Draft:Brabb Housr
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| Brabb House | |
|---|---|
 Front porch of the historic 1877 Brabb House in Romeo, MI | |
Alternative names | George Washington Brabb House |
General information | |
Architectural style | Italianate |
| Location | 185 South Main Street, Romeo, Michigan, 185 South Main Street, Romeo, Michigan |
| Year built | 1877 |
The Brabb House, also known as the George Washington Brabb House, is a historic Italianate residence at 185 South Main Street in Romeo, Michigan. Built in 1877 for local businessman George Washington Brabb, the house stands within the Romeo Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
During its history, the building has served a variety of residential, medical, commercial, and hospitality uses. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, it became particularly known as the Brabb House Bed and Breakfast, Wedding Chapel and Tea Room.
History
[edit]George Washington Brabb
[edit]The house was constructed in 1877 for George Washington Brabb (1843–1912), a Romeo businessman and member of a prominent early Macomb County family. According to Brabb's 1912 obituary in the Romeo Observer, his parents, Isaac and Hannah Brabb, came to the area from Yorkshire, England, in 1830.[1] George was born February 10, 1843, on the family's farm southwest of Romeo.[1]
Brabb later entered the hardware business in Romeo and organized a stock company for the manufacture of road carts. His obituary reported that the factory employed a substantial workforce and at times produced between 40 and 75 carts per day.[1] Brabb also held stock in the Romeo Savings Bank and retained ownership of the family's 270-acre farm.[1]
Brabb married Lois Garlick in 1873. She died on April 6, 1892. He subsequently married Martha Starkweather of Romeo on July 13, 1896.[1] Brabb remained in the South Main Street house until his death there on September 10, 1912.[1]
Historical accounts describe the residence as having been occupied by members of the extended Brabb family, with different portions of the house used by George Brabb and other relatives.[2][1]
Some later histories of the property contain conflicting information about exactly which members of the Brabb family lived in the house. In particular, published accounts differ regarding the identity of the female relatives who occupied the south portion of the residence. These details have therefore been treated cautiously in subsequent accounts of the house's history.[2][1]
Later uses
[edit]During the decades following the Brabb family's residence, the property underwent a number of changes in use.
Local historical sources report that the building was used for a period as an osteopathic hospital during the early 20th century.[3] It was later associated with medical and residential uses that reportedly included a tuberculosis sanatorium, apartments, and the White Gables Nursing Home and Adult Foster Care Facility.[2]
The property also operated at one time as the Palace Restaurant.[2]
In 1937, the house was sold to Howard Anderson of Detroit.[3]
In 1999, Thom and Kelley Stephens purchased the property and undertook an extensive restoration and remodeling project. The house subsequently opened as the Brabb House Bed and Breakfast, Wedding Chapel and Tea Room. The business offered five guest rooms and hosted weddings, receptions, teas, and other events.[2][4]
The property became sufficiently associated with the identity of Romeo that Romeo Village Winery produced a wine named Brabb House Chardonnay, featuring the house.[3]
Architecture
[edit]
The Brabb House is an example of Italianate architecture, a style popular in the United States during the mid- and late 19th century.
Historical descriptions of the house note that its exterior originally featured smooth, stucco-like wooden siding that was later covered by clapboards. Decorative wood and cast-iron elements are also characteristic features of the building.[5]
The entrance portico was reportedly expanded around 1900, altering the appearance of the original 1877 façade.[5]
Because of its scale, architecture, and prominent location on Main Street, the Brabb House is among the more recognizable historic residences within the Romeo Historic District.
Reported paranormal activity
[edit]
The Brabb House has also become associated with local stories of paranormal activity.
Author Judy Gass-Lopus included the property in her book The History and Hauntings of Romeo, Michigan. Her account describes experiences reported by former owners, visitors, and others associated with the property.[2]
According to Gass-Lopus, a paranormal group investigated the house during the ownership of Thom and Kelley Stephens after unusual occurrences had reportedly been experienced there. The book recounts stories of unexplained voices, shadows, and other phenomena within the house.[2]
Gass-Lopus also describes photographs taken during a historic-homes presentation in which unexplained light anomalies, commonly referred to in paranormal literature as "orbs," appeared in several rooms.[2]
After the Stephens family sold the property, Gass-Lopus reported that members of a subsequent owner's family described similar experiences. These included accounts of shadows and voices and repeated reports of the apparition of a young girl dressed in red in the south parlor.[2]
The book also relates a story involving the spirits of two young boys and a grieving mother. Gass-Lopus connects this tradition with an account that two sons of George Brabb died young. However, portions of the chronology given in the book appear to conflict with other historical records concerning the Brabb family. The story is therefore more appropriately regarded as part of the property's local folklore rather than established historical fact.[2][1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Death of Mr. George W. Brabb," Romeo Observer, September 10, 1912; reproduced in Linda Osborne Cynowa, "George Washington Brabb," lindaosbornecynowa.com, June 14, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Judy Gass-Lopus, The History and Hauntings of Romeo, Michigan, "The George Washington Brabb House," p. 15.
- 1 2 3 Romeo Historical Society, "2003 – George Washington Brabb House," romeohistoricalsociety.org.
- ↑ Historical business listing, Brabb House Bed and Breakfast, Wedding Chapel and Tea Room, 185 S. Main Street, Romeo, Michigan.
- 1 2 "The George Washington Brabb House," Discovering Romeo History, discoveringromeohistory.com.
External links
[edit]Category:Houses in Macomb County, Michigan Category:Italianate architecture in Michigan Category:Houses completed in 1877 Category:Romeo, Michigan
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