Search This Blog

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester

Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester Hills, part of Oakland University, is a lovely home to tour anytime of the year, but it is especially beautiful during the Christmas holidays. The home of Mathilda Dodge Wilson (widow of John Dodge) was completed in the 1920's and is considered one of the outstanding auto baron dwellings in Michigan. There are over 100 rooms in this spectacular edifice, making it the fourth largest historic house museum in the US. In 1957, the home, 1500 acres of land and 2 million dollars were donated by Mathilda and her second husband Arthur Wilson, with the stipulation that a university be built upon it. She gave a diamond ring to every student in the first graduating class in 1963. For the first time this year, you can climb the narrow stairway leading to the children's playrooms above the library.  A collection of 500 bears is on loan from a lady in Port Huron that are used for decoration! Docents enjoy telling all the little details.

No comments:

Post a Comment