The Curious Building in (and the town of) Brohman, Michigan

Brohman sits in Newaygo County and became an official community when a post office began operating in 1882.

The community was founded by Otia Dingman, who opened a hotel and hired Jared Dingman to run the post office. The post office was originally called “Otia,” changed to “Dingman” in 1883, and back to “Otia” in 1885. It wasn't until 1920 when the town was officially called “Brohman”.

Brohman stayed a small town with the usual businesses: general store, hotel, post office, school, mill.....and something that looks like it was once a small church. This little structure lies hidden in the brush at the corner of Woodbridge Road and Northern Avenue. The building also may have been some kind of souvenir shop, or maybe even a summer cabin.....but it sure appears to have been a small church, as you'll see in the photos below.

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Even though it looks like it could have been a school, I don't think it was, as the Brohman school was originally located a ways south at Woodbridge & Pierce Drive.

Just a few feet north of the old school location is the original 1918 town hall. It's one of the few remaining cool old structures in Brohman, along with the previously mentioned one.

The Brohman area is surrounded by lakes: East, Middle, Moonbeam, Richmond, Shelley, Spring, Webinguaw, and Woodland, along with a few that have since dried up.

There doesn't seem to be much history written about Brohman, but you can get a glimpse of it in the gallery below. Maybe you'll be tempted to do a drive-thru.....

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