Heritage Hill Garden Tour will feature 10 private gardens and two organization gardens in this year’s event. (Supplied)
Ten private gardens and two organizational gardens will be part of the 2022 Heritage Hill Garden Tour, which is set for Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Each garden is a unique reflection of the creative, nature-loving gardeners who tend them. From showy displays in front gardens bursting with color to hidden gems waiting behind a home to warmly welcome guests, the possibilities of what a garden can be will inspire.
Some of the gardens included on this self-guided tour are:
President Gerald Ford’s boyhood back yard now filled with statuary and rare plantings.
Wonderland over 40 years in the making that surrounds an enchanting home.
A serene and elegant backyard setting that includes a complete outdoor kitchen.
A stately brick home perfectly surrounded by beautiful plantings.
A small but artfully designed garden that makes wise use of every space.
A front yard garden that catches the eye of everyone who passes by.
Free-flowing flower garden on Prospect Ave. that wears new colors for every season.
Formal fountains galore surrounding a home on College.
Peaceful natural water feature that accents a shade garden.
A sweet little garden on Paris Ave.
Vibrant annuals and perennials at the Voigt House tended by volunteers.
Formal gardens at the Meyer May House that are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture.
Individual ticketsare $12 in advance, $15 on the day of the tour. Group tickets may be purchased in advance for $8 each for 20 or more tickets, $5 each for 50 or more tickets. Group pricing is not available on the day of the tour.
Tickets are available for pre-sale through midnight on June 17 via our website, www.heritagehillweb.org or contact the office during operating hours at 616-459-8950.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth at the Child Discovery Center, 409 Lafayette Ave. SE. on the day of tour. Pre-sold tickets may be picked up at will call on the day of the tour.
The tour occurs rain or shine. Refunds are not available. Masks are welcomed for the safety of garden hosts and visitors.
Parking will be available at:
Child Discovery Center at 409 Lafayette Ave. SE
Elders Helpers at500 Cherry St. S.E.
On-street parking is often available. Please adhere to posted parking restrictions.
Jim Payne and Char Kruzich’s College Avenue home will be part of this year’s Heritage Hill Tour. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
The annual Heritage Hill Weekend Tour of Homes is excited to welcome visitors May 21-22 after a two-year hiatus.
One of the country’s oldest urban historic districts, Heritage Hill has been heralded by “This Old House” as one of the country’s “Best Old House Neighborhoods.” The Heritage Hill Association encourages guests to explore seven homes of families who have courteously opened their doors, as well as two public buildings recently restored by Grand Rapids Community College.
More than 1,300 homes dating from 1843 compile Heritage Hill, and represent nearly every style of American architecture, from Greek Revival to Prairie. Since 1969, a varying line-up of seven to eight private homes and two to three historic buildings have been opened to the public each year with guides who share each building’s unique story and special features.
“This tour is a great opportunity to take a walk back in time,” Jim Payne, owner of Heritage Hill home located at 27 College Avenue NE, told WKTV. “Visitors get to experience different types of architecture and art and reflect on another era.”
The wood in the home is reflective of the original molding and floors. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
Jim Payne and Char Kruzich opened the doors of their Heritage Hill home to this WKTV writer, willingly giving a tour of their well-loved and rehabilitated house. Built in 1882 and sporting the American Craftsman Style, 27 College Ave. is on the must-see list of homes on the Heritage Hill Tour.
Both freelance artists themselves, Jim and Char had a hand in every renovated detail, working closely for the more than 14 years with architect Mitch Witkowski and carpenter Tim Karsen and incorporating their own unique designs and artwork into their home. A distinctive integration into the residence are two art studios on the third floor, allowing the owners to “create while living in a work of art.”
Though almost all of the interior is new, Jim and Char kept the original floors of the home and even the original newel post to the staircase leading to the upper floors. “We kept the post and modeled the rest of the room and staircase around its original design,” Jim said.
A unique piece of history was found inside the walls of their historic home during the renovation. “There was a piece of trim from 1909, signed by the carpenter, inside the wall,” said Jim. “He had taped coins from that year to the wood.”
“Our carpenter did the same,” Char said with a smile. “He signed a piece of wood and then taped current coins to it before closing up the walls.”
