Sawyer, Michigan is in Chikaming Township, Berrien County, in the southwestern corner of the Lower Peninsula.
Sawyer is an unincorporated community, so it does not have defined boundaries, but it's concentrated in the area of I-94 and Sawyer Road, extending west to Three Oaks Road, east to Flynn Road, and along several local streets north and south of Sawyer Road.
The United States government has defined boundaries for a census-designated place known as the Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert CDP, which includes the unincorporated communities of Harbert, Birchwood, Bethany Beach, Shorewood Hills, Tower Hill Shorelands, Hazelhurst, and Sawyer, most of which are within a couple of miles of one another. However, as Harward and Sawyer have their own post office addresses and identified separately from the CDP, we have elected to categorize them as separate communities.
For the purpose of categorization, we will list online resources pertaining to the north and northeast portion of the CDP in this category, while the south and southwest portions of the CDP are listed in the Harwood category. Included in this category, besides the community of Sawyer, will be Bethany Beach, Shorewood Hills, and Tower Hill Shorelands. If there should ever be enough online resources pertaining to any of the other communities in the CDP, they can be listed in their own category, as well.
West of Sawyer, Bethany Beach is a family-oriented Christian lakefront recreation area and housing development on the shore of Lake Michigan. Established in 1906, the private community offers community events for people of all ages. Bethany Beach Tabernacle handles leases and land acquisitions in the community.
Shorewood Hills was established by a group of people from Bethany Beach, who formed a syndicate to acquire a large block of land north of Bethany Beach to serve as a private community of families. Opened in 1926, the private community was originally known as Shorewood Hills Country Club. Now known simply as Shorewood Hills, it remains a private community, mostly consisting of second homes.
Situated between Shorewood Hills and Warren Dunes State Park, Tower Hill Shorelands is a small lakefront community in the far northwestern portion of the CDP, which extends into the lower part of the state park.
Sawyer had its origins as a railroad town when the Chicago & Western Michigan Railroad (Pere Marquette) built a station there. Originally known as Troy, the community took its current name in 1854, in honor of Silas Sawyer, the owner of a nearby mill. A post office was established at Sawyer on May 19, 1870, with James H. Spaulding as the first postmaster.
Although a small community, Sawyer has several restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses along Sawyer Road, east of I-94.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Sawyer include Bridgman, Three Oaks, Baroda, Stevensville, New Buffalo, Galien, Shoreham, Grand Beach, Michiana, Buchanan, Berrien Springs, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, and Eau Claire, as well as the Indiana towns of Michiana Shores and Long Beach. Besides those already mentioned, which are part of the CDP, unincorporated communities within ten miles of Sawyer include New Troy, Turner Shores, Lakeside, Glendora, Union Pier, Livingston, Lakeview, and Gordon Beach.
The focus of this category is on the community of Sawyer, Michigan, as well as Bethany Beach, Shorewood Hills, and Tower Hill Shorelands. Businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organization, attractions, and events in these areas are appropriate topics for this category.
Recommended Resources
Founded in 1905, Bethany Beach is a private Christian community in Chikaming Township, Michigan, and part of the Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert census-designated-place. The Tabernacle is a private religious organization that serves as the church for the community, as well as a leaseholders organization, as membership in the Bethany Beach Tabernacle is a requirement of leaseholds. Its ministries and worship programs are featured, community facilities are highlighted, and contacts are posted.
https://www.bethanybeachtabernacle.org/
Located in Sawyer, Michigan since 1976, the family operated meat market carries a selection of cheese, deli meats, desserts, fish and seafood, beef, lamb, goat, and rabbit, pork, sausages, hotdogs, poultry, veal, and a Swedish market, also offering cut to order meats, fresh ground, smoked meats, homemade sausage, custom deli cuts, sauces, handmade desserts, and urban accents spices. Recently added items are highlighted, and directions, hours, and online ordering for local pickup are included.
https://www.falatics.com/
Organized in 1992, the Sawyer, Michigan congregation moved into a renovated building in 1993, and to its own new building on Red Arrow Highway in 2001. Its history, a statement of beliefs, contacts, and an introduction to the church's pastor is put forth, along with its regular worship and program schedules, a calendar of events, and a video archive of recent sermons, sorted by title. Devotionals are posted on the site, and informational articles from the pastor are included.
https://www.fbcsawyer.com/
Established by a native of Sawyer, Michigan, the Greenbush Brewing Company began with the Taproom in 2007, soon expanding the taproom, and adding barbecue and a varied menu of food items to its craft beers, and opening the Annex in 2014, both in Sawyer. Later, Erskine Plaza was opened in South Bend, Indiana. Its locations, hours of operation, and contacts are published on the site, along with a calendar of events, a menu, and a gear store selling promotional apparel and other branded items.
https://www.greenbushbrewing.com/
Featuring more than seven hundred vendors in a 20,000 square foot building along Red Arrow Highway in Sawyer, Michigan, the mall carries an ever-changing selection of items that are likely to include art, antique furnishings, linens, pottery, glassware, jewelry, and retro collections, as well as outdoor garden iron and decor, and American, European, and Asian antique furniture items. Its location, map, operating hours, and a contact form are available, and a gallery of photographs is included.
http://www.sawyer-antiques.com/
Specializing in ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical lessons for dancers three years old and up, the dance academy first opened in 1982 as the Pat Bryant School of Dance in Harbert, Michigan, relocating to Sawyer in 1991, at which time it took on its current name. Home to the Sawyer Dance Troupe, schedules and video are put forth, along with a list and details of classes currently being offered, with payment policies and options, attendance requirements, class attire, health, and safety requirements.
http://sawyerdanceacademy.com/
Opened in 1986, the garden center in Sawyer, Michigan carries locally grown produce, along with several other Michigan-made products, as well as gourmet foods, apparel, craft beers, wine, and spirits, along with the standard nursery items, pet and wildlife feed, landscaping and lawn care products, gardening supplies, fertilizers, and seasonal items. Its location, hours of operation, and products are posted on the site, along with its curbside pickup and local delivery services.
https://sawyergardencenter.com/
Situated in the heart of Sawyer, Michigan, Section House specializes in hosting weddings, special events, private or custom events, pop-up shops, photo shoots, and other events or purposes. Built in the early 1900s as a lumber and coal yard, it was one of the original buildings in Sawyer and is currently slated as the newest project for the historic Sawyer Hardware & Lumber building. Photographs of the renovated building, what's included, and what is scheduled are featured.
https://www.sectionhousesawyer.com/
The founding of Shorewood Hills is outlined, and its rules, regulations, and zoning information, including building processes, contractor guidelines, and maps, are put forth. Shorewood board officers and committees are named, with email addresses provided, and a calendar of events, meeting notes, and a photo gallery is included. Downloadable documents include a map of the community, its articles of association, bylaws, and an affidavit of matters affecting realty, and others.
http://www.shorewood-hills.com/
Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church
Affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the congregation meets at its facilities on Sawyer Road in Sawyer, Michigan. Directions, a map, telephone numbers, and an introduction to the church's staff are presented, along with a statement of beliefs, a newsletter, worship schedules, and a calendar of upcoming programs and events. Its preschool and childcare programs are highlighted, with schedules and contacts, and an overview of its ministries is provided. A blog is included.
http://www.trinitylutheransawyer.com/
