Preservation and Restoration Projects - 1971 to Current
In 1971 a Blue Ribbon Historical Committee was formed with the Immediate Past State President as Chairman and the Advisory Board as members.
PROJECT I, 1971-1972 AMOUNT
With the recommendations of the membership, the parlor of the Moross House in Detroit was chosen as the recipient of the first Michigan Quester Historical Preservation Project. Two large antique mirrors were placed over twin fireplaces. Andirons and a pair of girandoles for the mantle completed the project. The Moross House is now in private hands. - $1,310
PROJECT II, 1972-1974
The members of the Michigan State Historical Preservation Committee, selected library furnishings (six chairs, a dictionary stand and a hanging lamp) for the Watrousville Museum in Caro as the second State project. Quester members were urged to submit recommendations for future projects. - $1,000
PROJECT III, 1973-1977
The dining room of Yerkes House, Mill Race Village in Northville was furnished with eight mahogany chairs, a large round mahogany table, a marble topped Victorian table, a Victorian mirror and two lamps, a mahogany sideboard and a 9x12 foot Oriental rug. As a finishing touch, a 1840 Waterford epergne was added. These pieces were bought at auction at DuMouchelle’s with $1250 from State funds and contributions from the 76 Michigan chapters. - $2,500
PROJECT IV, 1977-1979
Six keyhole shaped, Tiffany-type stained glass windows at the Hackley House, Muskegon were restored. Michigan Chapters were asked to contribute to reach the goal of $2000 for this project. - $2,000
In 1979 a slide presentation was assembled illustrating the first four projects.
On October 4, 1979, the Michigan State Organization of the Questers was granted the Michigan Historical Society’s Award of Merit for State and Chapter donations of funds, time and effort toward historic preservation.
PROJECT V, 1979-1980
Among the furnishings for the dining room of the Crocker House, Mt Clemens was a Scottish Victorian Sideboard ca. 1860, a Windsor-type child’s high chair, a dark maple Gooseneck rocking chair, a Bradley and Hubbard lamp with a nautically themed shade and a walnut drop-leaf table - $1,500
The State Preservation and Restoration Fund was established to encourage historical preservation within the State of Michigan through the participation of local Quester chapters. It is financed through voluntary contributions from Quester members and chapters. Applications for grants are submitted to the Immediate Past State President, the Chairman of the Grants Committee. Awards are made in the even years.
PROJECT VI, 1981-1983
Quakertown #115
- Purchase a parlor chandelier for the Warner Mansion, Farmington - $1,500
L’Anse Creuse #242
- Purchase bedroom furnishings for the Selensky-Green House, St. Clair - $1,000
Grosse Isle #191 and Hawthorn #618
- Purchase a secretary for the parlor of the U.S. Customs House, Grosse Ile - $1,000
PROJECT VII, 1985
There were no chapter recommendations for State Preservation and Restoration funds for this project period. An allocation of $3,500 was disbursed as follows by the Committee:
- To the National Organization of the Questers to assist in loan retirement at Quester Headquarters $2,500
- To the Michigan State Quester P&R Fund for future State P& R projects $1,000
At the 1985 Fall State Convention application forms for Preservation and Restoration Funds were introduced and explained in the P&R Workshop.
