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Lee Van Roth's Feature Article: Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation hosts 44th annual tour of historic homes
Transcription:
Lee Van Roth: You're listening to 89.1 WEMU. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. For more than four decades, the Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation's annual Historic Home Tour has given residents and visitors a chance to step inside some of the city's historic homes and learn more about the stories behind them. This year's 44th annual tour, "Harvesting Our History," will focus on Ypsi's Southside neighborhood featuring six historic homes as well as the downtown Michigan Avenue Library. Today, Delrhea Byrge is here to tell us more about this year's tour, why the foundation chose to focus on the south side of Ypsi and what visitors can learn from exploring Ypsi's historic architecture. Delrhea, thank you so much for being here today!
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah! Thanks for having me!
Lee Van Roth: Let's start right there, because, in previous years and previous Historic Home Tours, it's been a little bit more spread out across Ypsi. What was behind that decision to kind of narrow it down into this one neighborhood?
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah, yeah. So, in the past, it was definitely spread out, and folks were driving around the city, which was great to see these various homes and structures. But during the bicentennial, we decided to keep it on the corridor and really focus on more or less like a walking tour between the homes. And so, with the success of that, we decided to choose another neighborhood and, this time, focus on the Southside neighborhood. So, it just kind of worked out that a lot of folks offered to open up their homes in that neighborhood, but it also created this sense of walkability that we wanted as well.
Lee Van Roth: What is the hope that you have about, as far as what people are noticing while they're taking this, historic, kind of walking tour throughout the Southside?
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah. So, I think we really want to focus on not only the architectural details and history of some of these homes. You know, a few of them are you know late 1800s that were built, so they really tell a very long story. And again, not only the architectural detail that we focus on through the Heritage Foundation and promoting those that are working on these historic structures, but again, just telling the stories of who owned the homes, who lived there, what was the change that happened. You know, we saw a lot of these homes, especially in the Southside neighborhood and downtown as well, being parted out through various times in history, especially around World War II. Some of these single-family homes were divided up and then now turned back into single-family homes, and it's just such a unique opportunity to see the inside and tell the story again of the transformation of some of these homes.
Lee Van Roth: I think something that I found particularly interesting about this event is exactly that, being able to enter some of these homes and get to know the folks that are currently living there as well. These aren't just historical landmarks. These aren't museums.
Delrhea Byrge: Right.
Lee Van Roth: These are homes that folks are living in day in, day out. Why is that distinction sort of between this is a home someone is living in versus this is a historical site so important to this event and to the Historical Foundation?
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah. I think, again, with the Historical Foundation, we really focus on also awarding people the markers. So, since 1977, we've been awarding over 150 homes and structures and churches in the area a historical marker, which, again, just celebrates the fact that individual people are working on these homes and preserving them, restoring them. And so, again, just kind of being able to tell the story more about individual people that are moving to Ypsilanti and really care about our history here and preservation with some of these homes. So, it gives people on the tour an opportunity to, again, see the inside where maybe they've only walked past the outside, maybe a hundred times. You're walking to campus or walking to downtown or walking around, but they look up and they think, "Oh wow! Like, what's the story of this home?" So, the tour allows us to bring people inside, and, again, celebrate the homeowners. Also, this year we have C. King and Company as part of the VIP event, which we can talk about too. Chef Rich really did an incredible amount of renovation and preservation with that building there. And a lot of people have never even seen inside or especially upstairs, which is going to be an area that will be open for the VIP events. So, again, people like that, we really want to celebrate and share their story of what they went through to get some of these buildings and structures and homes out there and back up, right? So, yeah.
Lee Van Roth: And another cool addition, I think, to this year too, is the downtown branch of YDL, of the library.
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah!
Lee Van Roth: They just completed some pretty heavy-duty kind of renovations very recently. How is the library kind of fitting into this greater kind of historical tour this year?
