George Louk Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George Louk Farm
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| Location | 1885 Tooley Rd., Howell, Michigan |
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| Area | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| Built | c. 1873 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Board and Batten Outbuilding |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000285 |
| Added to NRHP | June 15, 1995 |
The George Louk Farm is an old farm located at 1885 Tooley Road near Howell, Michigan. It's a special place because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. This means it's an important historical site that should be protected.
Contents
Farm History: Who Lived Here?
George Louk was born in Dansville, New York in 1825. In 1847, he bought 40 acres of land in Michigan. He settled there to start farming.
George Louk's Adventures and Family
In the 1850s, George Louk traveled to California. He joined the California Gold Rush, hoping to find gold. While he was there, he bought another 40 acres of land back in Michigan. This new land was across the road from his first farm.
George returned to Michigan before 1858. That year, he bought 80 more acres. He also married Cornelia Lake. Cornelia was the daughter of a brick merchant from the Howell area. Around this time, George built a small log house on the farm. It was near where the main farmhouse stands today.
Building the Farm Structures
The Louk family built a large barn on their property. This happened sometime before 1873. The corncrib and grainery on the farm were likely built around the same time. These buildings were important for storing crops. In 1878, the Louks built the main farmhouse that stands today.
In 1900, the Louks sold 100 acres of their farm. They sold it to Spencer and Mary E. Tooley. After selling part of the farm, George and Cornelia moved into the city of Howell. George Louk passed away in 1903. His wife, Cornelia, died in 1916.
The Tooley Family Takes Over
Spencer and Mary Tooley farmed the property after they bought it. Sadly, Mary Tooley died in 1902 from tuberculosis. Spencer continued to live on the farm. He stayed there until he passed away in 1925.
After Spencer's death, the farm went to his three children. These were Olive, Fanny, and Jay. Jay and Olive continued to farm the land. Jay became well-known in the area. He was famous for breeding Holstein Friesian cattle. These are a type of dairy cow.
Olive died in 1953. Jay kept farming the land until 1960. He then sold it to Edward and Judy Hubbel. Jay Tooley passed away in 1970. The Hubbels owned the farm for many years, even into the 1990s.
What Does the Farm Look Like Today?
The Louk Farm today covers 25 acres. It used to be a much larger farm. The property includes several old buildings.
The Farmhouse
The main farmhouse was built in 1878. It is a two-story house built in the Italianate style. This style often has decorative brackets under the roof. The house is made of clapboard, which are overlapping wooden boards. It has a cross-gabled roof. A kitchen area is at the back of the house. The front of the house has a porch. This porch covers the main front door. The door has windows on either side.
Other Farm Buildings
Near the house is a two-story horse barn. It is covered with board and batten siding. This means it has wide boards with thin strips (battens) covering the seams. The barn has a low gable roof. It sits on a foundation made of fieldstone.
A building that combines a corncrib and a grainery is also nearby. It is built in a similar way to the barn. There is also a small building with no windows. It once held machinery that provided electricity for the farm.
