The Montague Inn has a wealth of history behind its name. As you enter into this mansion in Saginaw you will be captivated by the 1930’s Georgian style furnishings throughout the inn. The family history is Is present as you discover the secret closets or stay in one of the sixteen exquisite antique-filled guests Rooms. A stay at the mansion will let you escape the present and allow your mind and body to wander back to a simpler day and time. Picture yourself lounging in a wing back chair, sipping a glass of cognac by a crackling log fireplace in the formal library or strolling through the historic bar with quaint photos of past guests, such as Bob Hope, Don Johnson, Rita Moreno and Mike Farrell from M.A.S.H.

The mansion was built in 1929 for Mr. Robert Montague and his wife Edwina. They had two children, Mary Sage and Robert. The property is nestled among eight acres and borders on Lake Linton, the mansion consists of over 12,000 square feet and cost $125.000 to build during the great depression. It was an enormous undertaking for the time and employed hundreds of local tradesmen for over two years.

Mr. and Mrs. Montague were from Caro. Mr. Montague was a local businessman who made his fortune by devising a formula from a common sugar beet by product to make hand cream and soaps. After his death in the early 1950’s the family sold the business to the Andrew Jergen’s Company.

The home was always well maintained. Mrs. Montague was known to take in the injured World War 11 soldiers coming in from the Potter street station and bandage and care for them until they were well enough to travel. Since the Red Cross had a strict limit on bandages during the war; she had to sneak the injured into the house and draw the curtains. The secret rooms in the library were used to harbor valuables and liquor during prohibition and for an emergency escape route.

The staff was made up of one cook, one head maid and one additional maid who resided in the North West wing of the mansion, in the “now”Rust, Hulda and Norman little rooms. The gardener and the chauffeur were housed above the carriage house in the rooms now known as the Eddy and Morley. The home was enjoyed in the winter as their summer home was on a Northern Lake. The family lived here until the late 1950’s. In the Early 1960’s the City of Saginaw purchased the home from the estate. The city’s detective bureau and the public health department had offices in this home for 15 years. In 1979 the offices were relocated, and the home was vacant for 5 years until the city sold the mansion and all 8 acres for development.

The mansion was restored to its original grandeur and had its grand debut as The Montague Inn Bed and Breakfast in June 1986. It currently offers lodging 365 days a year with 17 guest-rooms, each named after the Montague family or influential Saginaw business people