 My walking tour, actually it was a bicycle tour, began with the Hiram Staples house at the corner of Mears and Slocum streets.
Its appearance as changed little since being built in 1867. |
 It
was built by Hiram Staples, one of Whitehall's first lumber barons,
about three blocks from the lumber mill he co-owned with Charles
Covell.
The side porch seen here opens onto Mears St. |
 The south porch, opening onto Slocum Street was probably the main entrance
|
 Out buildings on the property include a wood well house, shown here.
|
 The other out building is this brick root cellar.
Like
many of the other homes on the White Lake Historical Society's walking
tour, the Staples house is in need of paint and minor
repairs. |
 Across
Slocum street at the end off the cul-de-sac is the Redfern-Bloomdahl
house. Built in 1902, it is notable as the first cement block
house to be built in Whitehall.
|
 The property is also known for its beautiful flower gardens.
|
 I liked the stained glass window. It is, no doubt, much more beautiful from the inside.
|
 The
next house on the list was built by another of Whitehall's lumber barons,
John Lewis. Mr. Lewis was also a banker and financier.
For seventeen years he worked as director and vice president of
the Bank of whitehall. In 1885 he established the First National
Bank of Traverse City.
|
 John
and his wife, Augusta, raised three daughters in this beautiful home on
Mears St. The back of the house overlooks White Lake at the
bottom of the hill.
|
 The glass in the front door still bears the name of the original owner of the house.
Information on John C. Lewis came from Portrait and biographical record of Muskegon
and Ottawa counties Michigan, by Biographical Publishing company. |
 The
Charles Covell house is a typical Queen Anne style home. The
house was built in 1884 by the co-owner of the Staples and Covell
lumber mill.
|
 Located at 303 South Mears Avenue, The house is now a Bed & Breakfast, "The White Swan Inn."
|
 Note the wrought iron work that encloses the top of the roof.
|
 Screened-in side porch and outdoor bench provide nice sitting places for bird watching, reading or whatever.
|
 Details on the front porch indicate the painstaking effort it takes to maintain an old home in pristine condition.
|
 Another Queen Anne style house, this was built in 1903 by songwriter, Charles Seagar who wrote "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now."
|
 In
recent years the house was a bed & breakfast, but has since
reverted to private ownership. The house is in need of a paint
job and maintenance, nonetheless, it is still a beautiful home.
|
 Note the scalloped treatment at the top of the three story turret.
|
 The
Williams-Kolbe house was the Tannery's supervisor home for years.
The Tannery was the oldest industry in Muskegon County.
This building is now another of Whitehall's many Bed & Breakfast businesses. |
 Located
at 415 South Division, the Finch Nest is well kept although the
exterior needs a little
paint.
|
 Viewed from the south, the building extends farther into the lot than is apparent from straight on or from the north.
|
 The Charles Ruggles house, built in 1860 has changed little from the original.
|
 A
small porch on the north side of the house seems to be the main
entrance. Detail such as exhibited here is difficult to maintain.
|
 The front porch, facing South Division Street, appears to be out of use as there are no longer any steps present.
|
 The Van Kerin house, built in 1865, is a replica of a home built in Mt. Morris, NY.
|
 Located on the corner of South Division and Alice streets, the front of the house faces South Division Street.
|
 The Alice Street elevation shows a beautiful glassed in porch.
There
are many more excellent examples of historic period homes in
Whitehall that are nicely kept, but do not appear on the White Lake
Historical Society's Walking Tour Guide. A companion article of Montague's historic homes appears at: http://www.jessmerrill-photography.com/images/Montague/montague.html Montague is Whitehall's neighbor to the north just across the White River. |
