19th Century Homes in Lansing

GREEK REVIVAL HOMES IN LANSING

North Lansing and the downtown area of Lansing are particularly rich in 19th century houses. The oldest of these are from the 1840s and 1850s and may be classified as Greek Revival homes. There are also a number of houses and commercial buildings from the 1860s built in this style.

The Greek Revival style gradually gained in popularity in the US beginning in the 1820s. This was the result of combined influences, primarily the popular identification with the Greek struggle for independence against the Turks, as well as a developing tendency away from British styles after the War of 1812.

The Greek Revival style is identifiable by its usage of classical Greek and Roman design features, including heavy supporting columns (either on the gable ends, straight across the front, or curved across the front) of the ionic, Corinthian or Doric type. These features were intended to duplicate the look and feel of an ancient temple.

One of the most interesting examples of this style in the city is the house at 1214 Center Street in North Lansing. Currently used as a two-unit rental and covered in very ugly aluminum siding, only the classical entableture at the ends are still visible to identify the true age and style of the house. Probably built in the late and 1840s or early 1850s, this was no doubt one of the finest homes in Lansing at one time. Erected on a slight rise, it would have presented a splendid and dignified presence to the tiny community around the dam and mill. When it was recently on the market the asking price for this monument was $12,000 (cash terms).

Another example of the Greek Revival style in Lansing include the "Governor's House" at 2003 West Main Street. This is one of the oldest houses remaining in Lansing, dating from 1848. Although called the governor's mansion, it was in fact the residence of several state auditor generals, and no governor ever lived there. It was originally located near the old capitol building (at Allegan and Washington) and was saved from destruction by prominent local architect Edwin A. Bowd who had it moved to its current location in 1926.

Other examples in Lansing include the John A. Kerr house at 213 East St. Joseph (built in 1860); the house at 105 West Hillsdale (built in 1865); the Colonel Schneider Residence at 726 Seymour (built in 1854) and finally the Turner-Dodge Mansion at 100 E. North Street (built in 1855). These and the other houses mentioned above were all the homes of prominent local families during the first decades Lansing's existence.

It was the hoi poloi, the common people, who lived in the most predominant and long-lasting of the housing styles of the Greek Revival. This was the gable front 19th century farmhouse. This style and it's upright-and-wing variation remained popular throughout the 19th century, eventually becoming the dominant free-standing urban house style. It is still a viable homestyle in Lansing, as evidenced by the four new houses built in the block of Genessee between Chestnut and Pine, all of which are upright-and-wing or gable-front variants.