The Marantette House is a private house located on Simpson Road in

Mendon, Michigan Mendon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 870 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Mendon Township. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total ...

. It is significant as an impressive vernacular version of

Greek Revival architecture The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

. Located along the St. Joseph River, it is also one of the few local examples of a riverfront orientation of a house, dating from when river traffic dominated area transportation. (note: large pdf file) The house was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973. It was built for Patrick Marantette from Detroit, who settled here in the 1830s as a trader with the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

and related Indians. Marantette descendants kept the house in the family into the 1970s.

History

In 1829, brothers Peter and James Godfroy from Detroit established a trading post on this site, which was then called Nottawaseepe by the local

, who had merged with some Odawa and Ojibwa (or, Chippewa, as they were known in the United States). The brothers' father, Col. Gabriel Godfroy, was the Sub-Agent of Indian Affairs for the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...

. The Godfroys continued to live in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, and appointed Frances Mouton as their agent at Nottawaseepe. The Godfroys owned a second trading post at Coldwater; their agent there was James's brother-in-law, Patrick Marantette. Also from Detroit and of French ancestry, he was said to be a descendant of the House of Navarre.''Michigan Historical Collections, Volume 38''
Michigan Historical Commission, 1912, pp. 402-406; Footnote 4: Quote: "Patrick Marentette was born at Assumption, Sandwich, Canada (note: then part of Quebec south of the Detroit River across from Fort Detroit), March 7, 1807 and died Mary 28, 1878. In 1833, Marantette replaced Mouton at Nottawaseepe. However, that same year the

Treaty of Chicago The Treaty of Chicago may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in the settlement that became Chicago, Illinois between the United States and the Odaawaa (anglicized Ottawa), Ojibwe (anglicized Chippewa), and Bodéwadmi (anglicized P ...

was signed by members of the Council of Three Fires with the United States, ceding much of the territory in southwestern Michigan, including local land held by the band of Potawatomi. Although some land was left to them in the reserve, under the

Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...

of 1830, the US government was encouraging Native Americans to move west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

to Indian Territory. In the early years, most new settlers were ethnic French from Detroit and nearby areas. After that, more Yankees started arriving from New York and New England. In 1840 the US forcibly expelled most Native Americans remaining in this area. In 1835, Marantette married Francis Mouton, the daughter of trader Frances Mouton; it was the first European marriage in the settlement. That same year, Marantette began working on construction of this house. As was the custom, its frontage overlooks the St. Joseph River, which was the major transportation route at the time. Their daughter Elizabeth Marantette, born in 1836, was the first European American born in the township. Marantette continued to trade and provide supplies to the local band of Indians, but in 1840, the government decided to force the Indians to move out of the area. Negotiations to effect the move were undertaken at the Marantette House. The Potawatomi were persuaded to move, and Marantette was instructed to provide them with supplies, totaling several thousand dollars. The US government failed to reimburse him for the expense until 1850, leading him to sell off much of his surrounding land to cover the costs. Patrick and Francis Marantette raised their family in this house, and lived there until their deaths. It passed on to their descendants. Marantette family members continued to own the house through at least the early 1970s. A descendant born in Mendon, Elliot Marantette "Pete" Estes (January 7, 1916 – March 24, 1988), had a career in the automotive industry in Detroit and served as the 15th president of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

, from 1974 to 1981.

Description

The Marantette House is a two-story, frame,

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

house located on a bluff overlooking the St. Joseph River. The river side has porches on both stories overlooking the river. A small entryway faced the road. The windows have six over six lights.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in St. Joseph County, Michigan Greek Revival architecture in Michigan Houses completed in 1835