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah. One of our other members on the committee suggested kind of chatting with the library to see if we could get them on the tour this year based on the fact that they had done this incredible renovation and haven't been open for a while. And many people in the area haven't even seen the inside of the library since they did this renovation. And, yeah, I mean, this building too really has been through, I would say, multiple iterations of its usage, starting from a post office and then being converted into the library and just sharing more of that history. And then, from an architectural standpoint, looking at what they did with the entryway again and restoring that Egyptian-themed frieze on the top and, again, just sharing some of that with our community because not everybody has had a chance to get in there. So, we're really excited to head to the library on this time.
Lee Van Roth: This is On the Ground Ypsi on 89.1 WEMU. I'm talking with Delrhea Byrge about this year's Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation Historic Home Tour and the organization's efforts to highlight the city's historic buildings and neighborhoods. Delrhea, let's get into it a little bit as far as what folks who would like to attend the tour can kind of expect. What does my pathway kind of look like?
Delrhea Byrge: Sure. So, we will have tours that start between 12 and 5. It's actually on October 4th on Sunday. So, folks will pick up a ticket through Eventbrite, and they will then redeem that ticket through the ticket tent, which will be in Southside neighborhood. You'll be given a wristband and a commemorative booklet. And then, it's kind of self-paced. So, you get to choose which properties that you want to visit in which order. There will be docents inside each location that give you then a small guided tour. And again, if you're a part of the VIP event this year, which is really exciting, you'll have an opportunity to see C. King & Company. Chef Rich is going to be putting together a tasting menu for that. And you'll be able to experience the upstairs event space there. But otherwise, yeah, you can just kind of walk around at your own pace between the 12 and five time slot. And, yeah, it should be a really fun day and again, yeah, docents inside that will share more of the history and information about each location.
Lee Van Roth: And it seems like a pretty good opportunity as well in between home stops to really get down into the downtown area as well, maybe pick up some lunch, before, unless you're having that VIP experience as well. Was that something that the Historical Society had kind of considered as well as far as this is a historical tour, yes, but also, "Please enjoy everything else that we have to offer here in Ypsi!"
Delrhea Byrge: Absolutely, yeah. That was part of the goal to highlight other areas as well and to have people be able to walk around from the neighborhood to the downtown again seeing the library. Another unique house on the tour this year is 402 Huron, which is the Dzanc House if folks are familiar. So, that's going to be an amazing opportunity for people to take in some art and learn more as well about what they do over there at Dzanc.
Lee Van Roth: There really is such a wealth of history and just cool stuff going on, I think, in every corner. So, I mean, what a cool opportunity to be able to experience some of that as well in a really kind of unique format!
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah, absolutely!
Lee Van Roth: If there are folks who have not had a chance to go on one of these tours in previous years, why would you encourage them to check it out this year?
Delrhea Byrge: Yeah. So, again, I think we just have a really unique set of houses this year. You know, on Washington Street, we have one of the really well-known homes in that Southside neighborhood, the Queen Anne, that folks will be able to see and, again, get inside, whereas in the past, this home has not been on the tour for a really long time. And again, yeah, just being able to experience and learn more about Ypsilanti history and see some of these very unique homes on the tour this year. And again, with the VIP event, I think that just adds a little bit of an extra to experience what C. King and company has to offer as well. And, yeah. I think it's going to be a really great tour, so we really hope you come down and see the historic Southside neighborhood.
Lee Van Roth: Well, Delrhea, thank you so much for joining me today and for giving us a bit of a preview into what to expect come October 4th!
Delrhea Byrge: Yup.
Lee Van Roth: Yeah. Hopefully, I wish you the best of weather!
Delrhea Byrge: Yes! Thank you!
Lee Van Roth: And I'm sure even if we get a little bit of chill, I think it'll still be a really, really great time!
Delrhea Byrge: Absolutely, yeah! We are hopeful that fall is a good choice this time.
Lee Van Roth: It's going to be beautiful for sure!
Delrhea Byrge: Thank you!
Lee Van Roth: For more on today's conversation and a link to the full article visit our website at WEMU.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU Ypsilanti.
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