Find out how you can help save the 1834 property for future generations!
“If the planning commission refuses our request to be sanctioned a community center, we are done,” says Simon-Tibbe. “All the hard work of volunteers, board members and our benefactor will be a missed opportunity to preserve a piece of Wyoming’s history. We could lose it forever.”
by Dorothy Simon-Tibbe and Janice Limbaugh
It is perhaps the oldest secret in the city of Wyoming. Hidden in the woods near busy Byron Center Avenue, a gem of local history sits quietly in the shadows of aging hardwoods. The two-story home on three acres along Buck Creek goes back to the 1830’s, when it was the site of a sawmill that provided lumber used to build the village at Grandville, the area’s first homes, and the city of Chicago. The Dewey-Wedgwood Home at Beckmaze holds over 180 years of forgotten stories and undiscovered treasures that one local woman is bound and determined to bring to light.
“I was born to do this,” says Kelly Hogan, a life-time Wyoming resident. “There’s more than what is in plain view around you. There’s rich history here that you wouldn’t see if you didn’t know what to look for.”
Ever since Hogan stumbled across the property, she’s grown more and more passionate about preserving it and establishing the house as a local landmark and educational center. It is not an easy task. Working alongside her is Wyoming historian Dorothy Simon-Tibbe who wrote the following narrative describing the uniqueness and importance of this endeavor:
Imagine standing in a dense forest of virgin white pine towering over the clear flowing waters of Buck Creek in 1832! You have followed a survey just completed by Lucius Lyon and Sylvester Sibley in 1831, and will claim this land in the Michigan Territory by registering with the U.S. government to gain patent at White Pigeon.
In 2014, the Dewey-Wedgewood Home at Beckmaze (2551 Oaklane S.W. in Wyoming) stands proud on this very spot 180 years later. Beckmaze Historical Society has been given this beautiful historic home on three acres of land contiguous to Buck Creek. The original log cabin, built in 1834, is within the walls of the existing building, albeit many additions have been made.
Beckmaze Historical Society was established purposely to preserve what remains of a historic estate that once contained over 1100 acres of land and played a significant role in local history from the very beginning of settlement in the Grand River Valley. The Society claims that this is the oldest surviving residence on an original foundation, and no other is as important to preserve as this one.
The effort to preserve the property began in 2008 when Hogan and Simon-Tibbe first inspected the property and since then the two have been joined by several others. Now that the home has been secured, the community has the opportunity of a lifetime!
The Beckmaze Historical Society is a 501-c-3 designated non-profit and needs volunteers and donations to sustain the restoration. The first order of business is to restore the home to its former glory so that it will survive into the future. The plan is to use it to educate the public about Wyoming’s true place in history and to one day host classes for crafts that hearken back to the age before electronics. The Society is at a crucial point right now. The full support of the surrounding community is essential to the success of the cause.
Here are a few of the key points regarding the property’s history:
1834: One of the first 3 sawmills was built on the site, as well as the Jenison cabin and several other buildings
1835: From this mill, the first ever load of white pine lumber was shipped to Chicago that April
1840-1865: Known as “Dewey’s Station”, it is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad
1855: The original mill was replaced by a steam saw mill capable of cutting 2-million board feet of lumber each year. The foundation of this mill and the dam is still visible today. Also visible is the original stone base for the bridge that was once a part of the original route of Byron Center Avenue.
1869: Dewey negotiated with The Lake Shore and Southern Michigan Railroad to have that line directed across the original estate in exchange for a station being built nearby, which was especially significant at the turn of the century.
1890: The home was discovered by an artist named George H. Ford, who soon turned it into a showcase and then used it as the main “lodge” of his artist colony. The famed Grand Rapids artist Mathias Alten frequented the colony while others such as photographer Fedora E.D. Brown and English artist Octar Copson commissioned homes of Ford’s design to be built adjacent to the property. He donned the colony with the name “Beckmaze” which meaning is interpreted to be “sweeter than the sweetest thing”. Current plans are to restore the home to its appearance under Ford’s ownership when it represented the best that Grand Rapids had to offer in the way of design and decoration.
1925: Dr. Llewelyn Wedgwood purchased the property and maintained its beauty until his death in 1949. After several years, it passed into the hands of the Braun family who spent three years restoring the property again.
1959: Wedgwood Christian Acres Home for Boys was organized by members of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. Over the next 49 years the home underwent many necessary changes as the organization strove to continue its function as a residence for trouble youth.
2008: The property was sold into private ownership and suffered severely due to lack of maintenance. In the meantime, efforts had begun to bring attention to its historic value resulting in the formation of the Beckmaze Historical Society in 2010.
2011: The home was purchased by the society’s main benefactor and held in trust until it was able to receive it as a donation.
Thankfully now in 2014, the title has been transferred to the Society but still it faces uncertainty as it must appeal to the Wyoming Planning Commission for special use of the property as a community center in order to move forward. This meeting is set to take place October 21st at 7 p.m. at Wyoming’s City Hall.
“If the planning commission refuses our request to be sanctioned a community center, we are done,” says Simon-Tibbe. “All the hard work of volunteers, board members and our benefactor will be a missed opportunity to preserve a piece of Wyoming’s history. We could lose it forever.”
This approval and the funds to carry out the preservation effort are sorely needed. The Society is hoping that the entire community will recognize the importance of this site and lend whatever support they can to the cause. To make a tax deductible contribution or to find out how you can help, contact the Beckmaze Historical Society at 616-258-8617 or find us on Facebook. Donations and inquiries can also be made by addressing correspondence to Beckmaze Historical Society at 2551 Oaklane S.W., Wyoming, Michigan, 49519.