PROJECT VIII, 1985-1987
Elijah Willits #178
- Purchase a cider press for events at the Troy Historical Museum, Troy - $ 200
L’Anse Creuse #242 and Cady’s Corners #678
- Purchase parlor furnishings for Baumgartner House, Fraser - $2,000
Wequetong #781
- Furnishings for the lobby-gallery at the City Opera House, Traverse City - $1,300
Waldenwoods #569 and Hartland Stagecoach Inn #356
- Purchase onstage curtains and draperies for The Hartland Music Hall, Hartland - $1,000
PROJECT IX, 1987-1989
Shagbark #999
- Purchase a clock and display cases for The Williamston Depot, Williamston - $3,000
Livingston Courier #261 and Courthouse Square #745
- Purchase and install Palladian windows in the Fleming School, Howell - $1,800
Burnett’s Traders #567
- Purchase a bookcase, gun and rack for the Courthouse Museum Complex, Berrien Springs - $1,200
PROJECT X, 1989-1990
Quakertown #115
- Replacement of balustrade at the Governor Warner Mansion, Farmington - $2,000
Dearborn Area Questers
- Replace oriental rugs at the Commandant Quarters, Dearborn - $3,400
Pettibone Creek #777
- Place Historic Markers on all Milford’s Mill Sites, Milford - $3,600
PROJECT XI, 1991-1992
Elijah Willits #178
- Restore foundation, elevation and walkway at Troy Township Hall, Troy - $2,000
Ellen Scripps Booth #1049
- Restore Tiffany window at the Beecher House, Wayne State University, Detroit - $1,200
Elmwood Station #1178
- Restore section of the GAR monument at the Newburgh Cemetery, Livonia - $1,200
Livingston Courier #261
- Purchase bookcases, lights and pictures for the Fleming School, Howell - $3,500
Sauk Trail #573
- Purchase a walnut dry sink and cupboards for the Kingsley House, Greenmead Village, Livonia - $2,000
Wequetong #781
- Restore three stained glass windows at the Traverse City Opera House, Traverse City - $2,000
PROJECT XII, 1992-1994
East Area Chapters
- Restore flooring, rear door, frame and portico in the Historical Society Headquarters at the Provencal-Weir House, Grosse Pointe - $4,200
Romeo Indian Village #1196
- Restore gates, fencing and cement drip spring in garden at Starkweather Alley, Romeo - $3,500
Wequetong #781
- Restore seating boxes on either side of the stage in the Traverse City Opera House, Traverse City - $4,000
PROJECT XIII, 1994-1996
Alexander Blue #1265
- Replace wood trim on the exterior of the Alexander Blue House at Greenmead, Livonia - $4,000
East Area
- Window treatments for the Provencal-Weir House, Grosse Pointe - $3,187
Elmwood Station #1178
- Replacement of gate, fence and sign and repair of headstones in the Newburgh Cemetery, Livonia - $5,000
Huron #892
- Furnished the Kammer Log House at Port Huron - $1,400
Livingston Courier #261 And Spring’s Red Bird #744
- Restore wooden stoop, front door and fence at the Fleming Schoolhouse in Howell - $3,375
Maria Moore #432
- Furnish bedroom at the Fisk Farm in White Lake Township - $ 700
Quakertown #115
- Restoration of Civil War flag in Lansing - $1,000
River Park Farms #704
- Purchase furniture for Marx Civil War House in Wyandotte - $3,000
Sand Hill #79
- Purchase a bell for Newburg School at Greenmead, Livonia - $ 500
PROJECT XIV, 1998
Sauk Trail #573
- Purchase wallpaper for three rooms and wood graining of woodwork in four rooms and entry at Shaw House Greenmead, Livonia - $2,373
Maria Moore #432
- Purchase flooring, front door and shutters for the Thompson Schoolhouse, Fisk Farm, White Lake - $5,500
Dibbleville #617
- Restoration of gravestones, providing a survey and identifying all gravestones for future generations Old Prospect Hill, Oakwood Cemetery, Fenton - $5,000
Snug Harbor #1077
- Purchase a harvest table and six pressed back chairs for the Emily Bridge Cultural Center, Trenton - $1,761
Heirloom #145
- Purchase of a sign for the John Hunter House designating it as the “John West Hunter Memorial Park”, Birmingham - $ 700
PROJECT XV, 2000
Mah-Nah-Be-Zee #198
- Restoration and preservation of Franklin H. Hayward paintings at the Crocker House, Mount Clemens - $ 800
Cobblestone Home #1004
- Purchase and install historically accurate fencing along two sides of the White Lake Cemetery, White Lake - $6,000
Grosse Ile #191
- Enclosure of and addition to the existing back porch of the Customs House on Grosse Ile - $3,000
Romeo Indian Village #1196
- Renovations to the kitchen and entrance hall and purchase of rugs and furniture these rooms at the Romeo Historical Museum, Romeo - $4,000
Cherry Hill #32
- Purchase of a Louis XII Italianate gilt metal frame in antique gold for the 1740 Zuccarelli painting at the Dearborn Historical Museum, Dearborn - $1,500
Trenton Truax #680
- Wallpaper and restored curtains, rods, hardware and wooden poles for the original bedroom at the Bridge Cultural Center, Trenton - $1,000
PROJECT XVI, 2002
Burnett’s Traders #567
- Restoration of the stained glass doors of the St. Joseph City Cemetery Mausoleum at the Priscilla Byrns Heritage Center, St. Joseph - $ 200
Cobblestone Home #1004
- Replace existing concrete in the garden area of the White Lake Cemetery with 600 square feet of pavers, White Lake - $5,000
John W. Hunter #142
- Preserve and stabilize the Civil War flag of the Regimental Stand from the 1st Michigan Cavalry, Lansing - $2,500
