MASON FERRY
STUART GRIGG
GP Historical Society
Mason Ferry and Stuart Grigg from the Grosse Pointe Historical Society will present The Future of Grosse Pointe Past.
The Society has been collecting stories and artifacts about the Pointes since 1945. In the 1990s, the group acquired and restored the oldest surviving structure in the area, the c. 1823 Provencal-Weir House. Originally a ribbon farmhouse on Lake St. Clair, it was moved several times and now sits at 376 Kercheval. Tucked behind the house museum is another historic treasure – a log cabin c. 1836. Originally located in Macomb County, the cabin was moved to Christ Episcopal Church in the 1930s, where it served for many years as the home of a donkey featured in nativity plays. When the livestock departed, the cabin was disassembled and rebuilt in the current location.
An Administration and Collection Resources Building Building under construction at 275 Kercheval, across from the Provencal-Weir house, is scheduled for completion by June. The new 5000 sq. ft. building includes space for permanent storage of the extensive collection of information about Grosse Pointe buildings and homes, including 5000+ original blueprints. A dedicated digital lab will feature the custom hardware and software used to preserve and share information and stories on the internet. There will be space for changing exhibitions and displays, public activities and programs, workspace for volunteers and researchers, and a collection of special-focus books about our community.
From the first peoples hunting and gathering on the shore of Lake St. Clair through today’s residents and the future Pointers in schools today, there is a clear theme: a great place for a community to grow and thrive with resources and amenities to make a good life. Grosse Pointe is fortunate to have an organization dedicated to the community’s unique and important history. The Society’s website is
www.gphistorical.org.