J. D. Baldwin House, 1848

J.D. Baldwin came to Ann Arbor in 1847 from Detroit, where he had been engaged in the hardware and leather trade. He purchased 154 acres outside the city and built this unique brick villa, a Greek Revival house with a nearly flat roof rather than the more familiar slope-roofed temple form. It was covered with salmon colored stucco and was known as "the pink house with the blue-green blinds," a landmark on the old middle Ypsilanti Road which later became Washtenaw Avenue.

Baldwin made his land into a profitable fruit and berry farm. An active member of the Washtenaw Agriculture Society and a leader in the Washtenaw Pomological Society, he was often called upon to speak as an authority on the culture of peaches, strawberries, and the apples for which he was best known.

In the 1876 he sold the home and 78 acres to Olivia and Israel Hall, who later subdivided their acreage, and with great foresight, placed the restrictions on the property, including the 60 foot setback, which give Washtenaw Avenue some of its grace and character. The Halls' son Louis and his bride Elizabeth moved into the house in 1885. Mrs. Hall lost no time in changing the color of the stucco. Fireplaces replaced the original stoves and the sloped-roof porches were added for family comfort.

Louis Hall studied dentistry at the University of Michigan and was soon a prominent member of the Dental School faculty. Their daughter, Mrs. J. R. Hayden, resided in the family home until her death in the 1980s.

In the late 1980s, a new owner thoroughly remodeled the interior and restored the exterior of this fascinating home.

Keywords: