Home to Michilimackinac’s most powerful military officer, French troops likely built the Commanding Officer’s House in the mid-1750s. After the British took control of Michilimackinac in 1761, British officers lived in the house, which also featured a large garden and private privy. A major renovation in 1769-70 subdivided the house into four rooms on the ground floor, with two more in the attic. British soldiers moved the house to Mackinac Island in 1780-81, where they rebuilt it on the shoreline below Fort Mackinac. Renamed the Government House, the building continued to house British, and after 1796 American, officers. The house was finally demolished around 1820.
Archaeologists excavated the site of the Commanding Officer’s House in 1959-60. The house was rebuilt in 1963 and completely renovated in 2015-16.
Today, this multi-room exhibit showcases the life of Michilimackinac’s commanding officer, Captain Arent Depeyster, and his wife, Rebecca. Includes gallery spaces, period settings, and a large, beautiful garden. In addition to defending British interests in the upper Great Lakes, the DePeysters served as social leaders of Michilimackinac’s community.
