August 2014 - Lost In Michigan

The Castle in Grand Rapids – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Michigan Historical Markers .

Designed by local architect William G. Robinson, this castle-like edifice was constructed in 1884-86 for Colonel E. Crofton Fox and his brother Charles. Built of granite block imported from Scotland, this house is a fine example of Chateauesque Style architecture. A Heritage Hill landmark, this house features leaded and stained glass windows, and a metal stair dormer superbly crafted to resemble stone. Its interior is adorned with parquet flooring in the entry hall and a carved oak staircase. It was refurbished as a restaurant in 1978.

The Fox Brothers, Ethelbert Crofton (1852-1904) and Charles (1853-1915), local lumber barons, built this structure as their home. These brothers were partners in a Grand Rapids lumbering firm, Osterhout, Fox & Company, and accumulated vast wealth. Appointed to the State Military Board by Governor Cyrus Luce in 1887, E. Crofton, a colonel, was twice elected president of that organization. He was also associated with with banking and was treasurer of the City Board of Trade. Charles was the founder of the Michigan Trust Company, established in 1889.

Currently it is the office of Stonecastle Dentistry

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts, I enjoy doing them, but i could use your help to keep doing them, I am not funded by any orginization and, as and independant artist I don’t make a lot of money. I hope you will help me with expenses and check out the shirts I have on sale this weekend HERE or my prints HERE

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St Mary’s Hospital – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers, Uncategorized .

The need for medical facilities in fast-growing Saginaw valley led Father Francis Van der Bom and Dr. Benjamin B. Ross to organize support for a hospital. It opened with the arrival of four Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul on August 22, 1874. The original frame house proved inadequate; in 1875 a new building was begun on this site and the hospital incorporated as St. Mary’s. Its first patients were principally injured lumbermen. The staff devised a health insurance plan of $5 a year to raise funds. Over the years the hospital expanded and modernized to care for more patients as well as to provide an increasing variety of medical and educational facilities. As it moves into its second century St. Mary’s anticipates a future of continued care and service.

Burton Memorial Bell Tower at the University of Michigan

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

I enjoyed walking around the U of M campus, although I will say it’s a large campus in the city of Ann Arbor and it must be a lot of walking for the students. There are some magnificent buildings on the campus and since it was summer time and few students around I got a “good” pic of the Burton Tower designed by Alber Kahn, I seem to take a lot of photos of his buildings without even being aware that he designed them.

Thanks to Wikipidia I found out some info on the tower and posted it here. I left the part out about the suicide of Sarah Goddard Power and her battle with depression since I thought that seemed to sad to post.

Housing a grand carillon, the tower was built in 1936 as a memorial for University President Marion Leroy Burton (presidency: 1920–1925). The grand carillon, one of only 23 in the world,is the world’s fourth heaviest, containing 55 bells and weighing a total of 43 tons (a grand carillon has a bourdon bell — the name given to the heaviest bell in a carillon and the one that sounds the hour — that weighs at least six tons, and can sound a low ‘G’).

The monument was constructed in 1935 and finished in 1936. It stands at 120 feet, and was designed by Albert Kahn, who also designed the William L. Clements Library, Angell Hall, and Hill Auditorium for the University of Michigan. Its carillon was donated by Michigan alumnus Charles A. Baird, a lawyer and the first U-M athletic director, and has been christened the “Charles Baird Carillon”. Baird had the bells cast in England and gave them to the university. He also commissioned “Sunday Morning in Deep Waters”, the fountain on Ingalls Mall between Burton Tower and the Michigan League.

the James Scott Castle Residence

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Detroit, Houses .

I kinda have this rule that I wont post any “Ruin Porn” in Detroit but I also have been taking photos of Castles in Michigan, so this one is kind of a dilemma, but since you are looking at this photo, you can figure out that I have decided to post it. I think it’s too important of a house, not to post.

This is the James Scott residence on the comer of Peterboro and Park in the Midtown District. James Scott’s father also named James Scott was a prominent business man in Detroit and when he died in the 1870’s he gave a large fortune to his son. He built this house in 1887 but from what I read Mr Scott was not the most well respected person in Detroit. When he built his house he wanted to purchase the property south of his, when the owner would not sell it to him he built a giant wall to block the sun from reaching his neighbors house, that is supposedly why the south wall has no windows.

when he died in 1910 he left the city $200,000. to build a fountain and stipulated that there needs to be a statue of him. Many of the citizens did not want to build the fountain because of the stipulation and felt he was not worthy of a statue. Some pointed out that he apparently never worked a day in his life and was best known for the time he spent in downtown bars. eventually it was decided to spend his money and expand Belle Isle and build a fountain.

the home eventually was converted into apartments then suffered from a fire in the 70’s and was left abandoned, recently a developer has plans to spend 7 million dollars and converting it into condominiums. you can read about it HERE

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