Aldrich, Royal, House

The Greek Revival-style Royal Aldrich house, built circa 1843, is a fine example of the upright-and-double wing house with Greek Revival-styling which is found in Michigan only in the state's south eastern counties which were largely settled by immigrants from New England and New York state. While the land was deeded to Esek Aldrich of Farmington, New York, a veteran of the War of 1812, in 1823, it appears that it was his son Royal who established the farm and built the house. In 1839, Royal's wife and daughter had died in Farmington, New York, and it appears that he moved to Michigan to make a fresh start. Shortly thereafter, he married Betsey Janette Stevens, whose father owned an adjacent property. Royal and Janette had three children: Almeron, Bruce and Erin. In 1856, at the age of 41, Royal died (no cause of death is mentioned in the newspaper reports). The probate inventory of his estate provides a glimpse into the typical successful pre-Civil War pioneer farm. Mentioned in the inventory are three horses, a wagon, a buggy, a pair of oxen and plough, 64 sheep and three cows and a calf. Household goods are listed and their value is only a fraction of the other property. The inventory also includes a number of mortgages he held against neighbors. It appears that Janette and her sons were not able to maintain the farm after Royal's death, as it was sold in 1870 to Frederick Bade, a German immigrant, whose family continued to farm the property into the mid 20th century. As the post World War II expansion of Detroit turned the Farmington area from rural to suburban, the farm land was sold and subdivided. The house was a duplex rental for a time in the 1950s. While the Royal Aldrich house has had no famous owners, it is one of a diminishing number of well preserved Greek Revival structures remaining in situ in the area.

The Royal Aldrich house is a one-and two-story, upright-and-double wing, Greek Revival house with walls finished in wood clapboarding over a post-and-beam frame. It rests on a stone foundation. The two-story, front-gable upright displays classical antae at the corners supporting a heavy cornice with returns and broad architrave and frieze bands extending around the sides. Matching hip-roof one-story side wings--each fronted by a porch with square-plan, Doric piers supporting an entabliture similar to the uprights--flank the central upright. Original moveable shutters flank the double hung six-over-six pane windows. The roof is clad in cedar shingles and there is a single central interior chimney of brick.