This tiny “chapel” is located in Hell, Michigan. It a favorite spot to get married on Halloween. There is only enough seating for about 6 inside along with a podium for the minister/official at the wedding.

There is a Michigan Historical Marker at the Pickle Barrel House location that reads:

The Pioneer Cooperage Company of Chicago designed this small vacation cottage, which stood on the shores of nearby Sable Lake from 1926 until about 1937. It was built for William Donahey, creator of the Chicago Tribune cartoon story The Teenie Weenies. The house was constructed as a typical barrel would have been, only on a much larger scale. The main barrel contained a living area on the first floor and a bedroom on the second. A pantry connected this barrel to a smaller single-story one, which housed a kitchen.

Donahey spent ten summers at the cottage with his wife, Mary, herself a noted author of children’s books. The structure was then moved to its current site and used as a tourist information center. The Pickle Barrel House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

William Donahey’s widely syndicated comic, The Teenie Weenies, debuted in the Chicago Tribune in 1914 and continued until the creator’s death in 1970. The cartoon story featured miniature people who lived in a world of life-sized objects that to them were enormous. The popularity of these playful characters led to a contract for Donahey with the Chicago firm of Reid, Murdoch and Company, which hired the artist to create packaging and advertising for its line of food products. The Pickle Barrel House was a large-scale version of the miniature oak casks in which the company’s Monarch-brand pickles were sold, and was likely intended as an advertisement for their pickle products. Teenie Weenie books were translated into several languages and over one million copies were sold worldwide.

The barrel home has been accepted on the Michigan Register of Historic Places and is a Michigan Historic Home.

Following are some links you can follow to learn more about the Pickle Barrel House.

• Wikipedia
• Grand Marais Michigan
• Pickle Barrel Restoration
• Historical Photos

Interior Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

Joe in Michigan sent me his story about what he is doing in his life right now and how he is downsizing.

I have been a tiny house fan all my life and a fan of your website for over a year.

In 1997 I had to sell my 2000 sq ft house in the country and move into a trailer park in town. Not wanting to sell my solar panels and equipment with the house, I installed them on my 1979 camper trailer and parked it on my parents back 40 for safe keeping and the solar camp was born.

Mom was quick to tell me where a good place was to place the fire pit and I had a 4ft by 8ft building for the kids to wait for the school bus moved over into the area.

Last year I put in a sawdust privy and power for the camper trailer and a 35 gallon rain barrel with an outdoor sink in. This spring wanting a better place to deal with the food from the cookouts, I added on to the backside of the privy an Arizona kitchen.

I have been drawing and dreaming of my little house on wheels for my retirement years, I came across your article on a 8ft by 8ft finished house for $9,000 this inspired me to start drawing on the 64 sq ft idea.

Needing a temporary replacement for the camper trailer next year when I remove the old trailer from the frame and build my new 8ft by 22ft little house on wheels, I started the bunkhouse which is 8ft by 8ft with a 4ft covered deck.

I have to date finished the exterior and should have the bunkhouse ready for sleeping in a mouth or two. Next spring I hope to finish up on the desk and closet for a finished and complete project.

Thanks Joe for sharing your project, I look forward to pictures of the completed bunkhouse and will plan to do an update when you are finished. Please keep us posted on your 8 x 22 tiny house on wheels as you design and build it as well.

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

Arizona Kitchen