Style: American Queen Anne 1880-1900
Description: This 3900 sq ft ten-room house has five bedrooms, five fireplaces, three chimneys, stained and leaded glass windows, and three floors with a basement. There are two ceiling frescoes, one in the dining room and one in the music room. The house has a slate roof. On the first floor, the front hall and rear south room are trimmed in oak, the living room in birdseye maple, the parlor in mahoghany, the dining room in birch, and the kitchen in ash. On the second floor, the master bedroom is in ash and the bathroom in cherry. Other rooms are trimmed in sycamore, pine, and butternut. The third floor or attic was later turned into offices during the occupation of Child and Family Services.
Geneology: On February 1st, 1892, Charles W. Glover purchased lot 57 and on May 11th he bought lot 58. The two lots are where he would build his home with the assistance of his father Henry P. Glover. The construction was already underway by the time Charles married his wife Ida May. Charles was a dry goods merchant and Ida was a graduate from Normal College. They remained there until they sold it to Frederick M. Beall and Emily A. Beall on June 26th, 1914. Mr. Beall died in 1928 and left the house to Emily. She died in 1945 and the will entered in probate on January 9th, 1945. The administrator sold it to Genevieve M. Lewright for $11,500 on January 22nd, 1946. After only one day, she sold it to Irving E. and Theone S. Dixon on January 23rd, 1946. The Dixons sold it to Child and Family Services (CFS) in August 1966. And finally, in February 2000, Maggie Brandt and Steve Pierce purchased the home and are the present owners. Over 115 years old, and only three families and one business have resided there.
Construction: Designed by Detroit architect Alexander Malcomson and Higgenbothum, the house was built between 1891-1893. Imported European craftsmen constructed the five tiled fireplaces, the parquet floors, the original ceiling frescoes and the gesso plasterwork that is still intact in most places. Each of the ten rooms is furnished with a different hand carved wood. The woodwork is so delicate that it was attached with needles instead of nails. The piano finish on the trim is in excellent condition today without needing any refinishing. Henry Glover is said to have spent much time on the site approving each piece of material that went into the ten-room residence. The cost to build the house was $32,000, the same it cost to build a Methodist church that same year. Today it would cost over $1 million.
Restoration: First major restoration was in 1981, there were a number of indoor alterations to create office space, such as cutting new doors, adding a spiral staircase, and adding a bathroom. Sadly in 1997, CFS sold the original cast iron bathtub and nine chandeliers to buy indoor-outdoor carpet and fix some of the windows. They did not violate any Ypsilanti Historic District Commission rules or preservation guidelines but after the outcry from neighbors and city officials, five chandeliers were recovered. Child and Family Services is a non-profit organization funded through United Way, which does not provide for repairs and maintenance, which makes it difficult to properly maintain the site. To help with the costs the Service center held annual fundraisers. Maggie Brandt and Steve Pierce took on another major restoration in November 2001. They installed a new kitchen and the Historic District granted permission to add an attached mudroom and garage.
Nominations: National Register of Historic Places 1978 Michigan State Register of Historic Sites 1979 Ypsilanti Historic District Recognized by the Michigan State Register of Historic Sites in 2002 for its unique and well-preserved stained glass windows.
Resources: Ypsilanti Historical Society, 220 North Huron Street, Ypsilanti MI Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation, www.yhf.com, www.gloverhouse.com
