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49800 Joy Rd

13 Sep

49800JoyRd

49800 Joy Road was built in 1958 and completed in 1959. This award winning mid-century design was built by long-time Plymouth resident and architect Tividar Balogh. This masterpiece design can be found nestled away in a deeply wooded lot that gives you the feeling of being far away from the hustle and bustle of a big city, yet is just down the road from our beloved downtown Plymouth and easily accessible to major highways. The thought of growing up here is simply charming. This was home to Tivadar, wife Dorothy (Bleismeister) and their 2 daughters.

Tividar was born in Detroit to Hungarian immigrants in 1926 and has a long list of accomplishments. He was also a Navy Veteran that served during WWII and then re-enlisted during the Korean war. Tiv worked for a number of the best known architectural firms in SE Michigan. Tividar also served as a professor at the University of Michigan and was awarded the Sol King award for teaching excellence in 1973. The only modification done to this home was when Tivadar decided to enclosed the carport on the bottom level of the home and transformed it into an office for his architectural firm. He retired in 1997 and passed away in 2006 and his beloved wife Dorothy passed in August of 2019.

In 2013 this home was added to the National Register of Historic Places. You can easily find additional information on this home and Tivadar by searching “Tivadar Balogh” on any major search engines. Here is the link to one of our favorite internet postings: MichiganModern

Interesting fact: You can think of Tivadar every time you drive into Plymouth Township and see one the welcome signs with the “Seal of Plymouth Township” which was one of his many designs. Inside this home you can also find that it has some of Tivadar’s own artwork displayed on the walls. Over 150 of Tiv’s 200+ projects can be found in Michigan, Illinois, and Arizona.

Below: Tivadar stands in front of one of his many home designs built near Plymouth in 1981.

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Photo: Ann Arbor News 1984

 

HIGH HOPES: As the Tivadar and Dorothy Balogh home will soon be on the real estate market, we hope that this home will be purchased by someone who has a great appreciation for this Mid-Century Modern Masterpiece. Being that this home is on the National Register of Historic places we can at least hope that this home will be “protected” and will be around for many years to come and continue to be a Plymouth treasure.

184 Caster Ave

8 Jul

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184 Caster Ave. Built circa 1890; this was once the home of William “Phil” Markham. William F. Markham was born in Plymouth in 1851 and was the Son of A.B Markham one of Plymouth’s first pioneers that settled in this community. Markham became a Plymouth business owner that made tanks and cisterns. In 1887 William Markham was granted the first patent for an Air Rifle. Phil was instrumental in starting the industry that put Plymouth on the “map” Internationally… The Air Rifle Industry. Phil’s company became the Markham Air Rifle Company which later changed its name to the King Air Rifle Company. Markham started manufacturing Air Rifles prior to the formation of the Daisy Air Rifle Company which was literally within walking distance of the Markham Company. This statement about ‘who was first” is only made because of a popular misconception that Daisy Air Rifle Co. was the first to invent and manufacture Air Rifles.

As for this grand home and why it was built. Well, this home was built for Phil to reside at while he was estranged from his Wife Carrie who refused to grant him a divorce. In 1907 the home was sold to Elisha Caster. Markham owned a number of homes in S.E. Michigan. Interestingly enough he also owned and built the home located at 676 Penniman Ave which he built for his mistress Blanche. After his wife Carrie passed away in 1910, he married Blanche and moved into the home located on Penniman across the street from Kellogg Park.

This home that elegantly stands at the corner Caster and Holbrook in the Historic “Lower Town” also known as Plymouth’s “Old Village” has a history that is unrivaled when compared to other historic homes in the area considering that Markham not only invented the modern-day BB Gun but also started an industry that changed the landscape of Plymouth and helped put this community on the map as the “BB Gun capital of the world”. Today the Markham Air Rifle Company building still stands at 304 N. Main Street and is the largest commercial brick building in Plymouth. In 1911 Markham and his family moved to California and became successful in Real Estate. At one time Markham was the owner of a large parcel of property that today is now known as Hollywood. Phil Markham passed away in 1930.