Maria Moore #432
- Replace deteriorating 1902 iron fencing with compatible style fencing at the Oak Grove Cemetery, Milford Township - $6,000
Mikenauk #1057
- Restore six log pillars to match the natural wood finish of the other log pillars at the Houghton Lake Village Playhouse, Houghton Lake - $1,000
Pettibone Creek #777
- Restoration and replacement of Quarry tile flooring at the Ford Powerhouse, Milford $5,000
PROJECT XVII, 2004
Cherry Hill #32
- Restoration of one complete window at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, Detroit - $1,600
Mackinaw Trail #562
- Erect a two-sided Michigan Historical Marker with a brick Walkway at the Cushway Home, Saginaw - $1,850
Mill Race #1007
- To aid in the conversion of a garage into an archival storage building at the Mill Race Historical Village, Northville - $3,800
Minerva Dill #33
- Restore two mid 19th century oil paintings and frames and return them to where it is believed they originally hung in the Charles H. Hackley house, Muskegon - $4,000
Romeo-Indian Village #1196
- Install fencing with two gates and pavers and the addition of cement benches and urns in the Romeo Historical Museum garden, Romeo - $2,500
PROJECT XVIII, 2006
Burnett’s Traders #567
- Ongoing project to restore two Fresnel lighthouse lenses Located at the Fort Miami Heritage Society, St. Joseph - $2,500
Fox Creek #216
- Restoration of oil paintings of the Honorable Ross Wilkins 1865, 1st Michigan Territorial Judge and of the Honorable John Longyear, 1895, 2nd US District Judge of Michigan - $3,600
John W. Hunter #142
- “Save the Flags” project, Lansing - $3,000
Maria Moore #432
- Restoration and cleaning of the John and Polly Harvey Everett gravestone in Everett Cemetery, Lyon Township - $1,985
Sarah Van Hoosen Jones #259
- Preservation of 1925 corn crib to be used as an outdoor educational facility. Sarah Van Hoosen operated this Farm as a model, scientific dairy operation from 1923 TO 1952 - $1,425
SAUK TRAIL #573 And ALEXANDER BLUE #1265
- Restore wood floors and staircase, purchase floor mats and reupholster two library chairs for Simmons/Hill House Greenmead, Livonia - $5,000
SPRING’S RED BIRD #744
- Restoration Of Howell Opera House Stairway, Howell - $2,000
Elmwood Station #1178
- Furnish Plymouth Fife and Drum Corp with uniforms replicating 1776-1783 style. The group performs reenactments playing music from 1700 to 1900 with emphasis on music played during the Revolutionary War. - $1,500
PROJECT XIX, 2008
Fox Creek #216, Pear Tree #193, Pettipointe #243 And Rose Terrace #1438
- Restorative construction on the damaged front porch and appropriate conservation and painting of the Kercheval Provencal Weir Main House. - $5,000
Hartland Stage Coach Inn #356
- Florence B. Dearing Museum, Hartland received windows restoration and constructed a case to preserve and display an 1865 American flag. - $4,000
Maria Moore #432
- Stabilize the foundation and make the basement more functional at the Milford Historical Society Museum. - $5,000
Wenona #1437
- Informative and attractive signs were placed in front of historic homes in the Bay City Center Avenue Historic District. - $3,000
PROJECT XX, 2010
Burnett’s Traders #567
- The Morton House Museum, Benton Harbor will have plaster repairs and reproduction wallpaper installed in the livingroom and library. - $1,800
Dexter Trail #1459
- A marker will be placed at Fairview Cemetery on the Crossman Chapel/ vault where Daniel Crossman, the namesake of Dansville now rests. Restoration on a stain glass window, in the chapel, will also be completed. - $ 840
Fox Creek #216
- The Cook School, Grosse Pointe Farms, received reproduction hardware for new board and batten exterior shutters which will protect the old glass windows. A disk, arm chair, and chest will be purchased for the school - $2,000
John W. Hunter #142, Ellen Scripps Booth #1049, Heirloom #145, And Mary Chase Stratton #384
- The Kreger Farmhouse will have reproduction wallpaper purchased for the kitchen, and front room. - $3,348
Mah-Nah-Be-Zee #198
- The Crocker House Museum will have restoration work done to walls, ceiling, windows, woodwork, and floor. - $5,000
Maria Moore #432
- The Mary Jackson home, owned by the Milford Historical Society will have restoration work on rotting exterior wood, paint, and fascia repairs. - $1,000
Romeo-Indian Village #1196
- The Starkweather Building, Romeo will have plaster repair, restoration on casings and cupboards, floor tile replaced, and a Hoosier cabinet purchased. - $3,947
Stoney Creek #203
- “Girl With Parasol” by Hulda. This oil is part of the collection at Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester. Restoration will repair incipient cleavage, remove a thin layer of grime on surface, secure flaking paint, then a very thin application of varnish will be applied. - $ 420
PROJECT XXI, MAY, 2009 – JUNE 2010
- The Morton House Museum, Benton Harbor was adopted as a Michigan Questers project with donations from chapters and individuals. Restoration of the tin ceiling in the enclosed entrance porch was completed. - $4,128
- Matching funds in the amount of $2,450 were added to the Quester total.
