William Montague Ferry, Sr (son of Noah Ferry and Hannah Montague) was a Presbyterian minister and founded the cities of Grand Haven and Ferrysburg.  The Ferry's had 4 sons and 3 daughters.  William Jr, (who was a mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan and noted politician in Utah), Thomas (who became a noted U.S. Congressman and then U.S. Senator), Amanda Harwood Ferry (moved as a young girl to live with her grandparents in Massachusetts), Noah Henry Ferry (his story comes in a bit).  There was a significant pause in time between childbearing here as the Ferry family moved from Mackinaw Island to the area of Grand Haven where William Ferry, Sr drew up the plat of Grand Haven while living in the family cabin that was where the Kirby Grill in downtown Grand Haven now sits.  The family then had Hannah Elizabeth and twins, Mary Lucinda and Edward Payson (Edward comes into this story too.)  It is believed that Mary was the first white female born in the Grand Haven area.

 

The Reverend went into the lumbering business and soon became a powerful and wealthy man. 

Noah Ferry laid out the plans for the community of Ferryville (later naming it Montague after his father), on the White River.

Then comes the Civil War.
Noah was appointed captain of Company F, 5th Michigan Cavalry on August 14, 1862, and was promoted to major within a few months, serving under Colonel Custer, at the time.
Custer's Brigade had been held back for a time, near the Hanover Road, while the fighting erupted to the north, near the Rummel Farm. Custer, without orders, advanced his men. Around 1 p.m. they formed a line of battle along what is now Gregg Avenue. The commander of the regiment, Col. Russell Alger, was ordered, by Custer, to hold the position at all costs. The brigade advanced to a fence, in front of a stand of woods, and were immediately fired upon by the Confederates.
The regiment held the line for three hours against repeated attacks. During this heavy fighting, Maj. Noah Ferry saw that his men were starting to fall back. He yelled to them, "Rally, Boys! Rally for the fence!" Seconds later, he fell with a bullet through the skull, killing him instantly. Almost exhausted of ammunition, the regiment was ordered to fall back and leave the major's body on the field.
Major Ferry's body was recovered the next day.  A few days later, his father, the Rev. William Ferry, reclaimed his son's body and returned it to Michigan for proper burial. His remains were interred in Lake Forest Cemetery, Grand Haven.

Apparently bereaved at the loss of her son, Noah, Amanda left a bequest in her will.  She requested that a church and manse be built in her son's name.  She left a bequest sum as well to be directed by her son Edward in this endeavor.

 

Edward went to the potential parishioners of the proposed church and informed them of his mother's bequest.  In order to engage them, and gauge their committment, he told them he would build the church on one the condition; that the parishioners themselves actually build the manse (a formal older name for a parsonage).  The people agreed and under the direction of George Dowling, the manse was built sometime between 1871 and 1873.  Once it was completed Edward and George moved on to building the church.

 

The church?  The Ferry Memorial Church.  It is a beautiful gothic victorian church and sits high overlooking White Lake on Old Channel Trail.  On its north side stood the Manse.  A tall victorian with a pretty front porch and gingerbread at the eaves.  Inside, the house was a unique mix of modesty and grand, built to befit both a pastor, and the lumber baron family who built it.  Both opened in 1874 (the manse was already in use by then.)

 

The Manse?  Now known as Amanda's Bequest Bed & Breakfast.  (Formally defined as an "Old Manse".  This term is used when no minister lives in a Church's Manse)

 

 

Much of the gingberbread was gone by the time it moved.  The front porch is believed lost in the move.

 

Then, the real tragedy occured.

 

The house was made over into a three apartment rental for almost 30 years.

It became lost in a dense jungle of fast growing black locust trees and renter's trash.

 

Valerie and John Hanson bought the home (based solely on potential only they could see!) in November 2010.  The clean up began. 

 

Low and behold, under the terrible carpeting and paneling, lay the original 140 year old pine floors and walls.  The massive arched front door had seen better days but it was still there.  The curving staircase, still in use.

Plenty of discovery had to happen.  Efforts to find the original kitchen footprint took some work, but once a long covered over 1950-60s pink bathroom was discovered buried in the walls, the rest came easier.  The Hansons knew that wasn't original!  The old cookplace chimney was also discovered in the attic.  It had been very poorly supported once it's base was cut out long ago.

 

Long story short.

A lot of love.  A lot of work. 

 

Work still goes on.  The house and its lawns will progress as they are recovered.  (the black locust trees were rotted out and horribly infested with black carpenter ants...they were taken down immediately due to their close proximity to the house)

The heritage kitchen is complete, the parlor, the dining room, and several other rooms, including the master bed & breakfast 1920's room, have been reclaimed.  Progress is close to getting others complete.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the old bathroom walled off from the kitchen.  You can see the original kitchen cookstove chimney running up to the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dining Room.  

One main reason for undertaking the old manse was to live the lifestyle we wanted.  One of reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing.  We wanted a farm-stay style Bed & Breakfast that allowed our guests comfort but also let them see (with a choice to participate or not) how recapturing some of the old-fashioned values can deeply benefit them, from health aspects, to saving money, to doing good for the earth.

 

A side note:  John and Valerie met at the local book store/coffee shop, when John was there meeting Mayor, Henry Roesler, about a cannon Henry wanted found.  It was the cannon given the City of Montague to honor Noah Ferry's service in the Civil War.  Henry later performed the marriage ceremony in the very same place. 

 

The Hansons had NO IDEA the history of the old house when they bought it.