Below is a photo of William Markham taken in 1900:

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At the time of this post this home is currently on the real estate market for sale. You can view the listing for this home by clicking here: 184 Caster

217 Ann Street

15 Apr

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217 Ann Street was built in 1912 and was home to a very well-known Teacher and School Principal of Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (PCCS). Nellie E. Bird (Smith) was born on a farm in Salem Township on March 4th, 1882. After graduating from Ypsilanti High School, she received her teaching degree from Ypsilanti Normal School (now known as Eastern Michigan University) while she was employed by PCCS, she earned her Masters Degree from the University of Michigan. Mrs. Bird was married to Frederick Bird and they moved into this Plymouth home in 1917 with their 2 daughters. When the Birds moved to Plymouth, Mrs Bird became a 5th grade teacher at Central Grade School. Mr Bird passed away in 1922. In 1923 Mrs Bird became the Principal of Central Grade School which was located in the same building as Plymouth High School (today known as PARC) until 1950. Mrs. Bird also served as Principal of Starkweather School.  In 1950 the Plymouth-Canton School Board voted unanimously to name the “new Elementary school” being built on Sheldon Rd after Mrs. Bird. In 1951 the Nellie E. Bird Elementary School located at 220 Sheldon Road in Plymouth was dedicated. (Go Thunderbirds!)

Mrs. Bird loved to plant a large garden and her specialty was raspberries. Many of her students stated that visiting her home on Halloween was always a delight especially since she would know most kids’ names even while wearing costumes. “She could see right though those disguises no matter what the costume” said a former student. It was said that Mrs Bird was very efficient, the child always came first and she was very fair with children and teachers. ” Working with her was really a delight, she was very strong on the fundamentals of education” stated by Mrs Tanger who taught under her. Nellie Bird passed away in 1980 and was laid to rest in the Riverside Cemetery. Mrs Nellie Bird was definitely an asset to the Plymouth-Canton Community and her legacy will continue to live on as hundreds of students are educated at the school named in her honor year after year.

Below is a photo of Nellie Bird at the dedication of Bird Elementary School.

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Bird Elementary at 220 Sheldon Rd

1090 N Holbrook

22 Jul

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1090 N Holbrook Street, built circa 1850 on a stone foundation. This was once part of the Henry Holbrook estate which once was home to one of Plymouth’s earliest mills. The Greek Revival home next door (1142 Holbrook) was the main house on the property and this home was built to house other family members. It’s been said that this was once the home of one of Henry’s 3 daughters. In 1850 it was recorded that Henry’s estate was worth $16,500 which by today’s standard would be just over a half-million dollars. This home was remodeled in 1922 to the current appearance that you see today. After nearly 170 years, it’s awesome to see this home is still standing strong. The current owners are proud of it’s rich Plymouth history and have done a great job keeping this home preserved.

Note: If you look closely to the left of the photo, you can see the yellow exterior walls of the well-known “Holbrook House”.

9275 McClumpha Rd

28 Apr

9275 MClumpha Rd was built circa 1869. This was once the home of Elizabeth McClumpha, the daughter of Thomas McClumpha who once owned and farmed much of the land along McClumpha Rd South of Ann Arbor Rd. Elizabeth was the eldest of her siblings, was well-known in the community and was remembered for her extreme kindness and love of children although she was unmarried and had no children of her own. She passed away in 1899 and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery.

Most recently this home has become known for being the childhood home of the leading Star of an Oscar-Winning movie, Amadeus. Thomas Edward Hulce was born in Detroit, and grew up here in Plymouth, where he was raised with his two sisters and older brother. He is the son of Joanne (Winkleman), who had sung professionally, and Raymond Albert Hulce, who worked for Ford. He has English, German, and Irish ancestry. Wanting to be a singer, Tom had to make a switch in plans when his voice began changing. Knowing that if he wanted to be in show business he needed to become an actor, Tom began taking the necessary steps almost immediately. Today Tom is known for being an Oscar-nominated multi award winning Actor, Producer and entertainer with a number of accolades. Simply “google” Tom Hulce and you can read his entire filmography, awards and more.

Here in Plymouth we are also proud of Tom’s mother, Joanne (Winkleman) Hulce, known as Jo Hulce. Jo was a member of the Winkleman family that was known for their department stores that started in 1928. In her twenties Jo who was a singer, became a featured soloist, “The Golden Voice of Joanne” on the nationally syndicated and popular radio show “The Hour of Charm”. The show was broadcast from New York every Sunday and toured the United States.

