Here is a link to our fall newsletter followed by the correction to Craig Fonger’s length of absence from Lowell to set the historical record straight.
Tireless volunteers, and jacks and jills of all trades: Alan Rumbaugh, Lisa Sostecke, Frank Brechbiel, Mark Shellenbarger, and David & Tina Cadwallader, were joined by new FHS Board member Craig Fonger who had just moved back to Lowell from San Francisco after a 22-year absence, doing anything and everything that needed to be done.
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The 52nd annual Fallasburg Arts Festival will be virtual this year. It will take place on Sept. 19-20, 2020 on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors will walk through the festival via an on-line, interactive map that will “open” at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19, the original start date and time for the festival. The map will be available at http://www.lowellartsmi.org, and will include links to explore artwork, music, children’s creations, craft demonstrations, and more.
The Fallasburg Historical Society (FHS) has alway participated at the Arts Festival in the picnic shelter on the porch.
This is info about the FHS:
The Fallasburg Historical Society was organized in 1965, originally as the West Central Michigan Historical Society, to collect, preserve, advance, and disseminate the history of this area, and more specifically, Fallasburg Village. These efforts however began in earnest over 100 years ago by the Vergennes Cooperative Club who nurtured the dream of sharing these remarkable pioneer stories and the village they created for future generations to enjoy and learn from. Fallasburg has had many shepherds since John Wesley Fallas founded her in 1839, all with a common goal; preservation. Today, Fallasburg Village remains a picture postcard of early American life. Please visit us:
Feature photo: newly painted one-room schoolhouse. Watch for the FHS newsletter in your inboxes about all the accomplishments at the Fallasburg Village over the past summer.
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Fallasburg, MI – During the recent remodel work on the 1850s Tower Farm at the Fallasburg historic village, the crew found publications from 1951 including American Weekly from May 13, 1951.
We encourage our followers and fans to submit their photos from the Fallasburg village to us. Fallasburg will soon be decked out in its autumn glory. Get your cameras ready.
Note: The FHS annual village bazaar will not take place this year. Our neighbors- the Fallasburg Arts Festival has gone virtual on Sept.19-20 with a raffle of the “Blue Lagoon” quilt by Dawn Ysseldyke. On Sept. 20 at 5 p.m., a live-streamed “pulling of the winning ticket” ceremony will be held to announce the winner of the quilt.
Blue Lagoon by Dawn Ysseldyke.
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Here is the latest on the remodel from Fallasburg Historical Society treasurer, Al Rumbaugh.
The stone mason has finished redoing all the fallen rocks in the basement and we now have a secure foundation. The new well is active and health department has approved it and the water it is supplying. The plumbers have finished the rough in of the drains and water lines. The general contractor, Choice Contracting, has finished most of the interior work, adding new headers, opening doorways up as was designed, redoing floor and ceiling beams and has replaced the damaged and missing siding on the back of the house.
The Tower Farm remodel is on schedule.
We are waiting for the approval of the Michigan Historical Society to say we can build the porch with a roof on the east side of the house. The heating contractor will start Monday putting in an entirely new heating system. The electrical contractor came out last week and has started with a preliminary layout of the plan. Estimates are being accepted for sprayed in foam insulation once the other work is completed.
The Tower Farm is the last building to be rehabilitated in the picturesque village on the banks of the Flat River. During the last two years, the Fallas House needed repairs due to major damage from pipes breaking over a winter. The bathroom, kitchen, and damaged walls were redone. A new roof was put on along with a total paint job. The Blackmer House and Betsy Fallas houses have all been rehabbed, the barn was redone and that left only the Tower House. This will be the last one on the Covered Bridge Rd. leading to the Covered Bridge, except for the rundown cottage by the bridge. The Misner House and the School House had been finished long time ago.
“The entire village street will look great with well-kept homes,” said Rumbaugh.
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Tower Farm renovations to complete Fallasburg village street look
By Emma Palova
Fallasburg, MI – The Tower Farm in the historic Fallasburg village will be renovated following the approval by the Fallasburg Historical Society (FHS) this week for approximately $75,000.
