The Collegian

Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: Beyond

Media Credit: Andrew Dodson 52 S. Broad St., in stately Greek-revived style, is now home to Jeffery and Marcy Horton. Both like to watch the Hillsdale County Fair from their porch.

Though Hillsdale's economy is one of the worst in the state, its old homes - some lovingly refurbished and others decrepit - echo a wealthier past.

Jeffrey Horton, who with his wife Marcy owns a white, three-story Greek revival style home on 52 S. Broad St., said the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s brought wealth and economic diversity to the area. Hillsdale's rail system allowed it to become a crossroads for shipping goods between large cities.

During this time, there was a flurry of building. Walking the streets of Hillsdale, one sees many styles of homes: the classic Victorian Queen Anne, the Greek revival with Parthenon-like pillars, the symmetrical Federalist style (like Broadlawn) and the Craftsman, with its focus on simplicity and open floor plan.



The Hortons made few changes when they moved into their 1890 home five years ago, unlike many who spend years on restoration. Relatives of the Leutheuser family, who owned the house before the Hortons, brought the house back to its original glory.

"Before it was abandoned, then in the 1940s it was a beauty school," Horton said. "Frank Leutheuser spent three years rebuilding."

The Horton's Greek revival boasts Marcy's favorite feature, an expansive front porch from which they watch the Hillsdale County Fair Parade each year. Inside the front door is the main staircase, complete with chandelier and two-story windows with floor-length curtains. The wood within the house is most likely mahogany, though it now is painted a creamy white. Marcy said the paint indicated modernity and wealth at the time.

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