While the inside of the home has been drastically altered, allowing better movement from room to room and improved airflow throughout the residence, the exterior has been restored to its original architectural design. Dormers and gables provide a complex façade and emphasize the Craftsman Style’s natural materials and fine craftsmanship.
When asked about restrictions for renovating their home due to the historic nature of the residence, Jim and Char said the only boundaries the Historic Preservation Commission, (HPC), imposes on homeowners is in regard to the exterior of the homes.
“Color of paint is not restricted, but things that would alter the exterior of the home like windows, doors and railings, require HPC approval,” Jim said. “That way construction of decks and sliding glass doors, things that aren’t true to the era of the homes, are avoided.”
The exterior of the home at 27 College Ave. NE
The entrance
The dining area
The living room
Living space
Office space
Living area
An original post and molding
While there might be restrictions on outside renovations, Jim and Char said HPC has no boundaries on the interior of the home. This allows historic homeowners to preserve the exterior architecture while creating an interior that suits their personal tastes.
“They want you to be able to rehabilitate these homes,” Char said. “They want you to be able to raise families here. To live here, not just reside here.”
Jim agreed. “The Historic Preservation Commission was a great help during the remodel.”
The homeowners revealed that their neighborhood is like a second family. Moving to College Avenue in 1981, they rented a home for five years before buying their current home in 1986, giving them 40 years in their current community.
“Owners or renters, it doesn’t matter,” said Char. “We are all treated like family and are all close.”
The neighborhood even formed the North College Block Club, with families gathering socially many times a year. “Our own kitchen has seen a lot of action,” Char said as she tapped the counter next to her.
Jim and Char urge community members to come out and experience the masterpieces compiling Heritage Hill.
Advance tickets are $18 and can be found at www.heritagehillweb.org. To obtain tickets by check, send to the Heritage Hill Association, 126 College SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Tickets purchased on the days of the tour are $25.
Proceeds benefit the Heritage Hill Association’s programs that support the historic preservation of this unique neighborhood and assist with land use, planning, engaging neighbors and community resources, and crime prevention.
More information about the annual tour and the homes and businesses opening their doors can also be found at www.heritagehillweb.org or by calling 616-459-8950.
The Meyer May House is one of the homes feature in the “Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” series.
One of the area’s most popular home tours returns this month, the Heritage Hill 2017 Weekend Tour of Homes, and to help whet your appetite, WKTV will once again be airing “The Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” which includes a peek inside a home currently closed to the public.
“Grand Homes of Heritage Hill,” produced by WKTV volunteer Thomas Hegewald, kicks off Monday, May 15, with a 9 a.m. airtime for The Connors House, which is a privately owned home. On Thursdays, May 16, at 6 p.m., the next installment will feature The Meyer May House, which was restored and owned by Steelcase. Last the installment will feature The Voigt House, which is owned by the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Tours through the house were discontinued in 2009, making Hegewald’s show the only way for the general public to view the home. This show, which Hegewald received a 2007 Telly Award and a 2007 Festival of the Arts film award, will be aired Friday, May 19, at noon, the day before the Heritage Hill tour starts.
The Heritage Hill 2017 Weekend Tour of Homes is May 20 and 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 22 from noon to 6 p.m. Advance tickets are $18 and available through www.heritagehillweb.org or the Heritage Hill Association office, 126 College Ave. SE.; Martha’s Vineyard, 200 Union Ave. NE; Art of the Table, 606 Wealth St. SE; D&W, Family Fare, Forest Hills Foods and Lake Michigan Credit Union locations.
“The Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” episode feature The Voigt House won a Telly Award.
Tickets on the weekend of the tour are $25 and available only at GRCC DeVos campus, 435 E. Fulton.
On the ticket, there is a map of all the homes. You can see the houses in any order and on either or both days. Walk, bike or take the free shuttle buses that stop at each house on the tour. You can get on and off the bus at each house. If you are interested in getting a free ticket, volunteer. For more information to do that, email heritage@heritagehillweb.org or call 616-459-8950.
