Maybe you love old houses—restoring them, living in them, touring them, photographing them. Or maybe you’ve walked through the Farmington Historic District so many times that you can identify the houses by color: the blue one on Warner, at the end of Oakland, or the orange one on Grand River, across from the Warner Mansion.
But do you know their names? Can you spot the differences between a Queen Anne and an American Foursquare, or a Storybook and a Craftsman?
How to identify local Farmington-area architectural styles will be the focus of the first in a series of three history-themed lectures by Preservation Farmington, to be held 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21 at the Heritage and History Center in Heritage Park. Admission is $5, payable at the door, and free for Preservation Farmington members.
Just like clothing, architectural styles change according to tastes, the political climate, and new expressions of creativity. Speaker Jena Stacey will give a virtual tour of the neighborhoods, showing photos of local Farmington/Farmington Hills architecture—both well-known and obscure—to illustrate how building styles have changed since the 1800s and created the community we know today.
Stacey holds a master’s degree in historic preservation from Eastern Michigan University. She is a co-founder of Preservation Farmington and former member of the Farmington Historical Commission.
The lecture series will continue with “Kit Houses in Metro Detroit” on October 6 and “Researching your Historic Home” on December 7.
Preservation Farmington is a local community advocacy group dedicated to preserving and protecting the historic architecture that defines downtown Farmington. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest local-history news and updates.
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