Take a journey back to the turn-of-the-century, sip some vino and support the arts on Friday, Jan. 11, when the Orion Art Center holds their annual Winter Wine Tasting.
From 7-9 p.m., visitors can tour the beautifully restored, historic home of Duke and Donna Graessle at 95 Dennison, all while sampling light fare from Victoria’s Delights and sipping wine from Great Lakes Mercantile.
Built in 1899, the almost 3,000 square-foot home has been through its share of remodeling, but the Graessles have dedicated the last 11 years to bringing it back to its roots. Previous owners had put a more modern touch on the interior, but the Graessles wanted to change that. ‘We’re in a constant state of renovation,? Donna said. ‘We’ve tried to keep the house right around the turn-of-the-century era in everything we’ve done.?
From moldings, to light fixtures, to cabinets and floors, the couple was able to salvage original pieces from the home before they remodeled and also find fun antique pieces elsewhere. ‘We try to recycle everything and keep it as original as we can,? Donna said.
Being on the Oxford Historic Home Tour Committee, Donna has done her fair share of researching the interesting history of the home.
In the process, she learned the home used to be a maternity hospital in the 1940s run by a nurse named Nellie Smith.
Donna has run across several birth certificates from babies born in their home who were members of familiar or prominent families in Oxford history.
After the maternity hospital, the home became the Smith Nursing Home, but not a nursing home by today’s standards.
‘You would come here to recover after illness or surgery,? Donna said.
Homer Hight, the owner of Homer Hight Motors originally located in downtown Oxford, purchased the home in the 50s.
One might think a century-old house such as the Graessle’s would have some haunting visitors. ‘No ghost stories to share,? Duke joked. ‘No creakings in the floor, except for the ones we left in there.?
The OAC’s Winter Wine Tasting costs only $35 per person and all proceeds will benefit the Orion Art Center. Call (248) 693-4986 or e-mail them at info@orionartcenter.org to attend this wonderful event.