Below is a reprint of the article that appeared in the May/June 2022 issue of Northern Michigan Woman, by Marcia Biskupski.

By Marcia Biskupski

“In 1977, my husband and I visited Leelanau County for the first time. We were awed by the beauty of the rolling hills, crystal clear waters of Lake Michigan, beautiful orchards, and charming coastal towns.

Impressed and curious, we played with the idea of purchasing land to build a small summer cottage on the water. On our sightseeing trip, we happened upon this idyllic little village, on the water, called Omena. There were just a few buildings and it was so quiet and so serene. We drove around this little quaint village, following along Omena Bay on Omena Point Road. The beautiful beaches and old Victorian cottages caught our eye. It looked like time had stood still along this road; it was as if a time-tunnel was passing through the woods.

In 1979, our dream had become a reality and we started building our little tree house in the woods in Omena. Fast forward to 2002. After 25 years of having Omena in our hearts and minds; running, sailing, biking, swimming in Omena Bay, and hiking in this lovely, peaceful area, we knew we had to preserve what it was that we loved so much.

Omena Post OfficeWe saw what was developing around us in neighboring towns and villages. But as we would walk into the center of the village and sit on the bench in front of the post office, chatting with neighbors who, over the years, had become close friends, we felt that we were home! Omena was a small community which had become an integral part of our lives.

In 2002, some of the buildings in Omena came up for sale, with the bidders rumored to include a developer who was intent upon razing three buildings, including the post office which was built in 1857, and build condos in the village in their places. There were feelings of shock shared by all of us who loved Omena and its warm and caring community

Dr. Austin Jones, a summer resident and visionary, submitted the winning bid, along with the help of six families, for the three properties up for sale. Together, we purchased the two beautiful old buildings and an adjacent parcel of land with a pole barn sitting on it. I was so excited to think that I now owned a post office!

Anderson House and Barber House Gardens

That’s when the reality set in: we had a whole lot of work to do! We formed an organization called the Omena Village Preservation Association (OVPA). We drew up bylaws and encouraged the people in the community to join in this endeavor. An incredible amount of time and work went into determining and establishing our mission “to preserve and maintain the current character and historical significance of downtown Omena.” We formed a 50l(c)3 nonprofit and went about soliciting members and preserving what we had purchased.

During the past 20 years, the board of directors and the members of OVPA have worked tirelessly, through sweat and tears, on preserving this little hamlet on the water.

We have secured a long-term lease with the United States Postal Service to keep our little Post Office in Omena open. We have renovated the post office, receiving grants to preserve its historical look. OVPA even leased a portion of our property to the Omena Historical Society in order for them to place a historic building on the property to serve as the Omena History Museum. They have a lease for $1 a year for 40 years.

We have upgraded the historic Anderson House, next door to the post office to fit in with the character of the village. In 2018, we purchased what the villagers know as Lavender Lane. This little cottage sits across from the water and is now used as an income-producing rental property for OVPA.

This summer, we are celebrating 20 years of repairing, restoring, maintaining and preserving these magnificent old gems that were built way back in the 1800s. We have repaired, painted, sanded, scrubbed, shined and polished them. Our original board of directors of OVPA realized that in order to keep all this going, we would have to roll up our sleeves and get to work ourselves. Through the years we have held auctions, garage sales, sold dinners and through the generosity of Shapiro’s Deli, in Indianapolis, even had Deli Days in Omena to raise money to keep all this going.

As the years went on and the residents of this community saw what was happening in the village, our membership grew to 100 families with a board of nine actively engaged people who care about preserving our charming little village and our simple way of life.

My heart has always been in the woods and preserving what we have. It became a passion of mine when I saw what was happening around us. Our efforts were so well worth it. Those days that we spent scraping paint rather than sailing or lying on the beach make me smile! To see all that we have accomplished still inspires me! The protection of the village is in the hands of OVPA and will be for many generations to come. And I was on the ground floor when this began!”

Marcia is a former teacher, adolescent and family therapist, Outward Bound instructor, tutoring director, school Board President and past OVPA Board President.