(On the National Register)
Built of hand-hewn logs, this cabin stands in a rural settling and looks as it did when the highly-regarded Doctor Protar lived here, from 1893 until his death in 1925.
Descended from prominent educators in Estonia, Feodar Protar migrated to this country in 1874. He traveled, worked on the stage, and edited a successful newspaper for many years before he found Beaver Island -- the place he was to spend the remainder of his years. For the rest of his life, he followed a spiritual quest in a modest environment. He wished to live from the produce of the land and was anxious to help his fellow men. Though he did not claim to be a physician, he found he could cure many of the simpler ailments of his neighbors on the island and earned their gratitude and respect. Protar never accepted money for his services, but instead used his income to help others in times of trouble.
When he died, his friends erected a tomb west of his home and its inscription still expresses the sentiments of the population: "to our Heaven-Sent Friend from his people of Beaver Island."
The exterior of his home, the grounds and the tomb (1/4 mile west) can be seen by visitors. A special room in the Print Shop Museum is devoted to his life.
Open during Museum Week and by special appointment
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