Governor Croswell House, 1843, Greek Revival Style, 228 North Broad Street, Adrian
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The 1843 Croswell House, also known as the Governor Croswell House, is a significant example of Greek Revival architecture. It stands as a testament to the architectural and cultural heritage not only of Adrian but also of the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The Greek Revival style, popular between 1830 and 1860, is characterized by the use of low-pitched roofs, rectangular windows topped with rectangular lintels and the style's key feature, its neoclassical entablature, which is the broad horizontal band of trim immediately below the roof. The Croswell House's design maintains these elements 182 years after it was first built and showcases the home's boxy gable-and-wing form. This arrangement of a main home and an attached side structure is primarily found on Greek Revival style houses located in New England, New York State, and the Upper Midwest. |
If we could look inside the home’s thick walls, we would see the home’s post-and-beam construction, which uses huge sections of lumber and very few nails since nails had to be hand forged at this time.
The style’s name reflects Americans’ fascination with Greek history and culture in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when a “Greek Fever” swept through America. This fascination with all things Greek was prompted in large part by the Greek War of Independence, which was fought between 1821 and 1829, ultimately freeing the Christian Greeks from almost four hundred years of Muslim domination by the Ottoman Turks.
For its first 84 years, the Croswell House was owned by members of the same family. Built in 1843 for Daniel Hicks, the house was later owned by Hicks’s nephew, Charles M. Croswell, who was elected Mayor of Adrian in 1862 and Governor of Michigan in 1876. In 1927, Croswell's widow donated the home to the Daughters of the American Revolution and, for almost a century, the D.A.R. has preserved the home as a memorial to the Governor.
The symbolic meaning of the Croswell House is reflected in the lives of its owners, whose values were shared by the broader American culture of the time. Daniel Hicks, the original owner, worked as a County Clerk and military commander. He moved to Adrian from New York City in 1837 after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad in 1836, which encouraged settlement throughout Southeast Michigan. At the time, the railroad depot and Lenawee County Courthouse were conveniently located around the corner from his home. Hicks's decision to move westward to Michigan and his involvement in the Mexican-American War (April 1846 to February 1848) reflect his support for America's westward expansion in the 1830s and 1840s.
Charles Miller Croswell acquired the house in 1853 from his uncle’s widow and played a significant role in Michigan's political history including his participation in the creation of the Republican Party in 1854 and the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865—abolishing slavery. His home's modest decoration and design reflect Croswell's personal values and public speaking style, which his biography describes as “terse, clear, and strong, without excess of ornament.”
Life was rudimentary in Adrian when the Croswell House was first built. At that time, the home had no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and no furnace. Lighting was provided by burning animal fat until the discovery of kerosene in the late 1840s, and the City would not create a waterworks until the 1880s, so a cistern and hand pump were essential. In addition, the home's two fireplaces would have required constant attention in the winter since for many years they were the only source of heat. Several outbuildings once stood on the property, including a kitchen and a carriage house that must have held the Governor's horses and carpentry tools. After the D.A.R. acquired the property in the 1920s, they tore down the old outbuildings and added the modern kitchen to the south wing. The D.A.R. added an auditorium to the back of the building in the 1940s.
The style’s name reflects Americans’ fascination with Greek history and culture in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when a “Greek Fever” swept through America. This fascination with all things Greek was prompted in large part by the Greek War of Independence, which was fought between 1821 and 1829, ultimately freeing the Christian Greeks from almost four hundred years of Muslim domination by the Ottoman Turks.
For its first 84 years, the Croswell House was owned by members of the same family. Built in 1843 for Daniel Hicks, the house was later owned by Hicks’s nephew, Charles M. Croswell, who was elected Mayor of Adrian in 1862 and Governor of Michigan in 1876. In 1927, Croswell's widow donated the home to the Daughters of the American Revolution and, for almost a century, the D.A.R. has preserved the home as a memorial to the Governor.
The symbolic meaning of the Croswell House is reflected in the lives of its owners, whose values were shared by the broader American culture of the time. Daniel Hicks, the original owner, worked as a County Clerk and military commander. He moved to Adrian from New York City in 1837 after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad in 1836, which encouraged settlement throughout Southeast Michigan. At the time, the railroad depot and Lenawee County Courthouse were conveniently located around the corner from his home. Hicks's decision to move westward to Michigan and his involvement in the Mexican-American War (April 1846 to February 1848) reflect his support for America's westward expansion in the 1830s and 1840s.
Charles Miller Croswell acquired the house in 1853 from his uncle’s widow and played a significant role in Michigan's political history including his participation in the creation of the Republican Party in 1854 and the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865—abolishing slavery. His home's modest decoration and design reflect Croswell's personal values and public speaking style, which his biography describes as “terse, clear, and strong, without excess of ornament.”
Life was rudimentary in Adrian when the Croswell House was first built. At that time, the home had no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and no furnace. Lighting was provided by burning animal fat until the discovery of kerosene in the late 1840s, and the City would not create a waterworks until the 1880s, so a cistern and hand pump were essential. In addition, the home's two fireplaces would have required constant attention in the winter since for many years they were the only source of heat. Several outbuildings once stood on the property, including a kitchen and a carriage house that must have held the Governor's horses and carpentry tools. After the D.A.R. acquired the property in the 1920s, they tore down the old outbuildings and added the modern kitchen to the south wing. The D.A.R. added an auditorium to the back of the building in the 1940s.
The Croswell House's doors, windows and fireplaces are framed by broad, heavy bands of trim that resemble Tuscan pilasters and entablatures. The maple newel post at the bottom of the stairs is typical of the Greek Revival style. It was turned on a lathe to form spools that resemble ancient Greek ceramics.
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The interior of the Croswell House is a well-preserved example of Greek Revival style, reflecting the architectural trends of the mid-19th century. Here are some key features:
Essay © Peter Barr, 2025 |
Croswell built this Renaissance Revival bookcase, which stands in the D.A.R.'s auditorium, to hold his law library.
Governor Croswell also built the table in the auditorium on which the D.A.R.'s lectern sits.
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