COMMERCE THROW-HISTORICAL HOMES AND PLACES

#1. COMMERCE ROLLER MILL:

The commerce Roller Mill was the center of commercial activity in Commerce Township through the nineteenth century and into the early years of the twentieth. From 1837 to 1926, the Roller Mill harnessed water power of the Huron River, providing a means of processing raw products and providing financial income for farmers through the sales of surplus grain. Joseph Farr and Amasa Andrews were the builders; Seymore Crossman and Hoover, the second owners; Milton Parshall, owner from 1884-1918; and Isaac Lutz, owner from 1918-1926. Today, only the excavations for the mill race, the mill flume and the stone foundations of the mill building exist on the site. The Commerce Roller Mill was improved as public park site in 1984.

2#. LUTZ HOME

Built in 1830, this house was owned by the Ormbsy family until Isaac Lutz bought it in 1918. Isaac Lutz was the last owner of the Commerce Roller Mill. The Commerce post office was in the house for many years. The late Marie Lutz, daughter-in-law to Isacc Lutz, remembered the old mail chutes that were in the house. After Marie Lutz’s death, the house was occupied by her granddaughter, Nancy Fogle, who latter sold it to Dr. Andrew Berry.

3#. HIGLEY-FARR HOUSE

This house is registered as a State Historical Site. Jonas Higley took the property as a government land grant in 1832. He sold it to Joseph Farr in 1833. Joseph Farr and Amasa Andrew platted Commerce in 1836. Farr was the first lawyer admitted to the bar in Oakland County. Later owners include, Roger Johnson, the Millers and Larry Knop.

4#. JUNE BYERS HOUSE

A state Historical Marker is on this site commemorating the fact that Abram Walrod, the first settler in Commerce, built a log cabin on the property in 1825. The frame house was probably built in 1849 when Frederick Pecks is recorded to have lived here. He lived there for sixty years until his death in 1909. His daughter Grace Germaine was the next occupant. Two generations of Byers have lived on the property. June Byers the present owner, now uses the home for antiques display in connection the Byers Country Store in the barn. Commerce Township is considering possibly acquiring the property at a future date.

5#. SUGDEN-MALCOM HOUSE

this beautiful farm house was built in 1833-34 by carpenter Thomas Darling for John T. Sugden. John Sugden’s father and mother were Henry and Elizabeth Crooks Sugden, who settled in Bogie Lake area and farmed in the early 1830s. Sugden Lake is named after the family. In 1908 Frank J. and Floy Sugden_Malcom come to the home and stayed with her father caring for him until his death in 1925. The farm part of the property was sold in 1927 and a subdivision into what is now the Mount Royal Subdivision. In 1929 and 1930 the home was completely remolded by tearing down the front wing of a porch and two rooms and removing the backstairs. The Malcoms occupied the home until 1977. It was sold to Bill and Karen Hickok in 1978. It was later slod to William J. Newbold and Shirley A. Kittle.

6#. COMMERCE MASONIC TEMPLE

The United Presbyterian Church, with sixteen charter members, was organized in 1845. The first church was built in 1847. A new building was built in 1866, and after fifty years as a church, was sold for the present Masonic Temple.

7#. COMMERCE SCHOOL HOUSE

This building, most recently known as the Commerce School Annex, was built sometime between 1833 and 1845 in the Greek Revival style architecture. Originally a one-room school, the structure was lengthened to double its size just before the turn of the century. The belfry is original. However, the bell has been removed and is now located at the Walled Lake Outdoor Center. In 1941, the school, then known as Commerce School District 10, merged with and became part of the Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Used continuously as a school until the 1960s, the building has housed consultant and elementary schools library office until it was vacated in 1982. The home is currently owned by Robert and Debbie Donohue.

8#. UNTIED METHODIST CHURCH

The first class of Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1838 and held early meetings in the old school house until the erection of the church edifice in 1842. The property was purchased from Amasa and Mary Andrews for a cost of $75.00. The church was built at a cost of $1,200. Revernad D.C. Jacokes was the first pastor with a congregation consisting of eight to ten families at Commerce. For years there existed in Commerce a Baptist and United Presbyterian Church, which later merged with Commerce to become one church. Commerce Church grew in number and prospered until a need for expansion was felt. In 1957 the church was moved to it present location. The original location was on Ponderosa and Commercial in the village of Commerce. The church was dedicated as a State Historical Site in 1986.

9#. BARRITT-WEBORG HOUSE

Between the years of 1832 and 1863, there was probably no man more closely identified with the activities and progress of Walled Lake and vicinity than Hiram Barritt. He came to Michigan from New York State with his wife and six children in 1832. He was elected the first township clerk in 1834 and served many years as a clerk and supervisor. He built the first frame house in the area in 1832. The house is a Greek Revival structure originally having a set-in front porch. This has been removed and a porch added. The side porch was also removed. Barritt lived in the home for forty years, and it has had many owners since. The Weborgs purchased it in 1946 and are the present owners.

12#. COMMERCE LAKE HOUSE

The Commerce Lake House originally stood at the corner of Broadway and Commerce Roads in the Village of Commerce. Built in 1880s, it was the center of community activity until was destroyed by fire in 1932.

The information given on the homes listed was complied from the 1984, 1985 and 1987 editions of the COMMERCE TOWNSHIP AREA HISTORICAL TOUR BOOKS.