when Doc built the "Heath Block" at 306 Butler, the young family moved into the rooms above the Bird Drug Store.

A special move came when they built their home up on the hill at 336 Hoffman Street in 1929. It was to be called "Heathcote", which means "Heath's cottage" in Scottish. There they lived for the next 16 years. The home became a center for family and community social activities. Eventually the aging Heaths were finding a two story home and the steep hill to the village getting a bit much. On Jan. 8, 1946 they bought a one story home at 525 Butler from Norma Blaine for $6500. Apr. 18, 1946 they sold the home on Hoffman to Bud and Ruth Edgcomb for $9000. They moved into the Blaine home on Apr. 27, 1946. The "Heathcote" sign quickly went up. Doc died there Feb. 9, 1947. May was to live in this home until her death in 1961.

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336 Hoffman St---------------------------------525 Butler St.

Great Grandson Bill Bleeker writes: "After the depression May said there should always be a house in Saugatuck named Heathcote for "wayward souls" in the family. I guess I'm the last wayward soul left. During the depression my grandfather and family had to live in Heathcote until he could find a job which took a couple of years. May did not want any member of the family, down on their luck, to be homeless. My cousin Lucille also stayed with May during that time. She gave a small (very small) trust to pay for up-keep of the house after she died."

Bill's grandparents Ted and Frances Heath lived in the Butler street home until 1980, then passed it on to their daughter Ann Bleeker and her husband. In 1994 it came to Bill. Bill and his wife Barb sold it in 2005 and bought the Crawford-Hungerford home at 404 Griffith Street. Bill writes "I felt a lot of guilt, but then my cousin Lisa said 'Nanan probably would of sold a long time ago.' " The "Heathcote" sign is still up in Saugatuck, now on Griffith Street--- the tradition continues.

Bill Bleeker and the Heathcote Sign

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This series on Saugatuck Historian May Francis Heath (MFH) will continue until the 50th anniversary of her death in September, 2011. The MFH Study Group continues to seek information, documents, photographs of May, her paintings, and personal recollections of Mrs. Heath. If you have any to share contact: Chris Yoder at 857-4327 or Marsha Kontio at 616-566-1239.

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