Old Wing Mission (also known as Old Wing Inn) is a historic building at 5298 147th Ave. in

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (formerly known locally as the Black River). ...

. It is the oldest surviving house in the township.

History

In 1839, Rev. George Smith, a

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

native, established Christian mission to the local

Ottawas The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...

at this site. The mission was funded by the Presbyterian Church of Michigan through an Allegan-based Indian mission society. Smith originally built a log cabin for his family near this site. In 1844, local settler Isaac Fairbanks began the construction of this house for Smith. Smith's family moved into the house in 1846. In 1848 Michigan suffered from a smallpox epidemic that affected the entire community of people. In consideration of the massive influx settlers into the Ottawa County area, Chief Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Smith decided to move the community as well as the

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

-area Ottawa Mission from Holland up to Northport (on the

Leelanau Peninsula The Leelanau Peninsula ( ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that extends about from the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan. Leelanau County encompasses the entire peninsula. It is often referred to as ...

) using boats and canoes. Smith abandoned this house; it was purchased a few years later by Isaac Fairbanks. Fairbanks eventually moved into a brick house nearby, and in 1886, Isaac's oldest son, Albert Fairbanks, moved into the place and added a wing onto the house. He added a second wing about 1914. Albert lived here until his death in 1914. His son Austin lived here until his own death in 1950. The house was then sold to Andrew Vinstra, who modernized the interior. The house was eventually used as a bed and breakfast, known as the Old Wing Inn. The mission building was added to 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 1986 and is currently surrounded by industrial developments. Robert and Carole Pavloski purchased the house in 2003, and as of November 2011 the building was listed for sale.

Description

The Old Wing Mission is a 1-1/2 story end-gable

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 ...

structure, with single-story additions on three sides. The original house is rectangular, measuring 24 feet by 30 feet, clad with clapboards and having plain cornerboards and above a cornice with returns. On the interior, the original house contained a parlor, bedroom, and kitchen on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. With the c. 1886 addition, the kitchen was turned into a dining room, and the addition housed the new kitchen, a living room, and another bedroom. The 1903 addition houses an office and utility room, and allowed expansion of the dining room. In 1953, the 1886 addition was turned into a separate apartment.

History

Description

References

Further reading