Houses for this year’s tour are: the 1874 the Italinate-style home at 71 LaFayette NE; the Amber House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protégé Marion Mahoney at 505 College SE; the 1886 Queen Anne-style home at 521 Madison SE; the Victorian Gothic cottage at 264 Paris SE; the Stick Style home at 417 Crescent NE; the Craftsman Style home at 544 College SE; the 1903 Widdicomb furniture family home at 422 Fountain NE; Oakwood Manor at 547 Cherry SE; the Calkins Law Office at 237 State St. SE; Child Discover Center at 409 LaFayette SE; and the Women’s City Club at 254 E. Fulton St.
Exterior shot of the Meyer May House from the home’s porch.
The annual Heritage Hill Tour of Homes is set to kick off in a couple of weeks and to whet your appetite WKTV will rebroadcast the award-winning “Grand Homes of Heritage Hill.”
“Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” will air Wednesday, May 18, at noon featuring the 2007 Telly Award winning episode “The Voigt House.” Friday, May 20, at 11:30 a.m., all three episodes will air, “The Voigt House,” “The Meyer May House,” and “Connors House.” Hegewald also received a Festival of the Arts film award in the documentary category in 2007 for his work on the series.
“The homes of Heritage Hill have fascinated me all of my life – from their varied architectural styles to their unabashed grandeur,” said Thomas Hegewald in an 2014 WKTV article about the series. Hegewald is the producer, videographer, and writer behind the series. “On every occasion that I have driven through this area, I have gawked at the homes and picked my favorites. I had been volunteering at WKTV for a few months when Tom Norton, the station manager, suggested that I produce a series on these homes. It seemed like an ideal match.”
“The Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” episode feature The Voigt House won a Telly Award.
In 2009, the Grand Rapids Public Museum discontinued the public hours for the Voigt House, making Hegewald’s video the about the only way to peek inside the 19th century home. Built in 1895-96 for the prominent merchant and businessman Carl Voigt, the Voigt family lived in the house continually for nearly 76 years until Voigt’s youngest son, Ralph, died in 1971. In 1974, the Kent County Council for Historic Preservation purchased the home and donated the structure to the City of Grand Rapids. One of the most noted features of the facility is that since it was a one-owner house, the first floor was redecorated in 1907 and never update again with the original silk wall coverings and carpeting remaining.
Hegewald said he selected the Voigt House and the Meyer May House because they both showcased how the original owners had once lived. “The Voigt house featured not only the original furnishings, but the décor as well,” he said. “The only restoration came in replacing an item, and only when completely necessary. Since there had been an addition to the Meyer May House, followed years later by it being broken up into apartments, a complete restoration had to take place to bring it back to its original state.”
Even the details of the Meyer May House were well planned.
The Meyer May House originally was built for a Grand Rapids clothier and purchased and restored in 1987 by Steelcase. The home was opened to the public in 1987 and provides the opportunity to se a Prairie house exactly as Frank Lloyd Wright intended. Along with being part of this year’s Heritage Hill Home Tour, the Meyer May House is open to the public Sundays from 1 – 4 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The third home in the series is the Connors House, which is privately owned. While the home was owned by one family, it needed to be brought up to code for electrical and plumbing. “With extensive renovations underway, much thought was also put into the décor of the home to reflect its past, but with a contemporary feel as well,” Hegewald said.
“In the end, I came away with an appreciation for this area in our city – from the original owners who built the homes to those who fought to save them from destruction during the days of urban renewal,” he said. “I also applaud the efforts of the homeowners today who strive to keep up with the amount of work it must take to keep these homes in good repair.”
A greater appreciation of these historic homes and the district they are in is one of the reasons Heritage Hill started its annual Tour of Homes 47 years ago. This year’s tour, which is Saturday, May 21, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 22, from noon – 6 p.m., features six restored private houses, three historic buildings and two recent additions that demonstrate how new construction can fit into the fabric of a historic district. The tour includes the 1886 Queen Anne-style home built for the Davis family of Stow & Davis Furniture Co.; a 1916 Georgian Manor, a 1906 American foursquare and a 1912 Tudor Revival.
Advance tickets for the tour are $15 and available at the Heritage Hill Association Office, 126 College SE or at www.heritagehillweb.org. Tickets the weekend of the tour are $20. All proceeds go to the Heritage Hill Association and the organization’s historic preservation efforts. A free shuttle bus for the tour is provided between featured properties. For more information on the tour, call 616-459-8950.
