Tag Archives: MI

498 Farmer Street

1 Aug

498FarmerSt

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

AlterCarFactoryPicAlterCarInterior

Tags: , , , , ,

Mayflower Hotel Site

16 Jul

400SMainStreet

This post is quite different from any of our previous posts because of the fact that that it highlights a building that is not very historic yet is a corner that is rich in Plymouth’s history. It has been our discovery that this page receives many searches for the Historic Mayflower Hotel and we were quite surprised to find that there are many people who are still unaware that the Mayflower no longer stands. 827 W. Ann Arbor Trail was home to the Mayflower Hotel from 1927 through 1999. The Hotel was razed in 2000 and is now the home of Mayflower Centre which consists of both retail spaces and condominiums. This was the location where Plymouth’s first home was built by Plymouth Pioneers William and Kezia Starkweather in 1825. Although Plymouth’s first home was more of a primitive shelter, it was still a home and this South West corner of Main Street and Ann Arbor Trail is where it all began. Today there are still “remains” of the Mayflower. Directly across Main Street, the former Mayflower Meeting House still stands and is now home to a Banquet Facility and office spaces. The Mayflower’s later addition (Mayflower II) still stands at 471 S. Main Street and operates as the Mayflower Motor Inn.

Here is verbiage from an old post card dated 1986 of the Mayflower:

100 room historic, family-operated hotel featuring Bed and Breakfast Full complimentary breakfast for overnight guests, at Main Street and Ann Arbor Trail, off I-275 and M-14, 25 minutes from Metro Airport, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Greenfield Village – Five minutes to Northville Downs Within walking distance of 150 unique shops, tree lined Kellogg Park and a movie theater – Banquet facilities up to 400 – Six meeting rooms – The Mayflower II rooms feature direct-dial phones, color TV, refrigerators, queen-size or double beds, individually controlled heating and cooling, Sprinkler system and smoke alarms – Deluxe rooms feature Kohler whirlpool bathtubs and king-sized beds

Below are some old images of the Hotel:

Mayflower1940s

Mayflower1970s

Mayflower1980s

Tags: , , , , ,

821 Penniman Ave

16 Mar

821Penniman

821 Penniman Ave. Built in 1893. It’s hard to mistake this building when driving through downtown Plymouth considering that it’s one of the only historic 3 story brick buildings in town. The upper 2 floors once served as a hotel in the early years and the 1st floor originally was a General store then served as a number of different retail stores. For years the first floor served as Huston Hardware. In more recent history this building was home to the Community Crier newspaper. Today the top two floors are apartments but this structure is most known for being home to Sean O’Callahan’s Public House, a traditional style Irish Pub. It’s worth visiting this pub to take a step back into Plymouth’s past and though it may seem to be a strange recommendation, I would advise paying a visit to the restrooms on the lower level to see more of the original building materials such as the field stone foundation. When looking at historic photos this building once had a three sided brick facade (similar to a bay window effect) but was remodeled in the early 1900’s to a straight brick facade as we know it today. Check out O’Callahan’s web page at:  http://seanocallaghanspub.com/

Historic photo (below) of Penniman Ave taken circa 1923. If it wasn’t for the historic cars in the photo, this would almost seem to be a recent photo of Penniman Ave. The 3rd building from the left is the same building discussed in this post.Click on the photo to enlarge.

Penniman1923

Tags: , , , , ,

9101 McClumpha Road

27 Feb

9101McClumpha

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.

Tags: , , , ,

340-380 South Main Street

18 Jan

340-380Main

340-380 South Main Street. Built in 1951. Out of all the homes and structures we’ve posted, this building is the “youngest” of our Plymouth Discoveries but considering the historic significance of this piece of prime real estate in the heart of downtown Plymouth, we felt it only appropriate to do this post. Located directly across the street from Kellogg Park, this piece of property has seen its share of structures standing on this parcel of land. Throughout the 1800’s and into the early 1900’s there had been a number of businesses that stood here and were a big part of the Plymouth community. At one time there was even a Kroger that stood here. In 1951 the S.S. Kresge Company purchased the 4 buildings that had been standing in this spot and leveled them to build their department store. Kresge (the precursor to K-Mart) served post-war Plymouth for a number of years and left a number of memories for several members of this community. Today this building now serves as 3 restaurants owned by the Yaquinto family. Fiamma Grille, Comparis, and the Sardine Room. These restaurants have earned accolades from local food critics and were also featured on the show “Under the Radar Michigan”. When visiting Plymouth, check out these eateries for a distinctive dining experience.

