Stockton House

[dnast]

Did anybody see that article about the Stockton House yesterday? I had no idea what it was, but I happened to take a picture of it a month ago. Apparently it served as the first St. Joseph hospital here.

There is a couple restoring the building into office space and possibly a small musuem telling the story of the house. Although I think it would've been better if split into condos, at least the first business will be an architechure firm. I just don't think an office building fits into that part of the neighborhood.

You can't tell from the picture (and a bad one at that), but this "house" is 13,000 sq. ft.! The building is much longer than wide. There will be a dedication for a new state historical marker at the site on June 18.

[VeeFan]

I was just reading that article this morning! It sounds like it was a stunning house when it was kept up. I'm glad to hear that people are fixing it up though.

Where in Flint is the house located at?

[RustTown]

Does anyone know what's the oldest structure still standing in Flint?

[dnast]

Where in Flint is the house located at?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's on Ann Arbor St., north of Court in the Grand Traverse neighborhood.

Does anyone know what's the oldest structure still standing in Flint?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was wondering about that as well. I would imagine that is the oldest house still standing, but I'm not sure about buildings in general. I assume this summer will be the best time to learn more about Flint's history, it being our sesquicentennial this year. A lot of people seem to be digging up facts for the celebration.

[RustTown]

Yeah, the Lansing State Journal is having it's sesquicentennial, too, and they put out a HUGE edition of the State Journal with history dating back to when they formed in Lansing. It's so cool to see the pictures from the Mid 1800's until now, and I've been learning a lot.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Nice picture dnast, what a beautiful house!

[ZachariahDaMan]

I thought you guys might be interested in seeing a more recent photo

The historical marker reads "The November 9, 1872, edition of the Flint Wolverine Citizen newspaper reported the near completion of this house for retired army colonel Thomas Stockton and his wife, Maria. The newspaper called it "elegant" and "among the most stylish and spacious of the many first-class houses in our city." The four and one-half-acre treed "pleasure grounds" on which the house stood, had a mineral spring that inspired the Stocktons to name their home Spring Grove. While he lived in this house, Stockton worked as a commission merchant dealing in lime, plaster, coal, and stucco. In 1921 the Sisters of St. Joseph acquired the house and established a hospital, enlarging the building several times to accommodate the growing medical needs. The house served as a hospital until 1936."

And the other side says "Thomas Stockton and his wife, Maria, were among Flint's prominent early residents. Maria, the daughter of Jacob Smith ~ considered to be Flint's first white settler ~ led the formation of the city's Ladies Library Association in 1851. An 1827 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Thomas Stockton (1805 - 1890) spent much of his military career as a topographical engineer in the Midwest. In 1834 he laid out the turnpike that connected Detroit and Saginaw. As a colonel he raised the First Michigan Infantry Regiment to fight in the Mexican War and Stockton's Independent Regiment (the Sixteenth Michigan) in the Civil War. Captured at Gaines Mill, Virginia, in June 1862, he was held at Libby Prison for two months. Stockton left the army in 1863 and settled permanently in Flint. "

[Ka3kab]

Quite a nice contrast between the first and last picture there. It looks like whoever did the work on it did a good job.

[dnast]

Nice picture dnast, what a beautiful house!