Brinkerhoff–Becker House facts for kids
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Brinkerhoff–Becker House
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 601 W. Forest Ave., Ypsilanti, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1863 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002890 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 8, 1982 |
The Brinkerhoff–Becker House, also called the Becker–Stachlewitz House, is a special old home in Ypsilanti, Michigan. You can find it at 601 West Forest Avenue. This house is important because it was named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1977. Later, in 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's officially recognized as a valuable part of history.
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History of the Brinkerhoff–Becker House
The Brinkerhoff–Becker House was built between 1863 and 1869. It was probably built for a man named Hezekiah H. Brinkerhoff. He worked as an agent for insurance and real estate.
Early Owners and Changes
The Brinkerhoff family lived in the house until 1885, when Hezekiah passed away. His wife and Sarah E. Brinkerhoff kept the house until 1890. After them, J. M. B. Sill bought the property. He was one of the first leaders of the Michigan State Normal School. This school is now known as Eastern Michigan University.
In 1891, Charles J. Becker bought the house. He made some big changes to it. He added the tall, round tower that you can still see today. The Becker family lived in the house until around 1918. Later, the house was changed again and split into several apartments.
The House Today
Today, Eastern Michigan University owns the Brinkerhoff–Becker House. It is still divided into four apartments.
What the Brinkerhoff–Becker House Looks Like
The Brinkerhoff–Becker House is a two-and-a-half-story building. It is built in the Queen Anne style. This style was popular for homes in the late 1800s. The house has a square shape and is covered with wooden boards called clapboard. It sits on a strong foundation made of fieldstone.
Key Features of the House
The roof of the house is shaped like a hip roof. It has noticeable gables on the front, sides, and back. Gables are the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof. These gables have cool sunburst patterns and decorative boards.
There are porches covering the entrances on two sides of the house. These porches have fancy turned posts. They also have decorative wooden bands with spindlework at the top.
The most famous part of the house is the round tower at one corner. The bottom part of the tower is made of brick. The upper part is covered with special rounded wooden shingles. The tower's roof looks like a "helmet dome." It is covered with octagon-shaped wooden shingles.
