Governor Charles Croswell House facts for kids
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Governor Charles Croswell House
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 228 North Broad Street, Adrian, Michigan |
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| Built | 1840s |
| Architect | Daniel Hicks |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000633 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The Governor Charles Croswell House is a special building in Adrian, Michigan. You can find it at 228 North Broad Street. This house was once the home of Charles Croswell, who later became the Governor of Michigan.
It was first recognized as a Michigan State Historic Site on February 19, 1958. Then, on March 16, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important place in American history.
Contents
History of the Croswell House
Charles Croswell's Early Life
Charles Croswell was born in New York in 1825. Sadly, he became an orphan when he was very young. He went to live with his uncle, Daniel Hicks, who was a carpenter. In 1831, Daniel Hicks and young Charles moved to Adrian, Michigan.
Daniel Hicks built this house sometime in the 1840s. After Daniel passed away in 1847, Charles Croswell bought the house from the Hicks family. Charles moved into the house in the early 1850s, soon after he married Lucy Eddy.
Croswell's Path to Politics
Charles Croswell started a law business. He also began to get involved in local and state politics. He worked as a deputy county clerk and a register of deeds. He also helped create the Republican Party.
Later, he served two terms in the state legislature. This is where laws are made for the state. From 1877 to 1881, he served as the Governor of Michigan.
Lucy Eddy Croswell, his first wife, died in 1868. Charles Croswell married Elizabeth Musgrave in 1880. Charles Croswell himself passed away in 1886. Elizabeth lived in the house for a few more years. She then remarried Thomas Merrill, who was a lumber businessman.
The House Becomes a Museum
In 1925, Charles Croswell's widow, Elizabeth Merrill, had the house fixed up. She then gave it to the Lucy Wolcott Barnum Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This group helps preserve history.
Elizabeth donated the house as a way to remember Charles Croswell. Today, this chapter still owns the house. It is now a museum that people can visit to learn about its history.
What the House Looks Like
The Croswell House is a one-and-a-half-story building. It is built in the Greek Revival style. This style often looks like ancient Greek temples.
The house is made of red-painted brick with white trim. It has a single-story section on one side. There is also a single-story addition at the back. Two verandas, which are like porches with square pillars, stretch across the front.
Each veranda covers an entrance. One entrance leads into a hallway in the main part of the house. The other entrance, in the side section, leads into the dining room. The windows have six panes on the top and six on the bottom. They have simple white frames.
