Written by the Charlevoix Historical Society
Located about three miles northeast of Charlevoix, Greensky Hill offers stunning views over Susan Lake and is a site of profound historical and cultural significance. For centuries, this location served as a gathering place for up to 30 Indigenous tribes from across northern Michigan. Here, tribal leaders met to discuss affairs, settle disputes, and celebrate community bonds. A circle of maple saplings, planted by the chiefs, symbolized their unity, with the trees bent and tied into an L-shape to prevent them from being harvested. Only a few of these "council trees" remain today, and access to them requires permission, as they sit on private property.
In the early 19th century, Christian missionaries arrived, and in 1839, Peter Greensky, a Chippewa missionary, brought his congregation to Greensky Hill. A simple church made of bent saplings covered with elm bark was constructed on the site. Over the next decade, a larger log church was built, with materials hauled by oxen and laboriously transported from Traverse City. Remarkably, the church was constructed without any metal fastenings, showcasing the craftsmanship of the time.
Greensky Hill Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and it's still active today.
To learn more, visit the Charlevoix Historical Society.