PROJECT XXII, NOVEMBER 2010
Members indicated at the Fall State Convention that surplus P & R funds could be donated to The Questers Headquarters located at 210 South Quince Street, in Philadelphia. At the November State Board meeting the board was in favor of making a donation for preservation and restoration of our Quester home. Roof repairs will be completed. - $10,000
PROJECT XXIII SEPTEMBER, 2012
Dexter Trail#1459
- This project is for the Fairview Cemetery owned by the town of Dansville, MI. Without footings, many of the headstones have sunk into the ground more than three feet. They will be pulled up and reset using pea stone as footings. To slow down deterioration and increase legibility the stones will be properly cleaned.. As chapter members are doing the work, they require a stone lifting tripod as well as pea stone and an eco-friendly cleaning product which gently cleans without scrubbing. - $415.00
Anns’ Arbor # 357
- These funds will fabricate and install two storm windows for the Rentschler Farm Museum in Saline, Michigan. All windows are currently being restored to their original 1906 condition. National Registry pending January, 2012. - $609.00
Hartland Stagecoach Inn #356
- This project benefits the Florence B. Dearing Museum in Hartland, Michigan. The building was designated as a Historic Site by the State of Michigan in 1976. Two original front doors (1893) and a third front door (circa 1930) will be replaced with custom built reproduction doors. This grant is for restoration on original surrounding structure, both interior and exterior, to accommodate the new doors. - $1,225.00
Cobblestone Home #1004
- This grant is for the White Lake Township Hall in White Lake, Michigan which received State Designation with Registry of Historical sites in 2002. The request is for the purchase of reproduction lighting appropriate to the period of the building. Ten oil rubbed bronze 14” flared shade school house lights on chains are required to replace fluorescent tube lighting. - $1,540.00
WEQUETONG #781
- These funds will benefit the Dougherty Historic Home Site built in 1842. The site is owned by Peninsula Township and has Michigan Historic Site designation. The Dougherty Home Site has owned a 1911 Lull Carriage cutter sleigh since the early 1900’s. When restored to a usable condition, this cutter will represent and demonstrate winter transportation in northwest Michigan in the early 1900’s. It will be restored by a craftsman in Clare, MI. - $1,610.00
John W. Hunter #142
- This ongoing project is for the Kreger Farm House in Franklin, Michigan which received a grant for wall preparation and wall paper in 2010. The current project will refinish and restore the wooden floors, many of which are crafted from wide-plank wood, including heart-of-pine planking, from Michigan sources available in the mid 1800’s. The kitchen floor will be retiled in keeping with the style of the era. - $3,475.00
Mah-Nah-Be-Zee #198
- This project will benefit the Anton Art Center in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, originally constructed as a Carnegie Library in 1902. The building is publicly owned by the Art Center and is listed on the State Historic Register. The building still has many of the original windows as well as the original front door. They have fallen into disrepair and their deteriorating condition was addressed by a relatively recent renovation. This project will include the fabrication and installation of storm windows over all exterior historic windows, cleaning and refinishing upper windows as necessary and the rebuilding of rails and stiles. - $5,000.00