Architectural history will be on tour Saturday, June 24, 2023, on the Dowagiac Home and Garden Tour. Hosted by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce Home Tour Committee, the tour will feature six homes and one downtown “Upper” apartment. The tour showcases the architectural diversity and unique character of Dowagiac, Michigan.
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.
“The interesting thing about a tour like this is not only seeing the different building styles,” stated committee Chairwoman Eileen Crouse, “but learning about who built them, lived there, and how things look today.” Tour organizers are working closely with local historian Corey Crocker to document comprehensive histories of the homes.
Included on the tour is a Free Classic Queen Anne-style home, built c. 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 c. 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.
Advance tickets are available online at dowagiacchamber.com, under Events 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 for docent duties, which includes one free ticket, can contact Home Tour committee member Jessica Shank at jshank1231@gmail.com.
