Ephraim and Emma Woodworth Truesdell House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ephraim and Emma Woodworth Truesdell House
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1224 Haggerty Rd., Canton Township, Michigan |
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| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1888 |
| Built by | Charles W. Curtiss |
| Architectural style | Stick-Eastlake |
| MPS | Canton Township MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000174 |
| Added to NRHP | April 02, 2003 |
The Ephraim and Emma Woodworth Truesdell House is a historic home located at 1224 Haggerty Road in Canton Township, Michigan. This house is considered very important because it is one of the most beautifully built homes in the area. It is also connected to one of the most influential families in Canton Township's history. Because of its special history and design, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Contents
History of the Truesdell Family Home
The story of the Truesdell House begins with Erastus Truesdell. He was born in Massachusetts in 1802. Erastus married Calista Merry. In 1832, they moved to Michigan. They were among the very first families to settle in Canton Township.
Building the Truesdell House
Erastus and Calista had eight children. One of their children was Ephraim F. Truesdell, born in 1842. Ephraim fought in the American Civil War. After the war, he married Emma Woodruff. Ephraim and Emma also had eight children. In 1888, Ephraim and Emma decided to build a new house. They hired Charles W. Curtiss, a builder from Plymouth, Michigan, to construct this beautiful home.
Ephraim Truesdell passed away in 1908. His son, Charles Truesdell, bought the property in 1911. The house remained in the Truesdell family for many years.
Life at the Truesdell House Over Time
After Charles Truesdell died in 1937, his wife rented out rooms in the house. She rented to schoolteachers. During World War II, she also rented rooms to workers from the nearby Willow Run factory. The house was known for its large double front doors. These doors made it easy to carry caskets inside for funerals held at the home.
In the 1980s, some developers bought the house. They planned to turn it into a bed and breakfast. However, the home was resold in 1992. The new owners carefully restored it to its original beauty. In 2003, the Ephraim and Emma Woodworth Truesdell House was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This listing recognizes its importance in American history and architecture.
Design and Architecture of the House
The Truesdell House is a two-story building. It is made of red brick and sits on a strong stone foundation. The house has a unique shape, like a cross. It features a deep gable-front section. This main part is crossed by another section with a side-gabled roof. This side section sticks out on both sides.
Key Features of the Exterior
A special part of the house is a hip roof section. This section holds the main entrance with its double doors. It is tucked into the corner where the two main parts of the house meet. A low porch wraps around this hip roof section. This porch has decorative posts and screens in the Stick-Eastlake style. It provides shelter for the front door. A similar porch is found on the opposite side of the front of the house.
Both the side and front gables have decorative arches carved into the brick below the roofline. On the south side of the house, there is a bay window that sticks out. Most of the other windows are "one-over-one double-hung" style. This means they have two sashes, one above the other, that slide up and down. These windows are set within brick caps that have a rounded, segmented arch shape.
