Homes for the Holidays: The Burroughs Home | News, Sports, Jobs
The Burroughs home
501 1st Avenue South
You may have toured the Burroughs home in years past, but you will be in for a treat touring it again.
A furnace outage during the winter several years ago caused pipes to freeze, and subsequently, the radiators cracked, spewing water onto the floors in all twelve rooms of the house. After nearly 11 months of work, damage done to the home was corrected, resulting in a new look in many of the rooms of this Princess Anne home, built in 1892 by Dr. Frederick Banks.
Photos by Susan Hampton, AAUW-Escanaba
Banks purchased the lot in 1891 fore $650. The home was designed by the firm of Lovejoy & DeMar of Marquette. It was the private residence for the Banks family, but also included an area to accommodate the dental practice of Dr. Banks. The front parlor was originally the waiting room for patients and the first floor bathroom served as the doctor’s laboratory.
Original features of the five bedroom house include clapboard and fish scale cedar shingles, oak woodwork on the first floor but spruce woodwork on the second level, three stained glass windows, an etched glass front entry door and transom, three sets of solid oak pocket doors and a fireplace with intricately carved acanthus leaves (on a zebra mantel) that were revealed after stripping off many layers of paint.
Each owner of the home has passed on the original architect’s drawings, verifying that the only significant change made to the house was the removal of a second staircase.
The home will be fully-decorated for Christmas with eight trees and numerous holiday collections that have been enjoyed by the family for many decades.
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The American Association of University Women (AAUW) will present their biennial “Homes for the Holidays” on Dec. 12, from 1 until 4 p.m. Tickets are available at Gust Asps in Escanaba and The Frame Farm in Gladstone. Ticket holders must be 16 years of age or older. Proceeds are earmarked for two AAUW scholarships at Bay College. Ticket holders are requested to wear face masks to protect themselves and others.
