09-04-2025
Renovations underway for historic Kirkland House in Fowlerville, Michigan
It's hard to imagine what life was like more than 100 years ago, but the Kirkland House in Livingston County, Michigan, alongside a chapel, a barbershop and even a schoolhouse, means you don't have to use your imagination.
Generations of the Kirkland family lived in the house originally built in Iosco Township.
"They came here from England they migrated over because they wanted to be land owners," said Janie Willsmore, a member of the committee that oversees the Livingston Centre Historical Village.
The 167-year-old house was home to the Kirkland family for generations, as they worked as sheep farmers in Livingston County. In the 1990s, the house was moved to Fowlerville.
"We have some descendants of the Kirkland family here in town, very wonderful community members. They donate and help sponsor the restorations and help generate awareness about the building," said committee chair Erin Voyles.
The committee in charge of restoration is working on fixing up the house's roof.
"The weight of snow through the seasons had allowed the original construction to move outward and it needed to be restored-- the walls pulled back inward so that the roof that was sagging in the middle could be moved back up," said Dan Goucher, a restoration consultant.
The committee's cost to do the back part of the roof is more than $16,000, and restoring more parts of the building could raise that bill even more.
"We are working on scheduling the second-story portion of the roof to be replaced," said Voyles.
To do that, the seven committee members are working on fundraising through an event called Grandma's Attic that'll be held on May 10.
"In our fast-paced society, the value of our history and our roots is, I think, very important," said Goucher.