Jo and her husband Ray purchased this home in 1953. While raising her four children, she sang as a soloist with the Presbyterian Church choir and the Plymouth Symphony, and joined the League Board. The home of the Plymouth Community Arts Council at 774 N Sheldon is named in her honor… The Joanne Winkleman Hulce Center for the Arts.

Today the current owners of this home take great pride in the history of this house and also shared the fact that the addition on the back side of this home was built with some repurposed wood from the old Daisy Air Rifle factory. Many of us in the community are pleased to see how this historic home adds to the charm of Plymouth.

Tom Hulce as Amadeus in the Oscar-Winning movie “Amadeus”

 

9275 McClumpha Rd in 1977

 

 

44525 Gov. Bradford Rd

19 Mar

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44525 Gov. Bradford Rd. Built in 1956 was the home of Former Michigan Governor John Swainson (D).  This home was originally designed to easily accommodate a wheel chair. Read more and learn why…

John Burley Swainson was born in Windsor, Ontario Canada in 1925 and came to Michigan with his family when he was two years old. He fought with the 95th Infantry Division of the United States Army during World War II, losing both his legs to a land mine explosion in France in 1944. He was awarded France’s Croix de Guerre, the Presidential Unit Citation with two battle stars, and the Purple Heart, all before his twentieth birthday. After earning his law degree in 1951, Swainson was elected as a Democrat to the state senate and served there from 1954 to 1958, as Lieutenant Governor from 1958 and 1961, and as Governor from 1961 to 1963 after his election in 1960. As Governor, Swainson appointed the first African American to sit on the Michigan Supreme Court. He was defeated in the 1962 election by Republican candidate George Romney (father of future Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney).

He later served as a Wayne County circuit judge, was elected to the state Supreme Court in 1970 and came to be seen as a prospective candidate for the United States Senate. Unfortunately his political career ended in 1975 after he was convicted, in Federal District Court in Detroit, of lying to a Federal grand jury in connection with accusations that he had accepted a bribe in 1972 to help a convicted burglar gain a review of his case. He was acquitted of conspiracy and served 60 days in a halfway house in Detroit. Some say that he was framed.

Swainson later became the president of the Michigan Historical Commission, a title which he held until his death of a heart attack in 1994. John passed away at his Manchester, MI home. Two years later, the Commission established the Governor John B. Swainson Award to recognize “State, County, or Municipal employees who have contributed to the preservation of Michigan history even though such activities are not part of their primary job responsibility.”

In 2010 Author Lawrence Glazer wrote an award-winning book about Swainson titled: “Wounded Warrior: The Rise and Fall of Michigan Governor John Swainson”.

You can also find a display commemorating Swainson’s Army service at the Michigan Military & Space Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth, MI

Below see a photo of John Swainson, photo of Swainson with Martin Luther King Jr in June 1963 on the day that MLK first gave his “I have a dream” speech in Detroit. Photo of Swainson with John F. Kennedy. Last image is the book cover of the book written about John Swainson.

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Gov. John Swainson (D)

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195 Liberty Street

15 Jan

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195 W Liberty St. Built in 1871. This is the Starkweather building built by George Starkweather. This was the first commercial building built on Liberty St. Starkweather was very instrumental in bringing the Rail Roads to Plymouth and in anticipation of the business that the RR lines would bring to Plymouth, he actually carved Liberty Street through his own property and built this structure to house his Dry Goods store. After building his store, he lived upstairs with his family until 1875 when he built his house diagonally across the street (711 Starkweather) which still stands today. In addition to his Dry Goods store, Peter Gayde’s Grocery was also in this building. Gayde and Starkweather were very good friends, good enough to where Peter Gayde built his home right next door to the Starkweather home. Although the Starkweather building has served as home to a number of businesses through the years, since 2003 this has been the home of Hermann’s Olde Town Grille. This structure has been so well preserved that we definitely recommend paying a visit to Hermann’s to dine and/or enjoy spirits in the ambiance of a great piece of Plymouth history. Check Hermann’s website at:  www.HermannsOTG.com

Below is a historic photo of the Starkweather building circa 1905 courtesy of the Plymouth Historical Museum:

