Michigan’s Historic Idlewild Hotel Now a Top Endangered U.S. Site

Once referred to as "Black Eden" this historic site in Michigan has been named among the America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for 2025.

Founded in 1912, many historic landmarks in the town remain to this day and thanks to preservation grants they may still be around for future generations to come. Here's the latest update:

Get our free mobile app

For 38 years the National Trust for Historic Preservation has compiled a list of notable landmarks across the U.S. which are threatened to be lost to time,

Due to the efforts of the National Trust and its passionate supporters, the ongoing initiative has galvanized public support behind more than 350 sites to date with only a handful lost.

Among those sites listed for 2025 are: Pamunkey Indian Reservation in King William, Virginia, one of the last remaining structures from the Japanese American fishing village on Terminal Island in Los Angeles, and a historic hotel in northern Michigan.

Hotel Casa Blanca - Idlewild

Located near Baldwin, Michigan the unincorporated community of Idlewild was once a premier destination for black travelers, families, leaders, and entertainers. According to the National Trust,

Known as “Black Eden,” by the 1950s Idlewild drew thousands of annual visitors, and... performances by legendary African American artists like Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Aretha Franklin...and was included in The Negro Motorist Green Book.

The Hotel Casa Blanca was built in 1949 and was the premier lodging site for guests while visiting Idlewild such as Jackie Wilson, the Supremes, and Sammy Davis, Jr.. After the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 visitor numbers dwindled and nature began to reclaim Idlewild and its historic structures.

Hotel Casa Blanca Today

After sitting vacant for decades the owner of the hotel sold it to Black woman-led 1st Neighbor LLC with hopes to restore it to its former glory. According to the Trust an additional $5 million in funding is needed to restore the building,

1st Neighbor plans 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.

Learn more about Idlewild and view all the historic sites among this year's list here.