Honolulu House Museum, Michigan, United States
4.5 (81 reviews) Tuesday: Spent < 1 hour Ranking #1 in Calhoun County Speciality Museums • Historic Sites • History Museums
Must See!
Judge Abner Pratt constructed this home in 1860 as a reflection of his previous life in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) where he served as the 5th US Consul. The third owner, Martin V Wagner, updated this home in the 1880s to a high Victorian style featuring marvelous ceiling and wall paintings. It was rescued in the 1950s from possible demolition and in the early 1960s became a house museum and the Marshall Historical Society's headquarters. Extensive restoration efforts then began which has brought back the 1880s elegance that visitors can enjoy today.
Address
107 N Kalamazoo Ave, Marshall, MI 49068-1526
Mobile
Website
http://www.marshallhistoricalsociety.org
Working hours
Monday : 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday :
Wednesday :
Thursday :
Friday : 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Saturday : 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Sunday : 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 8:13
User Ratings
4.5 based on (81 reviews)
Reviews
-
5Rumplestiltskinned 5:00 PM Sep 17, 2018
AN IMPORTANT AND UNIQUE PART OF MICHIGAN HISTORY
This is a step back in time worth taking. A more unique building can scarcely be imagined in little Marshall, Michigan. Listed on the Historic American Buildings Survey. it was built in 1860 by the first U.S. consul to the Sandwich Islands. Constructed of Marshall sandstone, the house is a mix of Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Polynesian architectures. An elaborate nine-bay porch spans the front, with its wide center bay serving as the base of its pagoda-topped tower. Its tropical features include a raised veranda and the observation platform. The upper level has a central hall with a spirl stairway leading to the observation tower. A visit here is worthy of a special trip.
-
4CovingtonCat 5:00 PM Oct 21, 2011
Unique house with an interesting history told by enthusiastic docents
I'd been to Marshall twice before to tour the neighborhoods because of the variety of architectural styles but the Honolulu House was always closed. I was travelling down I-69 so stopped in Marshall specifically because I knew the house would be open (they're open afternoons). I knew why the house was there but not any history since its construction. The docent who gave us the tour (tours cost $5/person) was very knowledgeable and pointed out many details we probably would have missed had we toured on our own. The restoration is not to the period when the house was built as all the original furniture is gone and the original wall murals were impossible to restore. Instead, the restoration is to a later 19th century period with furniture from various other houses that are of the period. The house is also smaller than the original due to a later owner having the bedrooms torn down. Even so, the 2 floors of the main house were worth the visit. Be sure to pick up a map of Marshall at the museum. You'll be able to use it to take a tour of the history of Victorian architecture in America. It's all right there in Marshall.
