Welcome to the Village of Friendliness!
The Douglas Downtown Development Authority invites you to stroll and explore the unique shops, fine dining establishments, Lake Michigan shoreline, and eclectic galleries, and welcoming places to stay in Douglas.
Douglas began as two communities separated by present day Center Street. Jonathan Wade platted Dudleyville, named for his brother Dudley Wade, on the south side of "Centre" in 1860. The following year, William F. Dutcher platted the town of Douglas on the north side. Dutcher named it for his hometown on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. The original plat consisted of the area bounded by Union, Chestnut, Water, and Center Streets. The two towns were incorporated as the Village of Douglas in 1870.
Dutcher's son Thomas, a prosperous lumber mill owner, built a three story commercial and residential structure downtown around 1867. Masons from Saugatuck, Douglas, and Fennville chartered Dutcher Lodge, the town's first Masonic Hall. The building now serves at City Hall, and is a rare example of a Masonic Hall still in use more than a century after its construction.
In December 2004, Douglas residents voted to become the City of the Village of Douglas, electing their first mayor and six city council members.
Douglas is now home to 1,248 residents. The city limits cover 1.8 square miles and are home to 17 miles of roads.
Photo Credit: James Brennan