The 1850s historical building has deteriorated over the years, but has been patched up with a few fixes funded by grants from the Lowell Cable Television Fund and the Lowell Area Community Fund.
The FHS board approved the Tower Farm renovations on Monday. On the right, Addie Abel used to live in the farm house.
These included a new roof on the Tower Farm and new windows along with other exterior jobs such as the removal of asphalt shingles from the siding and repairs to the siding.
The ongoing restoration of the Orlin Douglass/Tower Farm has been in progress since 2010/2011.
The Orlin Douglass/Tower Farm was built by Douglass in 1850. It was later acquired by the Towers. In 1896, the right half of the farmhouse was moved from a nearby location so that sister-in-law’s, Tower and Steketee, could live together with their families.
One of the FHS board members Addie Abel lived in the Tower Farm until 1959. The Towers grew watermelons on the farm and sold them in Lowell.
“I was a Tower,” she laughed, “my connection to the house is that it was my home. I love that place.”
Abel said she doesn’t mind the proposed renovations.
“It belongs to the FHS, I would live there in a heart beat,” she said.
However, as the interior deteriorated, the FHS sought of ways to fix it up.
“Initial financing was all grant-based,” said FHS president Ken Tamke. “Over the years some other minor exterior fixes have taken place. This was the result of volunteer labor and not necessitating large outlays of the society’s funds.”
As with any historical building, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) sets forth guidelines for preservation. According to these guidelines, the façade of a National and State Historic Property cannot be changed.
The concrete block covered the entry on the farm was removed, but it was not part of the original home. The roof had broken through and the concrete blocks had settled impeding closure and security of the entry doors.
The society is proposing to put back a second porch modeled after the original porch on the dwelling.
“We will contact the SHPO with any plans,” said Tamke. “Should it compromise any historic designations, it will not be built.”
The Tower Farm, which consists of two units, is zoned as single residential and a home-based business. As such, the FHS will rent out the single residential portion and retain the home-based business part for its own use as office space.
The use of the community garden on the four-acre property is currently being negotiated.
“We are still in negotiations on the volunteers for the garden and what will be produced on it,” said vice-president Tina Cadwallader.
The Tower Farm is the last building to be rehabilitated in the picturesque village on the banks of the Flat River. During the last two years, the Fallas House needed repairs due to major damage from pipes breaking over a winter. The bathroom, kitchen, and damaged walls were redone. A new roof was put on along with a total paint job. The Blackmer House and Betsy Fallas houses have all been rehabbed, the barn was redone and that left only the Tower House. This will be the last one on the Covered Bridge Rd. leading to the Covered Bridge, except for the rundown cottage by the bridge. The Misner House and the School House had been finished long time ago.
“The entire village street will look great with well-kept homes,” said FHS treasurer Al Rumbaugh.
The FHS expects to accomplish the final renovation project through volunteer labor and FHS’ financial resources with the future promise of rents to replenish reserves and charitable donations.
The main contractor for the project is Choice Contractors, Rosendall Well Drilling will be doing the well, Jack Mellema is the stone mason and Arctic Air will be doing the heating.
The FHS board will hold the annual board meeting on June 15 at 4 p.m. at the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. The public is invited to provide input.
Feature photo: project coordinator/FHS treasurer Al Rumbaugh in front of the Tower Farm.
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The Fallasburg Historical Society (FHS) is looking for volunteers to spruce up the historic pioneer village of Fallasburg.
The FHS has several maintenance projects in Fallasburg Village this summer. We’re looking for volunteers!
Rehabilitation of the Tower Farmhouse. We’ll need help from skilled tradespeople, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and help with general labor.
Preparation and painting the exterior of the Fallasburg Schoolhouse and metal roof.
Preparation and painting the exterior of the Misner House Museum/FHS offices.
Landscaping, tree trimming and cleanup of FHS properties including Vergennes Township’s Fallasburg Cemetery.
If you like to join FHS in our preservation efforts of historic Fallasburg Village we’d love to have you. Work dates and times are flexible. Materials will be provided. Contact Ken Tamke for info. kentamke@comcast.net 616-682-0785 www.fallasburg.org
Join us for the FHS annual meeting on June 15 from 4 p.m. at the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce.
