921 Woods Road
Michael & Laura DeBacker

Prolific local architect R. S. Gerganoff designed this impressive stone and slate-roofed house in the picturesque English Medieval style for the Ferguson family in 1941.

Since its first appearance on this tour, in 2001, the house has undergone dramatic changes. Michael and Laura DeBacker, the latest of many owners, bought the house in summer 2002 and moved in with their three small children, Hannah, Jack, and David. Laura became very excited when she saw a newspaper ad for the house, she explains, because it mentioned a third-floor ballroom. “All my life I’ve had this dream of living in a house with a ballroom,” she says.

In their first year in the house, the DeBackers had all of the windows replaced with fiberglass ones in the style of the original casement windows. Next they turned their attention to the landscaping, adding trees, shrubs, perennials, and bluestone and sandstone walks. Their biggest project was hiring architect Michael Klement, and contractor Deb Moore of Custom Design Build, to reconfigurate several crucial rooms on the first floor. The den, which includes a fireplace, is now a dining room, and the kitchen, breakfast room, and former dining room have become a terrific kitchen opening into a family room, making the house much more livable for a modern family. The painted cabinets in the new kitchen match the era of the house and the colors in the new linoleum were inspired by the colors in the original linoleum and wallpaper.

Tourgoers are going to enjoy seeing the changes to the house but they will also love everything that remains original—its five tiled bathrooms, five bedrooms, spacious first- and second-floor foyers, the bar in the very nifty basement, the marble fireplace in the living room, and, of course, the third-floor ballroom! Tourgoers will also appreciate the DeBackers’ art collection, put together over the years from forays to the Saline antiques fair and the Ann Arbor Art Fair.

922 Pleasant Drive
Paul & Penny Schreiber

The brick center-entrance colonial revival at 922 Pleasant Drive is the home of Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber and his wife, Penny. The Schreibers are the second owners of the house, which was designed in 1937 by Ypsilanti architect H. E. Schlesinger for Phyllis and Ted Williamson. “Dr. Ted” died in spring 1985 and Phyllis sold the house to the Schreibers in late July.

The house is traditional, with lots of double-hung windows, large rooms, wood floors, and plaster walls in excellent condition. But it is a good guess that the art deco movement—flourishing at nearby Cranbrook in the 1930s—influenced Schlesinger because his design for 922 included an art deco fireplace in the living room, an unusual aluminum balustrade up the curving stairway, art deco-style tile in the master bath, and a curved wall in the spacious second-floor hallway.

The Schreibers were first on this tour twenty years ago, in 1987, and then again ten years ago, in 1997, the year after they remodeled their kitchen. Many changes have been made throughout the house since then, most notably a complete redo of the first-floor laundry room, which doubles as an annex to the kitchen. Other rooms have been repainted, wallpapered, or redecorated, including son Tim’s bedroom, now a light-filled den, and daughter Claire’s bedroom, now a guest room. The Schreibers’ delightful screened porch, where they eat and entertain all summer long, has a fresh and colorful new look.

In late 2001 the Schreibers threw away their rust-encrusted pink metal backyard shed and replaced it with a custom-built shed painted to complement the brick on their house. It is the perfect focal point for their patio and gardens.

415 North Huron Street
Wilkinson-Lewis-Greene House
Steve Hudock & Jeff Ellis

The stunning Italianate Wilkinson-Lewis-Greene house is one of Ypsilanti’s most significant historic structures. Built in 1878 by James Wilkinson for his widowed mother, the house was purchased in 1905 by Harriet Adelaide Lewis, herself a widow with several children. Lewis’s daughter Evangeline lived in the house for many, many years.

Following Evangeline’s death, the Ypsilanti Historical Society owned the house for a period of time. In late 1989 Earl Greene bought the house from the Historical Society. Greene would prove to be the rescuing angel of this beautiful house, a structure which was once described by Ward Swarts, a restoration architect who contributed to the formation of the Ypsilanti Historic District, as “one of the finest extant examples of eclectic Victorian/Italianate architecture in the Midwest.”

Greene spared nothing in his restoration efforts. He employed a researcher\ from Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village and the finest artisans and woodworkers to be found. During the two years following Greene’s purchase of 415 North Huron, the restoration team accomplished near miracles. Extraordinary decorative painting was revealed and restored. Under many coats of paint, ceiling paintings were discovered and restored. Door and window frames were found to be of a type of walnut that is now extinct.

Earl Greene died a few years ago, but the house is once again blessed. Its new owners, Steve Hudock and Jeff Ellis, understand its architectural and historical significance and are committed to its preservation.

111 East Forest Street
Bill & Marcia Phillips

When a Realtor told Bill and Marcia Phillips that he thought the house they were looking at was a Sears catalogue kit home, they were immediately smitten. Marcia, a former history teacher and research historian, learned that the original owners, Frank and Katharine (Kitty) Lidke, had purchased the “Fullerton model” in 1926 for $2,294. The lumber was precut and numbered and then shipped to the Ypsilanti depot, complete with instructions. The practical, sturdy lines of this American Foursquare reflect a uniquely American design, popular in the 1920s.

When Sears began selling kit homes in 1908, the company’s primary aim was to display and advertise its furniture, home appliances, and accessories. The Phillips house still has the original Sears light fixtures, hardware, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom fixtures. Even the kitchen sink is original!

In 2004 Marcia and Bill undertook a major project: the removal of the faux brick siding that had been installed in the 1940s. They invited their friends to “putty parties” to patch the hundreds of nail holes, and they painted the house a shade of gold very close to its original color. The quality of the materials used was evident, says Bill, because none of the clapboards needed to be replaced.

This delightful example of Americana is now restored and preserved for all to appreciate and enjoy. Marcia and Bill have filled their home with family heirlooms and other period pieces. The house really feels like the 1920s.

220 South Huron Street
The Queen’s Residence Bed and Breakfast
Joe & Marla Queen

This circa 1870 Victorian Italianate house was built by H. P. Glover for Samuel Barnard, vice president of Ypsilanti’s Peninsular Paper Company. Charles Newton, chief buyer for Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village, owned the house from the late 1920s into the 1940s. Newton changed the exterior, adding Roman Doric columns, and its current style now veers toward classical revival. Newton also installed an authentic early-eighteenth-century Connecticut kitchen and tavern in the basement. Henry Ford visited the house many times.

In 1999 Marla Frudden (now Queen) purchased 220 South Huron, her third historic house. “I always wanted to own a B and B,” says Marla, who had the idea in mind when she discovered this outstanding example of nineteenth-century gracious living. She met Joe Queen in 2005 through their mutual interest in ballroom dancing. They married in April 2006 and began to plan a Bed and Breakfast. The Queen’s Residence opened in April and Marla and Joe are offering ballroom dancing lessons to their guests.“We’re going for the romance,” says Marla, ”the dancing, the hot tub, the two pergolas.”

Marla started collecting antiques when she was sixteen. The house is filled with her finds picked up over many years from Ann Arbor’s Treasure Mart, yard sales, and antique shops. “I like using my stuff,” she says. Tourgoers will enjoy every inch of this spacious high-ceilinged house, which was last on the tour in 2001. Be sure to walk through the wonderful brick-wall-enclosed courtyard, which includes the new pergolas. The basement tavern remains a highlight.