The Hill House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Victorian home was built in 1885 in the Cathedral District of Saginaw, MI. It has a distinct aqua-domed turret and three chimneys. The Queen Anne style testifies to the success of Saginaw's lumbering industry and the riches reaped from Michigan's forest. Designed by Fred W. Hollister.
Images
Hill House Mansion in 1885
Hill House Mansion 2014
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Lumber Baron Clarence Hill, the half brother of Saginaw's Arthur Hill High School's namesake and his wife Susie lived in the home designed by Fred W. Hollister. Hollister is also the architect of the original 1884 Saginaw County Courthouse. The Hill House was nicknamed "Red Dragon" as a result of the red segmented pieces of ornamental terra-cotta that accented the roof peaks. Hill occupied the mansion until his death in 1901 and his wife Susie continued living in the mansion until her death in 1949.
The limestone foundation is still standing the test of time. As the next owners of the Hill House, decided to divided the mansion into five apartments. The last known live in left in the 1990s and the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History purchased the home when talks about demolition began. The Friends of Hill House group worked to halt the demolition plans since the purchase and has completed about $15,000 worth of renovations.
On September 29, 2014 an Indiana couple, Linda and Todd Wyman purchased the home from the Castle Museum after getting the chance to look at the inside when the Hill House was featured in the 2011 edition of "This Old House". The couple has a 10-year plan to restore the 131-year-old mansion to make it habitable.
The limestone foundation is still standing the test of time. As the next owners of the Hill House, decided to divided the mansion into five apartments. The last known live in left in the 1990s and the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History purchased the home when talks about demolition began. The Friends of Hill House group worked to halt the demolition plans since the purchase and has completed about $15,000 worth of renovations.
On September 29, 2014 an Indiana couple, Linda and Todd Wyman purchased the home from the Castle Museum after getting the chance to look at the inside when the Hill House was featured in the 2011 edition of "This Old House". The couple has a 10-year plan to restore the 131-year-old mansion to make it habitable.
Sources
MLive Online Newspaper