Historic Home Built In 1869
Italian
Revival
Editor's note: This is the final
story in a series of three stories
about aera Historic Homes
By SAN DEE WALACE
Staff Writer
Work done by Mrs. Ross (Michele) Spencer of St. Joseph to research old area homes has developed
into the formation of the historic sites committee of the Fort Miami Heritage Societh of Michigan, Inc.
The committee will work to save old homes which are historically valuable.
Serving with Mrs. Spencer on the committee are Atty. Thomas Fette, Mrs. Thomsa (Nancy) Fette, secretary,
Mrs. David (Sally) Tibbitts, Mrs. Richard (Ann) Keech, John R. Koch, Richard McCoy, Alex Jakubowski and
Paul Freudenburg.
Mrs. Spencer says these people were selected because they all have a love and interest in old homes,
all have a special knowledge which will help the projects and all are good workers and will spend the time
required for such a project.
Mrs. Spencer has received help in her research from individuals, businesses and libraries.
Last summer, the St. Joseph Art association prepared a photographic exibit of the more than 30 homes she
has researched.
The association made enlargments of her slides and prepared written explanations to accompany the pictures.
The exibit is the first permanent exibit of the art center and will be put on display periodically.
Among the types of architecture Mrs. Spencer has researched is Italian Revival.
An example of Italian Revival is the Stevens house located at 5854 St. Joseph Ave. , Stevensville. The home
is now owned by Earl and Betty Harris.
Mrs. Spencer says, the Stevens house is one of the Areas lafgest Italian Revival homes and is beleived to
have been built in 1869 or shortly thereafter by Thomas L. and Hester B. Stevens. Thomas Stevens was
responsable for laying out the town of Stevensville which was named after him. Another resident of the house in
the early 1900's was H. Zick a local butcher who traveled the area selling neat from his wagon.
A carrage house used to stand to the real and to the right of the house. The carage house burned down in 1969.
The house has had minor additions to the rear, a lean to and a small upstairs section with a gabled roof which
was probably added in the late 1800's.
The beveled clear glass transom window above the front dooris surrounded by smaller square panes of blue glass,
which also extend down either side of the door.
According to Mrs. Spencer, the front staircase has a walnum handrail. there are large medallions on the ceilings
from which the light fixtures hang and at one time, four large round columns seperated the front entry from the living
room.
The first story ceilings at one time contained grates that could be opened to admit heat to the second story. The
windows of the second floor are built to the floor. The door to one small room on this floor is the only inside door
that has a transom above it.
Originallly, the sink for trhe kitchen area was in the pantry. The cellar stairs are very wide and double doors open
out of it into the lean-to. The walls of the cellar are nade of split fieldstone and at one time the basement contained
a cistern. In the wall betwen the kitchen and the cellar stairs there is a small door which was probably used for
transferring food.
Mrs. Spencer says the Italian Revival style developed in 1850 when the United States was becoming more urban
and industrial and less rural and agricultural.
The Greek Revival style was rural and rigid and a more flexible style was desired. The Gothic style was too difficult
and expensive to build.
All these attitudes combined with the popularity of Italian country villas seen in imported paintings from Italy, Influinced
the new Italian Revival style of the 1850's.
The style called for an asymmetrical arangment of squared shapes, which gave the design great flexibility.
As a result, American house often had bay and wing additions.
.