Below we’ve included 2 photos of this same parcel of land on Main Street between Ann Arbor Trail & Penniman Ave

Below: Left – Photo of Kresge on S. Main Street circa 1953  Right– Photo of S. Main Street circa 1950

KresgeCirca1953

MainStCirca1950

Tags: , , ,

11685 Haggerty Rd

16 Jan

11685Haggerty

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.

Tags: , , , , ,

107 S. Main Street

2 Jan

107SMainSt

107 S. Main Street. Built in 1900. This property was purchased by William Hoyt in 1883, 7 years later he built this home (built in the eclectic prarie style) where his family lived until 1943. Today this home is used for commercial purposes.

Tags: , , , , ,

448 N. Sheldon Road

21 Dec

448Sheldon

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.

Tags: , , , , , ,

939 Penniman Ave

23 Jul

939Penniman

939 Penniman Ave. Built in 1893 by Joel Kellogg (Son of Plymouth Pioneer, John Kellogg) constructed this home for his Daughter Jennie as a wedding gift. In 1898 the home was purchased by Oscar Huston who was known for being the proprietor of Huston Hardware store on Penniman Avenue. In 1929 this home was deeded to Austin and Ruth (Huston) Whipple. In 1940 Ruth Whipple became the first Woman Mayor of Plymouth and the first female Mayor in the State of Michigan.

Tags: , ,

1034 York Street

28 Mar

1034YorkStreet

1034 York Street. Built in 1829 by Benajah Holbrook. Benajah was an older Brother of Henry Holbrook whom is the namesake of Holbrook Street which is within walking distance of this house. Benajah and his wife Barbara owned this property until his death in 1882. In 1882 this home was purchased by Charles Gentz. The Gentz family resided here for 40 years. At age 10 Frankie Gentz drowned in the stretch of Rouge River which runs behind this home. During a previous renovation of the property by the Norgrove Family, a tombstone for Frankie was found. Herbert & Leora Norgrove purchased this home in in 1944 and was owned by the family for 65 years. Today this home has been significantly modified and added on to. At the time of this photo, this home was undergoing updates.

Tags: , , , , , ,

845 N. Mill Street

29 Nov

Image

845 N. Mill St. Built in 1897 by George W. Springer. George had built an addition to the back of this Queen Anne style home and it was the workshop where he made cigars and supplied them to local hotels. George manufactured cigars with names like “Hotel Victor”, Hotel Plymouth”, and “The Mail”. George also served as the Plymouth Village Sheriff. George passed away in 1941 and wife Helen continued to live here well into the 1950s. When Helen passed in 1957 she joined George at Plymouth’s Riverside cemetery.

Tags: , , , , , ,

941 Starkweather Street

29 Nov

Image

941 Starkweather St. Built circa 1873. This Italianate Style Brick house was originally the home of Henry Hudson. This home later became a hotel that serviced the patrons using the Plymouth Rail Road Station which was in close walking distance. This home once served as the Purdy House Hotel and today serves as the Marquette Apartments.

Tags: , , , , , ,

761 Starkweather Street

8 Nov

Image

Built Circa 1875 by Peter Gayde. Mr Gayde was a well known business owner who was also an elected official of Plymouth. When Peter immigrated to Plymouth he was instrumental in forming the German Lutheran Church in Old Village. Peter’s store was located in the Starkweather Building located on Liberty Street. When Peter passed away in 1902 his Sons continued to operated his store under the name of Gayde Brothers Groceries.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

391 Maple Street

11 Oct

Image

Built circa 1879 by John Hood. This home is located at the corner of Maple and Hamilton. When it was first built it was right next to the Plymouth Fairground. John had visited Italy in the late 1870’s and returned to Plymouth wanting to build a home that was inspired by the homes he saw over there. This Italian Villa style home had an addition in 1887. Mr. Hood’s daughter Marion was born in this home and she lived here with her Husband Mr. Curtis until 1926.

