Albert E. Sleeper House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Albert E. Sleeper House
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Sleeper House, c. 1919
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 302 W. Huron Ave., Bad Axe, Michigan |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | Albert E. Sleeper |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000619 |
| Added to NRHP | February 1, 1972 |
The Albert E. Sleeper House is a historic private house in Bad Axe, Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This means it's recognized as an important building worth preserving.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the House
Who Was Albert E. Sleeper?
Albert E. Sleeper was born in Vermont in 1862. He moved to Lexington, Michigan in 1884. Later, in 1904, he moved to Bad Axe.
Sleeper was a very active person in Michigan politics. He served as a state senator from 1901 to 1904. After that, he was the state treasurer from 1908 to 1912. His biggest role was serving as the governor of Michigan from 1917 to 1920.
Building the Sleeper House
Governor Sleeper started building this house in Bad Axe in 1916. It was finished in 1917. After his time as governor, Sleeper came back to Bad Axe. He continued to run his banking and real estate businesses there.
Sadly, Albert Sleeper became ill in 1932. He passed away in 1934. His wife, Mary, continued to live in their beautiful home until 1954.
New Owners Over the Years
In 1954, the Sleeper family sold the house to William T. Collon. He used the house for his business, the Collon-Colgan Funeral Home, until 1974.
After that, Henry and Barbara Weitenberner bought the house. They lived there and also ran their business, the Weitenberner Funeral Home, from the house until 2006.
What Does the House Look Like?
Outside the House
The Sleeper House is a large, two-and-a-half-story building. It's built in the Greek Revival style. This style often looks like ancient Greek temples. The outside of the house is covered with brick.
A big, two-story porch, called a portico, is at the front. It has tall, round columns called Doric columns. These columns support the roof of the porch. At the back of the house, there are two smaller sections, or wings.
All the windows in the house are double-hung. This means they have two sashes that slide up and down. The main front door has a special window above it called a fanlight. This window is shaped like a fan. You can also see gabled dormers on the roof. These are windows that stick out from the sloped roof.
Inside the House
Inside the Sleeper House, you'll find beautiful hardwood floors. They have unique geometric patterns, like a puzzle. In the living room, there's a large fireplace made of marble. The library also has a fireplace, which is covered with tiles.
To go upstairs, you use a grand staircase. It's called a Palladian staircase, which is known for its elegant design. Some of the original furniture from the Sleeper family is still in the house today.