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1395 Park Place

8 Jan

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1395 Park Place. Built by Cass Sheffield Hough in 1927. This was the first home built in the Hough Park neighborhood and was the home of Cass and his first wife Margaret. Cass was born in 1904 here in Plymouth and was the Grandson of Lewis Cass Hough (an original founder of Daisy Air Rifle Co).  At an early age Cass was very interested in aircrafts and became one of the earliest licensed pilots in Michigan in the 1920s. He graduated from the Culver Military Academy in 1921 and then graduated from the University of Michigan in 1925. Cass went to work as the Sales Manager of Daisy Air Rifles. In 1939 Cass joined the US Army Air Corps. During World War II he flew regular missions escorting bombers over Europe and was assigned by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle to head a unit to solve operational problems. The group of talented pilots developed lightweight external fuel tanks, the P-38 Droop Snoot, bomb sight, 2,000-pound bombs and rocket-propelled bombs to penetrate German submarine pens. Chuck Yeager is better-known for being the first man to break the sound barrier in level flight in 1947, but Hough and perhaps some others broke it much earlier during dives.

After WWII, Hough rose to chairman of Daisy Manufacturing and served as member, acting director, and chairman of Michigan Aeronautics Commission. Today Col. Cass Hough is also enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame. In 1976 Cass authored the book “It’s a Daisy” telling the detailed story of the Daisy Air Rifle Company. Mr. Hough passed away in 1990 at his Florida home but is forever resting in peace here in Plymouth at the Riverside Cemetery. We are proud to have his well preserved home as a part of our great community of Plymouth.

Below is a photo of Cass Hough as a pilot during World War II and a photo of Cass in 1950 at his desk serving as President of the Daisy Air Rifle Company here in Plymouth.

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701 Church Street

2 Nov

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701 Church Street. Current structure built in 1937 but the church originally assembled in 1833. In our opinion there is an intriguing and amazing story when it comes to this place of worship. There is literally a book written about the history of this church which is deeply woven into the overall history of Plymouth.  This is the First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth and some of the previous congregation members include some of the most known and prominent members of our community, even members who’ve had streets named after them like Penniman, Starkweather and more. One of the first homes that the original members met at is still standing at 1496 Penniman Ave where it intersects with Sheldon Rd (North East corner).

Now for the amazing part… So the first chapel was built in 1846 and unfortunately it burned to the ground in 1936 with an amazing phenomenon that some will say was possible with the work of a higher power. When the original church burned down, there were many witnesses who saw the sight of a Bible and Lectern that were virtually untouched right below where it originally stood on the altar of the sanctuary. Keep in mind that the roof had also completely burned down and fell to the ground. Well these amazing facts were also featured on a publication of Ripley’s Believe It or Not.  Today you can see this awesome bible that survived the fire encased and preserved inside the church. When we had the opportunity to see this Bible for ourselves, we found it to be an emotionally moving experience and encourage you to stop by and see it for yourself if you get the chance!

There is much more to the story of this church but we’ll let you read the details of their story by reading the book which is available at the Plymouth District Library. It’s a Sam Hudson book and it made for a good read. We’re just glad to share just a couple the great historical details with you and hope you will appreciate the history of the place like we did.

Visit the First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth webpage at: www.fpcp.net

Historic photo taken circa 1901 and is courtesy of the Plymouth Historical Museum. The photo (below) of the Bible is the actual Bible that survived the destructive church fire of 1936.

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11808 Haggerty Road

3 Oct

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11808 Haggerty Rd. Built Circa 1855. This home sits at the corner of Haggerty and Gilbert Street. When the current owner purchased this home, the real estate agent told him that the house was built around 1910. After doing some research, we come to find that this house was built in the Mid 1800’s and was the farmstead of Gilbert M. Shattuck and his wife Mary. The farm used to extend from Ann Arbor Trail on the South Side to Plymouth Rd on the North Side and from Haggerty Rd on the West Side to Francis Ave on the East Side (where Miller Park is). This house blends into the row of homes on Haggerty and is hard to tell that it’s been sitting there longer than any other home in that area. We were also able to verify its approximate age based on dated materials discovered by a previous owner when remodelling. When you look closely at the photo, you can see the field stone foundation which is also visible in the basement where there are also signs of hewed timbers. Just another neat piece of Plymouth History!

1364 Maple Street

14 Jun

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1364 Maple St. Built in 1928 by Dr. John L. Olsaver. Doctor Olsaver was a dentist that put himself through the School of Dentistry at the University of Michigan (1911 Grad). John Olsaver married Marguerite Hough, the daughter of Lewis Cass Hough (President, Daisy Air Rifle Co.) and they were actually married in the Hough mansion which once stood at 243 N Main Street.

