Original Construction
1780’s
Size
3,000 sqft; 5,950 sqft addition
Completion Date
2008

Believed to have been built in the 1780s as a fur-trading and retail structure, the Mustang Lounge is a longstanding Mackinac Island institution that has served as a gathering place for residents and visitors. Field investigations revealed that the original building was constructed using a French-Canadian piece-on-piece log construction technique with mortise-and-tenon joinery. Recognizing the building’s historic significance and its role in the island’s social life, the new owners sought to preserve its distinctive character while adapting the property to support its continued use as a bar and restaurant. Construction was completed during the 2007 winter season, and the establishment celebrated its reopening in May 2008.

HopkinsBurns Design Studio designed the restoration and adaptive reuse of the original building, incorporating a 2,600-square-foot addition to accommodate expanded dining, service, and residential functions. The original structure retains the main-floor bar, restaurant, and outdoor dining area, while the addition provides a kitchen, restrooms, circulation, and expanded seating for the Astor Street Café. The second and third floors of the 3,550-square-foot addition accommodate two two-story owner apartments, while the upper level of the original building provides staff housing with access through the addition. The design balances contemporary operational needs with the preservation of the building’s historic fabric and its longstanding role as a community gathering place.