Tags: , , , , ,

472 Starkweather

11 Oct

472OakStarkweather.JPG

472 Starkweather was Built in 1892 by George Clinton Peterhans who served in Michigan’s 16th Infantry Company F along side his twin brother Christian Peterhans and who also built a home in this same area of Lower Town (Old Village) Plymouth at 615 N. Mill Street. When you read about the battles the Michigan 16th were involved in during the Civil War and the extreme hardship these soldiers encountered, it’s amazing that George and his twin brother made it back home to Plymouth in one piece and were able to enjoy their lives and their homes here in our community.

Life seemed to become much less complicated in those days and it’s interesting to read an old newspaper from the turn of the century. It was published in an old paper published on September 30, 1901 that while George was picking apples out in the orchard, he fell from an 18 foot ladder and had dislocated his elbow and sprained his wrist. George was a tough man and was able to go about his business not log after this incident.

George passed away on March 17th, 1911. Both George and his brother (John) Christian Peterhans are at rest near each other in Plymouth’s Riverside Cemetery.

This home is an example of the architect style called “Second Empire” and is distinctly different from other homes in the area. Today this home is being used for commercial purposes.

Below is a photo of George Peterhans and a photo of the home as it appeared in 2013:

GeorgePeterhans 472Starkweather

 

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

235 Adams Street

19 Jul

Image

235 Adams Street. Built in 1881 and was originally located on Main Street. This was the home of William (W.O.) Allen who was a business owner and had a store on Penniman Ave. Mr. Allen was married to Kate Penniman (Daughter of Senator Ebenezer J. Penniman). In 1925 this home was sold to the Essick Family and then in 1949 the property was sold to the Public School system to allow for expansion of Plymouth High School (aka Central Middle School, now PARC). This home used to sit where the Gymnasium is now located. The home was rescued by Robert Joliffe and was moved to this location in 1950.

Tags: , , , , , ,

318-336 S. Main Street

1 Jul

318-336 S. Main Street was built in late 1893 after the “great fire” of 1893 eliminated most of the block. This is the Penniman Building, one of the most recognized structures in town which was built by Kate Penniman-Allen who was a very prominent figure in Plymouth. She was the Daughter of Ebenezer Penniman who was Plymouth’s first Congressman. Some of the most notable businesses in this building are Wiltse’s community pharmacy which has provided some of the best hometown service to this community for most of the 20th Century, 336 Main is a popular Martini Bar ( www.336Main.com ) and there are some great confections cooking at the Cupcake Station.

Image

HistPennimanColeman

Tags: , , , , , ,

1142 S. Main Street

1 Jul

1142 S. Main Street. Built in 1921. This is actually a “kit house” that was constructed by the Lewis Manufacturing Co. in Bay City. Originally the home of William Sutherland who was a Horticulturist also owned a large parcel of Plymouth land which was developed into the Sunshine Acres neighborhood. Sutherland Street was named in his honor. This home is listed on the registy of historical sites. http://detroit1701.org/Sutherland%20Bungalow.html

Image

Tags: , , , , , ,

1103 Penniman Ave

1 Jul

1103 Penniman. Built in 1895 by Michael Conner who was the owner of Conner Hardware. Michael also served as the Plymouth Village President. The Conner hardware building is located on the NW corner of Main & Penniman. Unfortunately Mr. Conner passed away in 1896 but his family continued to lived here for many years.

Image

Tags: , , , , , ,

280 S. Main Street

1 Jul

280 S. Main Street. Built in 1910 by Dr. Albert Patterson. This home was purchased in 1917 by Fred Schrader the Brother in-law of Dr. Patterson & was made into the Schrader Funeral Home. Schrader’s was one of the earliest funeral homes in Michigan and has had its doors open for business in Plymouth longer than any other business in town. This funeral home was ran by 3 generations of Schraders. This funeral home has served as the parlor to many well known names in Plymouth’s history.  http://www.schrader-howell.com/?page=ourhistory

Image

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older Entries