Today this piece of Plymouth history is definitely one to be admired. The current owners have worked meticulously to make this house an inspiration and to preserve all the historic aspects of this home. The interior is ornate and with detailed, hand painted walls, beautiful woodwork, and so much more that makes this home one to be marveled for years to come. Not only have the owners done a fabulous job with the restoration and preservation of this home but are two of our kindest residents that have put forth their own sweat equity and financial support to save some of Plymouth’s most treasured structures such as the Historic Plymouth High School (on Church St) and Post office (on Penniman Ave). Plymouth is very fortunate to have such magnificent residents and preservationists and we are also proud to have such a fantastic home as part of our community.

650 Church Street

11 May

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650 Church Street. Built in 1917 on property that was donated by Senator E.J. Penniman (who lived down the street).  The original High School built on this property in 1884 burned down in 1916. This served as Plymouth High School until 1970, this building then served as Central Middle School until 2015. This Plymouth treasure has served thousands of students and generations of families. Within these walls the education of so many occurred, many who went on to be Business owners, Authors, Attorneys, Doctors, Mayors, Teachers, War Heroes and so many more who have served our community and beyond. Today this beloved building now serves the community as PARC (Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex).  Today we are able to enjoy the benefits of this historic structure due to the efforts of countless volunteers and people like Don Soenen and Mark & Patricia Malcolm. We highly encourage checking out all the new renovations and all the activities, programs, and organizations that are available to serve a number of interests. Be sure to check their web site at www.plymouthparc.com

Below is a photo of Plymouth High School as it appeared in the 1950s

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1071 N. Holbrook

5 Sep

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1071 N Holbrook. Built in 1898. This home is one of just a handful of houses in Plymouth’s Old Village that was built of all brick. This home was built by one of the very first successful business owners in this part of town. Andrew Jackson Lapham owned a substantial portion of the block bordered by Holbrook, Wilcox, Pearl and N Mill Streets and at one time had two store structures and two homes on his land. This home had replaced the wooden house that Andrew built in 1873. Lapham’s General store was very popular in the late 1800’s because of its close proximity to the Plymouth Mill, the Phoenix Mill and Gunsolly Mill. Growers would trade in their raw materials at the mills and head to Lapham’s to purchase all types of needed goods. Lapham’s also had an Ice house on the property where they would store ice that formed in Wilcox Lake in the winter and sell it through the year. In 1929 this home was deeded to Andrew’s Daughter Helen Shackleton and was kept in the family for many years.  Although it’s showing signs of its age being well over a century old, this home still stands strong and maintains a great deal of history within the walls of this structure. Today the old stores no longer stand on this property but other homes built by the Lapham & Shackleton family still exist in this part of town and descendants of Andrew still live here in town and surrounding areas.

Historic photo of this home, Lapham’s General Store and of Andrew Lapham provided by the Andrew’s Great Grand Daughter: Janet Millross Renwick. Photo below is Lapham’s General Store that was located on Holbrook right next to Andrew’s home. Look closely at the historic photo of the house and you can see the brick wall of the store. LaphamGenStoreHolbrookSt

Holbrook brick house (Lapham)

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498 Farmer Street

1 Aug

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498 Farmer St. Built in 1914. Originally the Alter Motor Car Company.Built right along train tracks, this factory sits right across the street from the Plymouth Cultural Center. Alter Motors built over 1000 cars from 1914-1916. At one time the factory employed 100 workers and produced 25 cars per day. This building was wonderfully restored inside and out by the current owners: the C.D. Sparling Company. To see the last known Alter Car, be sure to stop by the Plymouth Historical Museum where they have one of these great cars on display. For additional historical information about the Alter Motor Car Company, be sure to check out www.AlterMotorCar.com

Click the photos below to view a larger image: AlterCar2MenAlterCardAd

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311 Hamilton Street

11 Apr

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311 Hamilton Street. Built in 1878. Originally the home of Clarence Hamilton. Hamilton is known for building the first all metal air rifle and was one of the people who greatly influenced the history of Plymouth. Mr. Hamilton was an Inventor, an Engineer and businessman. Hamilton was the co-founder of the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company which became the Daisy Air Rifle Company by his urging and convinced the leadership to get into making BB Guns and the rest was history! Hamilton was the co-founder of Daisy, the Plymouth Air Rifle Company and the Hamilton Rifle Company. This street was once called Depot Street and was later renamed Hamilton Street in his honor.

