Greenmead Farms

This house, built in 1841, must have been one of the first farms in Novi Township. This land, often known as Greenmead Farms, was granted to Joshua Simmons by a patent signed in 1824. But it was not until a few years later that Joshua Simmons came to settle on this 160 acres of land. He was born in Taunton, Massachusetts in 1801. Joshua first built a log shanty in September of 1826 on his land. Neighbors were few, and the only roads were Indian trails and the new paths laid out by the settlers marked by blazed trees. The nearest mill was Pontiac, twenty-one miles away. Joshua was a poor man, and when he had paid for his land he had exhausted his means. His first step was to clear off 120 acres of his homestead and manufacture maple sugar. He increased his acreage in time and for a while was quite a large landed proprietor. He was a diligent worker and hewed the timber for the first mill in Farmington Township, also for the first grain barns that were erected in Livonia and Plymouth Townships, and for the first gristmill in the latter township. The present house was designed and constructed by Sergium Lyon, a mechanically minded man who became known in the area as an excellent builder of houses and barns. Joshua Simmons’ descendants held the land until Dec. 3, 1915. It was sold to Mr. Sherwin A. Hill and his wife Jean Boyd Hill, on January 30, 1920. Mrs. Hill continues to make this her home. This site is not significant in that great historical events occurred here, or that it was the home of a prominent political figure. The significance lies in that it shows the way of life of hard-working people and what they could accomplish through their industry and diligence. Two dinner bells, still operational, attest to the time the men spent in the fields and in the woods. This way of life has long since departed from the Detroit metropolitan area, and this home and the barns should be protected for future generations to understand and enjoy.

This is a large two-story Greek Revival home with a side wing. The exterior has four-inch clapboard siding, painted white with green louvered shutters, box cornices, and double-hung sash windows with an architrave trim. The main door is framed by pilasters carrying an entablature. Ionic columns frame the front door and along the porch. Wide, fluted Ionic corner pilasters, shallow roof pediment, and classic entablature surrounding the structure at the roof complete this excellent example of Greek Revival architecture. The interior woodwork is interesting, in that there is a three-foot high dado in all the first floor rooms, paneling under all the windows, and wide grooved pilasters with acanthus leaf corner blocks surrounding all windows and doors. The woodwork is walnut, although it has been painted white. There are two stairways to the second floor and five fireplaces in the house. The 1841 home and the outbuildings are still in excellent condition. From the illustration in the Oakland County history book of 1891 it appears that there have been little changes in either the house or the barns. The farm consists of the house, two barns, two outbuildings (since converted into garages with living quarters above), a servant's dwelling, and a large greenhouse. The wooden fence has since been replaced by a low stone wall surrounding the front of the grounds. Rows of shade trees line the farm along the road.