In May 1823,[3] pioneering farmer Solomon Caswell and his wife Hulda[2] moved to a farm near what is now the intersection of Big Beaver and Adams Roads, and in 1823 built a log cabin to live in.[4] In 1832, the couple built this house to replace the log cabin.[4] Huldah died in 1844, and Solomon quickly remarried to Melinda Marvin.[3] The Caswells constructed an addition to the house in 1850;[2] Solomon Caswell lived in the house until his death in 1880.[3]
After Solomon Caswell's death, his descendants continued to live in the house.[3] A porch was added in 1920.[2] Solomon Caswell's descendants occupied the house until 1965, when William Caswell, Solomon's grandson, died as a bachelor.[3] William Caswell willed the house and property to a friend, who sold it to North Hills Christian Reformed Church.[3] In 1968, the house was threatened with demolition, but the church donated the home to the Troy Historical Society, who moved to its present location and fully restored it.[2] The house is now part of the Troy Museum and Historic Village.[4]
Description
The Solomon and Hulda Caswell House is a two-story frame Greek Revival house with clapboard. The foundation is now built of concrete block faced with fieldstone. A 1+1⁄2-story addition is built on the rear. The front facade has a central entrance flanked with pilasters and surmounted with a heavy entablature.[2]
^ abcdefgh"Caswell House". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