Historic photo of Clarence Hamilton: ClarenceHamilton

9101 McClumpha Road

27 Feb

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9101 McClumpha Road. Built circa 1851 by Ashley Harlow. This home has a unique history compared to most other Plymouth homes because of the fact that it was owned by descendants of the original builder for about 160 years and the property for even longer. In 1834 the property this house sits on was purchased by Ebenezer Harlow who farmed this land. Ebenezer’s Son Ashley purchased additional property and built this home circa 1851. Ashley’s Daughter married into the Tyler family and continued living here. The Tyler’s also had a Daughter (Mrs. Leon Scharmen) was born, raised and even got married in this house. The cycle continued up until 2012 when members of the Tyler family sold this home to the current owners. Although this home has been renovated through the years and has seen some current updates, this home still retains much of its original appearance from the outside as it did in the 1800s with the exception of the bay window. Old records state that the original posts and beams used to build this home are made of solid oak, so we hope to see this house still stand for another 160 plus years.

11685 Haggerty Rd

16 Jan

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11685 Haggerty Rd. Built in 1911 was originally located on Main Street. This home served as the Manse (Parsonage) for the historic First Presbyterian Church located appropriately on Church Street. In 1937 this home was relocated to Church Street (on the Church’s property). By 1982 this home was no longer occupied, was in disrepair and was nearly considered for demolition until it was saved by Greg and Mary Ash who purchased it for $1.00 and had it moved to its current location. Of course Mr. & Mrs. Ash did a complete renovation of this home and it still stands as an attractive part of the Plymouth community. Special thanks to Bryce Ford who read about this one in Sam Hudson’s book “150th Anniversary History First Presbyterian Church” and brought it to our attention.

448 N. Sheldon Road

21 Dec

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Built in 1844. This historic farm house once belonged to the Durfee family as in the same Durfee kin that also owned the farm house that stands at the corner of Sheldon and Penniman (within a short walking distance) When looking at a late 1800’s map it appears that this house stood at the South West corner of a farm property that once extended North to Junction St and as far East as Harvey St. At one time this house even served as a Bed & Breakfast and the estate was even named Auburn.

149 W. Liberty Street

5 Nov
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The structure on the left is 149 W. Liberty Street built Circa 1887. In 1885 this property belonged to William Markham who was famous in the Air Rifle Industry, that year he sold it to Peter Gayde who was a Plymouth business owner who happened to own a store just a few doors down. Peter Gayde purchased this property to build the structure you see today for his Son William. This building was originally the Butcher Shop of William Gayde which operated for several years. Peter passed away in 1901 and the deed was transferred into William’s name in 1909. This structure has seen a number of occupants through the years but today it’s now the home of Liberty Street Brewing and is well worth checking out. Even if you’re not a drinker, it’s a great piece of Plymouth History worth stopping in to see.Liberty Street Brewing Web Page: http://libertystreetbeer.com/about-us/

44045 Five Mile Rd ~ St. John’s

3 May

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44045 Five Mile Rd. Built in 1948. St. Johns Provincial Catholic Seminary. This was built as the major seminary in Michigan by the bishops of the state under the leadership of Edward Cardinal Mooney. At the time, there were not enough seminaries in the Midwest and the bishops decided to establish a major seminary, a designation that reflects the institution conferring graduate degrees.

St. John’s provided graduate-level theological education and spiritual formation for diocesan priesthood candidates from the dioceses of Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Kalamazoo, and Marquette.

The Archdiocese of Detroit owns the buildings and land at St. John’s (approximately 200 acres) except for the hotel building, which is owned by a private investor.

Under a contract with the Archdiocese, the Troy, Michigan-based Hotel Investment Services Inc. (HIS) operates the hotel, conference center, and golf course. Carl’s Golfland has operated the driving range and golf store since 2000.

No archdiocesan funds were used to construct The Inn at St. John’s, which is connected to the northeast side of the St. John’s Conference Center and opened in January 2006 as part of the St. John’s Golf & Conference Center. The conference center is open to the public for events such as Weddings, Conferences, Banquets, etc.

Each year the Inn at St. John’s also attracts national and international visitors for the Concourse d’Elegance of America

http://www.stjohnsgolfconference.com/our-history/index.cfm