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During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fallasburg Historical Society (FHS) would like to express deepest gratitude to all the health care workers, first responders and to all our essential workers, who keep us well, fed and alive.
To salute you, we tied yellow ribbons around the historical buildings at the Fallasburg pioneer village and painted some hearts.
When the state shutdown is lifted, we sincerely invite you for a visit and a step back in time to this oasis of peace on the banks of the Flat River. Just cross the Covered Bridge and immerse yourself in history.
FHS intern adds 250 artifacts to the Collective Access platform
By Emma Palova
LOWELL, MI – Sorting through hundreds of pictures intern Darcy Stubbs, a Calvin College student, found some real treasures among the Fallasburg Historical Society artifacts.
The discoveries included two bibles: John W. Fallass bible and a bible with metal clasps given as wedding gift to Charles Beckwith.
The Bible gifted to Charles Beckwith.
“I got to know Fallasburg through the Millers’ chronicles of pictures,” Stubbs said.
“That was a great introduction.”
The Miller family photo collection.
Coming from Homer, Stubbs picked Fallasburg from a network of internships available for its small-town feel. Her main task was data entry.
The goal of the internship was two-fold: to organize and computerize Fallasburg artifacts and to get exposure to museum work.
“It was a great partnership for getting that accomplished,” said Lisa Plank, director of Lowell Area Historical Museum.
During her internship, Stubbs added 250 pictures to the Fallasburg collection of artifacts- the Collective Access platform.
The pictures are all donations from Elaine Miller Duggan.
And it’s all about appreciating the value of history in places like Fallasburg through the various artifacts.
Some of the work was tedious like sorting through 10 postcards to change the narrative to the Covered Bridge.
“I am grateful because the younger generation is proficient to do this,” Ken Tamke, FHS president, said. “Darcy has been the most well-rounded intern we’ve landed.”
Stubbs also did research for the post office interpretive sign in Lowell for the Lowell Area Historical Museum.
She enjoyed the small-town perspective and making the artifacts accessible to the public.
“Just because the towns are smaller, their history is not less important,” Stubbs said.
Plank said it was a great collaborative project for all the organizations.
Stubbs, a former Navy supervisor and technician, participated in an archeology expedition in Jordan at Umm al-Jimal in June 2019. At the West Church, she enjoyed finding out about the meaning of different layers of floor under the mosaic.
Following is an entry from CA with information about the Bible given to Beckwith. You can search by objects or identifier no:
BIBLE
OBJECT
IDENTIFIER
2017.001.0087
DESCRIPTION
This leather-bound family bible is embellished with embossed sacred images on the front cover, back cover, and binding, which are painted with gold paint. Especially ornate is the intricately detailed ‘Holy Bible’ title also embossed on the front cover, back cover, and binding. The Bible also has two metal clasps. This Bible is a “The Household Edition” family bible that contains the Old and New Testaments, the Apocrypha, Concordance, Psalms in Metre, Marginal References and Readings, and Fine Foil-Page Engravings, and more. A family Bible given at the wedding of Edmund Alger and Fannie Beckwith. Written in the front cover is “John 3:16”. Note attached says it was given by Edith (Willard) Mueller (her mother lived in the Fallas house), belonged to Mrs. Henry (Mary)Booth (Edith’s grandmother). A separate note says it was found by Theron Richmond in the attic of his former family home, now the Rocking R Ranch. Given in memory of Theron and Ruth Richmond by their children Shirley Smith, Tom Richmond, Barb and Dick Curtis. William Gardner lived in Rocking Ranch house which was his family home. Brother Sidney Gardner was married to Catherine Beckwith. A sticky note poses the question: “How did the Bible get from the Alger house (corner of Burroughs and Lincoln Lake) to the attic of the Rocking R house (near Simyrund (sp?)?Read More
MATERIALS
Paper, Leather, Ink
ORIGIN DATE
January 1 1886
ORIGIN PLACE
Chicago, Ill.
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Visit the historical Fallasburg village this year for a unique experience during any season.
We start off the year with the Lowell Area Chamber Expo on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lowell High School. We will be located inside the cafeteria. Watch for our booth number.
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