Historical Society is hosting workshops — “Deconstructing the Past”

A photo of the Noggles Road farmhouse from 1902, including the Grant Sutton family.

submitted by Ray Berg, Manchester Area Historical Society

Discover the intriguing history of a humble farmhouse in southwest Manchester Township that has come to the end of its road. The Manchester Area Historical Society will help tell its story in a series of free workshops set to start October 7.

As the house is deconstructed, we will examine the structure of the house, and the building methods and materials used over the decades, and also delve into the history of the two families who called this place at 11703 Noggles Road home. The unique history and natural resources of the Iron Creek area will also be considered.

Presenters will include:

• Ray Berg, Manchester Area Historical Society
• Chris Rutherford, Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit
• Marian Feinberg, Eastern Michigan University, Preservation Studies
• Laura Sutton, Great-great-granddaughter of Richard Sutton, who built the house in 1858
• Sybil Kolon, Granddaughter of Louis Kolongowski, who updated the house in 1949
• Silas Bialecki, Lifelong Iron Creek resident and passionate interpreter of natural
  resources and local indigenous history

We are in the process of finalizing the dates for a series of four workshops that will reconstruct our understanding of this house, its occupants, the neighborhood, and the landscape where it was built in 1858.

The first workshop will be held before the deconstruction begins, on Saturday, October 7, from 1 to 3pm at the 11703 Noggles Road location. The dates of the three remaining workshops are not yet confirmed but are planned on subsequent Saturdays at the same time to conclude not later than November 11. Each workshop will be “stand-alone” to some extent, but as they continue, we will delve further back into history as the house is deconstructed.

Attendees of this series of workshops will get to witness the deconstruction of a humble farmhouse built in 1858, renovated and expanded in 1949, updated in 1980, and vacant since 2010. Attendees will also take a virtual trip into the past that connects our lives today with those of the early settlers of Iron Creek.

The house that is the focus of these workshops was slated to be demolished to support the creation of a nature preserve, as Legacy Land Conservancy becomes the new steward of this property as a public nature preserve. Though restoration was considered, it was determined not to be feasible.

One way to honor this humble house and those who lived there is to deconstruct it, with historical interpretation of the structure during the process, and to share the concealed history of this house with a wider community. Some of the recovered timbers will be used to build benches and other amenities for the preserve. All of the reclaimed materials will be reused and repurposed, eliminating landfill waste and providing raw material for modern and historic projects.

Deconstruction can be a form of historical preservation when it includes historic interpretation and reclaims materials to be used in other restoration projects or incorporated into new ones.

The deconstruction and history that are revealed will be documented through photos, videos, and on the MAHS Deconstructing the Past webpage, where all relevant documents will be posted. A short film is also planned.

Follow along at www.mahsmi.org/dtp, which also provides information on how to register for these workshops on www.eventbrite.com.

Richard Sutton

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.