I'm still on vacation in Florida, enjoying some time with my mom, but I've pre-written a couple posts, including this one. Today I'd like to share some pictures I snapped on a little "field trip" I took several weeks ago to Grand Ledge, Michigan, a quaint town that's just a hop skip West of the Lansing area. For some reason I was in the mood to photograph houses, and that's what I did at the start of my little expedition.
This home has always been one of my favorites. It's a great example of Victorian Queen Anne architecture, with all of the little details, balconies, and various paint colors. Now it's been converted into a dentist's office:
Here we have a fabulous example of a classic stucco bungalow. This is the type of home that an "Arts and Crafts" or "Mission" enthusiast would want to purchase in order to display his or her collection of furniture, lamps, pottery, and other decorative arts in this popular style:
This colorful, stately home sits atop a hill behind the Grand Ledge business district. Don't you just love it?
I liked this home because of the fancy corbels under the roof:
This brick home has some classic touches such as the columns and also has a "widow's walk" at the top. Widow's walks were originally designed as a viewing platform for the widow to view the sea and possibly her husband's ship returning home (maybe she wasn't a widow after all). Since there isn't a sea anywhere near Grand Ledge, I'm assuming it's more of a decorative element in this context:
Any trip I take to Grand Ledge will always include a stop at Lambs' Gate Antiques, my favorite shop right downtown. You might remember a previous post with more images of this wonderful store.
I've posted about Lambs' Gate before, because Carol Lamb is a good friend, and so are several of the consignors that sell in her shop.
When visiting Lambs' Gate, don't forget to go upstairs to The Salvage Yard to see the offerings of building owner Ruth Creyts, who has lots of great items she calls "Pieces with Possibilities" that can be re-purposed. She's definitely got a knack for mid-century and industrial displays, and her prices are very reasonable.
I've always been interested in architecture and have taken several night classes in architectural history at our local community college. I even went as far as taking architectural drafting one semester. I just love to learn new things, and it keeps me out of trouble!
An Italianate style home with a nice widow's walk:
If you visit Grand Ledge, there are other things to do besides view the lovely homes and shop for antiques. If it's a nice day, be sure to visit the Ledges, an outcropping of sandstone and quartzite rock along the river that has numerous climbing routes, if you're into that sort of thing.
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Summer is the perfect time to plan a little trip to Grand Ledge. And if you have time left, Lake Odessa is only 20 minutes West of Grand Ledge, so you might want to just keep travelling and hit two birds with one stone!
Mitzi
