The Historic Snow House of Franklin began as a small preservation project in the historic district of Franklin, Michigan, in 2005. A beautiful old house that was showing signs of neglect and disrepair. As a long-time preservationist, I felt the need to “save” this old house, and set out to do so, with a carpenter friend and a gallon of paint! What transpired in a few short months, would eventually become one of the highlights of my career.
Beginning with the rotted boards, we repaired, caulked and painted this grand lady, from a Powder Blue to a Cape Cod Grey. Highlighting all of the trim boards with a sparkling white paint, we could see the transformation at every turn. What was once an unpolished gem in the crown of Franklin, became an attraction for all to see. Soon, I began receiving calls from strangers asking if they could “drop by” to see the old house. Neighbors would stop on their way to the Market Basket across the street, and inquire about the history and my preservation project. I was always delighted to share the history, and secretly wondered why they didn’t already know the history of such a beautiful old home – perhaps because, it really wasn’t that beautiful. The more I did, the more they came. It was interesting that with every question, I was able to tell them more about the history of the Snow House, and Alonzo Snow, and the Village of Franklin. Some who had lived in Franklin for years, knew nothing about the old house, except that the house was called the Snow House “because,” they told me,” it had always been painted white”!
I enlisted the help of college students the summer of ’05. Nailing, hammering and sawing our way across the property. An old well that had been close to collapse, was reframed , painted, and as I reached into the dried up well to pull out concrete and debris, up came the original iron pulley, which I promptly hung in place. I bought a rope and hung an old watering bucket to it, and there it sits, filled with flowers in the summer, and a gentle reminder of what once was.
Then there was the old one car garage built in 1908, probably for one of the first automobiles in the area. Detroit being the car capital of the world, boasted many a horseless carriage racing up and down Franklin Road, long before the rest of the country even thought about modern transportation! The old garage had a hole in the roof the size of Ohio, and the roof rafters were long since rotted away, so thus we began our quest to put that beautiful old building, back to its rightful place standing near the historic Snow House.
Next came the artists. Weekend after weekend, I would arrive early in the morning, and see them setting up their easels. Canvas after canvas was painted. It was as if these artists, who had been coming to Franklin for so many years, had just discovered something new. I regaled at the sight of those artists and admired the many different angles from which they painted this lovely old house. It seemed the more they painted, the more beautiful the house became. Can a house come to life when given this kind of attention. It sure seemed that way!
Within a few more months, the inside was complete. The research uncovered the original well, the original foundation beams, and of course, a few old “medicine” bottles left by craftsmen in the 1800’s. A stone walkway, buried under 10 inches of dirt was uncovered, and the stones were replaced into the pattern originally left by a previous owner. Walls that had been torn down were replaced. Vinyl flooring over linoleum from the 1940’s was removed and replaced with beautiful wide-board pine imported from North Carolina. Old moldings were researched, and milled by Detroit Millwork, and installed throughout the rooms where it had been removed years before. In the end, we had restored this old house into something perfectly beautiful for all to see, and that became our mission.
Not knowing what to do with the house, but very aware of the curiosity of my neighbors and the people around me, I set out to host any event that would bring people to the historic Snow House. All I asked in return was to have an opportunity to tell the story of Alonzo Snow, and preservation in Michigan, and anyone could use the house for an afternoon tea. It worked. I have received hundreds of calls, and the house has been the center of attention for preservationists around the State. I have hosted fundraisers for the Franklin Library, meetings for the Bloomfield Historical Society, Bridal Showers, Birthday Celebrations, and Teddy Bear Teas for children at the Snow House, and at every opportunity told the story of the importance of preservation in Michigan, even to school-aged children!
I always end my talk at the Snow House with the same statement. I tell everyone how very important it is to identify our historic places, and to try to save them one structure at a time, because in the end, when it’s gone, it’s gone forever!
Catherine Russell
Owner of the Franklin Village Tea Room
& The Historic Snow House
