On the corner of Maumee and Liberty streets in Jonesville, Mich. sits an iconic piece of Michigan history: the Grosvenor House.
Two Hillsdale College juniors, Gwendolyn Stoldt and Julia Kilgore, recently saw this unique piece of Jonesville history as an opportunity to further their education and experience as curators in training.
Renowned architect Elijah Myers built the Grosvenor House in 1874 to serve as the residence for the 17th Lt. governor of Michigan, Ebenezer O. Grosvenor. The house held state dinners and formal parties. The house’s architecture and amenities speak for themselves: eight Italian marble fireplaces and an extensive library complete with books from the Library of Congress. Over the years, however, this historic gem sat tucked away from the public. Tours and events became a rarity as tourism interest declined.
But 35 years ago, a group of people with the purpose of preserving Jonesville’s history decided to purchase the Grosvenor house and turn it into a museum, said former board member Bonnie Drake. The committee decided on the Grosvenor house because of Mr. Grosvenor’s background.
“Historically speaking, there is so much in the this house that is still original and a part of this community’s history,” Drake said.
Towards the beginning of this school year, history majors Stoldt and Kilgore sought to find opportunities to volunteer within the community, with a focus on local history. Stoldt asked her professors for advice on where to volunteer.
“I asked Dr. [Harold] Stewart about museum opportunities, because that is what I am interested in, and he suggested the Grosvenor house in Jonesville,” Stoldt said.
Stoldt and Kilgore decided to attend one of the Grosvenor Board meetings, where they proposed to the board that they would be student volunteers. Kilgore was impressed with the board’s reaction.
“They were really excited to see some help from students, they would love for Hillsdale college to be more involved,” she said.
They will be sorting all of the archives and inventory, including years of old newspapers and photographs from Hillsdale, Jonesville, and Quincy.
Kilgore said she sees the Grosvenor house as a place where the community will be able to cherish its rich history.
“There are lots of rooms that could be used for the community for learning,” she said.
The Grosvenor house’s largest event is their annual Christmas celebration, held the first two weekends in December.
“Christmas is such a big deal here that they have started to decorate in September,” Stoldt said.
Many people drive by this untapped source of local nostalgia not realizing the history that sits untouched. Julia and Gwen hope that their interest in sharing the the Grosvenor’s history will encourage the young generations to step up and preserve the history of this community.
“The house itself is a testament to the Jonesville community and Michigan in general, ”said Kilgore.
Drake wants to get students and the youth involved with future endeavors at the Grosvenor house.
“I would like to see the generations that have grown up in the area to be captivated by the history of this house,” Drake said. “We need volunteers.”
