Jonesville’s Grosvenor House to celebrate sesquicentennial anniversary

JONESVILLE — This fall, the historic Grosvenor House in Jonesville will celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary.

Finished in 1874 and turned into a museum in 1977, the house still features its historic decorations, original architectural designs, and antique technologies.

“We have a board that takes care of running the house, which is 150 years old this year,” said Ann Johnson, a board member.

The house was designed by Elijah E. Myers , who also designed the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing, for Ebenezer Oliver Grosvenor and his wife, Sally.

Grosvenor was a banker and politician, who served two terms as state senator and treasurer, one term as lieutenant governor, and seven years as a University of Michigan regent.

This fall will feature a series of events to celebrate the historic anniversary.

While the house is normally only open to visits by appointment only, the first Saturday in each month from August through December there will be an open house at the Grosvenor House from 2-5 p.m. These events will be free and open to the community.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, there will be an open house from 1-4 p.m.

“We are thinking of having refreshments and music,” Johnson said. “We’ll have someone also coming in to play the piano.

On Nov. 10, the house will also be open for tours, during the Rover Gobble 5K run.

The Christmas Open House will be on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“We will also have entertainment and refreshments at that event,” Johnson explained.

During the open houses, anyone from the community is welcome to come and tour the museum at no cost. Donations are accepted though.

The home, which is on the National Register of Historical Places and is designated a Michigan Historic Site, has taken lots of upkeep over the years to maintain its historic beauty.

Recent projects include repairs on the exterior front porch, which grants helped pay for.

“We got a grant of $2,400 from the Michigan Historical Society to help go towards redoing that porch,” she said.

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Johnson added that she is grateful for the community’s support of the project, especially as they honor this anniversary.

“We want to celebrate that we have been able to keep the house up and going,” Johnson said.

For more information about Grosvenor House, anniversary events, or to schedule a free tour, visit grosvenorhouse.wordpress.com.

— Contact Reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Jonesville’s Grosvenor House to celebrate sesquicentennial anniversary