What is now seen as a quaint city in rural Cass County, Dowagiac was once one of the richest cities in southwest Michigan.
This summer, that history is being retold through its grand architecture on the Dowagiac Home and Garden Tour. Hosted by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce Home Tour Committee, the June 24 self-guided tour will feature six historic homes and one downtown apartment.
Organizer and committee chair Eileen Crouse said thanks to major industries like the Round Oak Stove Company and Heddon Lures, Dowagiac was home to many affluent people in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the architecture shows it.
“It was considered a very wealthy city – one of the wealthiest in the area due to the major industry,” Crouse said. “Because of this, Dowagiac has some historic homes that were built by famous architects and famous builders. Many of those homes stand today in their original condition. Although you might think of Dowagiac as a small tourist town, it was once the hub of industry, and consequently there’s some fantastic homes here.”
Included on the tour is a Free Classic Queen Anne-style home, built in 1903, with shingle-style elements as well as Colonial revival details. The home has been featured in the prestigious George F. Barber architectural catalog.
Also showcased will be a Vernacular Italianate built in 1870 by Mark Judd for Horace C. Jones and his wife, Elmira. In 1857, Jones co-founded the Dowagiac Basket Factory, the first factory of any kind to be created in Dowagiac, 20 years before Round Oak.
One of the seven homes featured is a temple-front Greek Revival, built in 1848 in a style that emulates Greek temples. It was home to several generations of the Clarke family, and was visited multiple times by family member Sarah Jane Clarke, aka Grace Greenwood, a staunch abolitionist and trailblazing female journalist who featured Dowagiac in the Saturday Evening Post in 1858.
Tour organizers are working closely with local historian Corey Crocker to document comprehensive histories of the homes.
“The interesting thing about a tour like this is not only seeing the different building styles,” Crouse said. “But learning about who built them, who lived there, and how things look today.”
The tour is self-guided and takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is 1.4 miles if walked, and there are several locations throughout the tour that offer street parking should people want to drive between groups of homes. Tickets must be purchased to enter the homes.
Advance tickets are available online at dowagiacchamber.com, and on the Dowagiac Home & Garden Tour page. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $20 on event day. All attendees must check in at the Dowagiac Area History Museum on June 24 to show proof of ticket purchase, or buy tickets, in order to receive the wristband that will allow entry to the tour homes, a list of addresses and tour map.
Individuals interested in volunteering can contact Home Tour committee member Jessica Shank at jshank1231@gmail.com.
