Not that far from here, just ten minutes east of downtown Lansing, actually, time stands still: The Meridian Historical Village has preserved an era when settlers were still busy taming the area.
Meridian Historical Village was officially started in 1973 with the arrival of The Grettenberger Farmhouse, which was originally constructed between 1862 and 1865 – a fact gleaned from the dates on the newspapers used to insulate the walls! After that, the Friends of Historic Meridian, a nonprofit volunteer organization that formed in 1974 to maintain and preserve the village, came together and began organizing the rest of the village.
All of the buildings in Meridian Historical Village have associated histories that bring them to life with the retelling – both their past lives as well as tales of their move and restoration. The Randall Schoolhouse, for example, is a one-room rural schoolhouse built in 1883 and continuously used until 1975! Thereafter it was used as storage until the 80’s when it was slated for demolition before being relocated to Meridian Historical Village in 1987.
Another building, the two-story, brick Heathman-Herre House building was moved in 1988 on a flat-bed truck. The building was so heavy – 248,000 pounds! – one of the tires blew out during the move and and the truck and the building had to be jacked up to change the tire!
Meridian Historical Village
Located in the picturesque Central Park of Okemos, Michigan, Meridian Historical Village contains seven relocated and restored historical buildings: a one-room schoolhouse, a farmhouse with its barn, a general store, an inn, a 19th-century chapel, a log cabin, and a tollgate house from the plank road era; an incredible collection of historic buildings providing a rare view into 19th century, settler life.
For more details, please visit: www.meridianhistoricalvillage.org
For more of harkening back to a slower pace and simpler, more elegant times, nothing beats a stay at The English Inn.