The History of the Indigo Inn and Former Kimbark Inn

Recent renovations of the Indigo Inn, now open as a bed and breakfast, have given new life to this historic hotel. Originally called the Kimbark Inn it was designed to resemble a classic English Pub and Inn with its large lobby on the main floor. 

The building was designed by renowned architect, Banyard Gibson from Chicago. He is best known for designing the Rowe Hotel in Grand Rapids, which was torn down to make way for the Amway Grand Plaza. He also designed several Sears and Roebuck stores, the 14 story Chicago Central Cold Storage Building and two other hotels in Illinois and Wisconsin now on the National Historical Register. Gibson was commissioned by a group of Fremont citizens to provide the community with a modern hotel after the famous DeHaas House Hotel was torn down to make way for the State Bank on the corner of Main and Division. According to a Times Indicator article from April 1923, the DeHaas hotel, which had been Fremont’s leading hotel since 1988, closed its doors on April 14th, 1923.  The Fremont Hotel Company was formed in 1924 and stock was sold. To help raise the funds necessary too build the hotel. You may recognize the surnames of some of the community leaders involved in planning the hotel like   Branstrom, Crandell, White, Geerling, Senf and Tinney to name a few.

State law prohibited the bank from building the hotel structure itself. The Chamber of Commerce hired Kyger-Allison Service of Chicago, one of the country’s leading organizers of community hotel financing, to handle the promotion to the community for help with financing the hotel company. A board of Directors was appointed and a lease operation for the hotel was put in place with H.F. Heldenbrand of Pontiac and A.W. Heldenbrand of Chicago, his brother, both prominent hotel businesses men with years of experience. H. F. Heldenbrand, according to the Times Indicator Article written November 22, 1923, managed and owned the Kenwood Hotel in Pontiac and the Kimbark in Bay City.  It goes on to say that many men who traveled around the state of Michigan and frequented his hotels affectionately knew Mr. Heldenbrand as “Dad” and the marketed the hotels saying “Stop with Hildy”.

Later the Kimbark was managed by a Mr. Sturmer from Florida. It was purchased from the Fremont Hotel Company in 1951 by Mr. and Mrs. C.A.P. McIntyre and they owned the inn until Mr. McIntyre passed away and Mr. McIntyre retired two years later in 1959. A Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Strobel purchased the hotel at that time and ran it for a number of more years. It is unclear what year the Kimbark Inn officially closed. If you have information on this please email us. We would also welcome photographs and stories about events that you may wish to share.

The original wood framed staircase has been refinished and leads to the beautiful second floor landing with its large skylight and beautiful wood floors. The 8 guest rooms accessible from the landing are charming and await your visit.  When the Kimbark Inn was in operation there were 36 guest rooms with the remaining rooms up six more steps on another level from the Indigo Inn Bed and Breakfast that is now operating.

Marilyn Heeringa, the Innkeeper, has traveled all over the world including Asia, Turkey, Greece, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, Tibet, India, South America, Egypt, Jordan, England, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland and Scotland, the Mediterranean and of course Africa.  She is an adventurous woman and took many of these trips alone. From these excursions she developed her own unique and eclectic style of decorating. The Indigo is filled with treasures brought back from her trips along with knick-knacks, oriental vases, Egyptian art and other items that reflect the images she saw in these countries.  The story goes that Marilyn would fill her suitcases so full of trinkets that she would leave her clothes behind to make more room to bring home her the latest treasures for her trips. Come and have a tea party at the Indigo Wireless Café and you will be able to hear Marilyn’s stories of adventure first hand.

The former hotel lobby and lounge pictured in these old photos now serves as the non-alcohol Indigo Lounge and BrassWind Gallery adjacent to the Indigo Wireless Café and Tea Room. Both the Tea room and the lounge are delightful room to find a comfortable chair, grab a book to read and enjoy a specialty coffee or plan a private dinner, luncheon or party.  It was originally furnished with comfortable overstuffed furniture and still has the beautiful wooden beamed ceiling and large brick fireplace mantel, which helps guests feel at home. Many hotels of that era were designed with Lobbies like living rooms and that feeling has been kept in place in the gallery.

The Wolverine Line bus station was located here from 1953 until 1955 when it moved to Baldwin. Next came a short order diner operated by two sisters. At different times since the Kimbark inn closed in the late sixties the building has housed a hair salon, tanning salon, clothing boutique and a youth center.

On the lower level of the Indigo Inn you will find the Down & Under Bar and Grille, once known as the Rathskellar.  This use to be the billiard hall for the Kimbark Inn.  You can still enjoy a game or two of pool at the Down & Under.

Marilyn and Sheree Lincoln the Web Designer from the BrassWind Gallery are currently working with the Michigan State Historical Preservation office to in hoped of obtaining a National Historic Designation for the building along with the adjacent office buildings that once housed the Fremont State Bank.