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Welcome to our website. This site is sort of an online scrapbook for our renovation project.
This single family home was designed by A.W. Rush and Sons, Architects and was built in 1898 for a local banker named Orton Hill. While we cannot know precisely how much Mr. Hill paid for the home, local tax records indicate a net increase of $10,000 between 1897 and 1899 for the lots where the house was built. Other West Michigan designs by Arthur W. Rush include the beautifully renovated Historical Union Station Train Depot in Muskegon. It is believed the architectural firm designed several prominent homes in Lowell and Grand Rapids. |
Orton and Mrs. Hill, ca. 1930 Mr. Hill and his wife raised a family in the home and eventually passed the house on to their son, Arthur Hill. Art and his wife also raised a large family and eventually sold the home in the 1950's to the Dalstra family who turned the house into a group home for the elderly. In the late 1960's the Dalstras sold the house to Milton and Beverly Holmoka who turned it into a beautiful home and raised a family of five children in the house. Eventually Milt and Bev sold the home to the Harwood family who lived here only a few years. When we discovered the house it was vacant and in need of more than a little TLC. |
December 9, 2000 - The Hill House as it appeared when we purchased the home.
When we purchased the home in December 2000 the Hill House was in desperate need of a new paint job. We began the laborious work of scraping and prepping the exterior for new paint in the spring of 2001. This exterior work has included a major rebuild on the north-west corner of the house and a new roof. We are completing this paint project this fall.
Please feel free to take a look at the progress we have made.
June 9th, 2003
Tina added the corner garden
in the front last spring.
This year we've added three large trees and two more gardens in the front.
June 9th, 2003
View from the south-west corner. The Horse Chestnut and Crimson Maple trees were planted this spring.
East side finished. - July 2, 2004.
The east side of the house is nearly completed. New fence was added at the
north end this year as well as the ornamental trees. We're hoping to wrap
the porch up this fall. Note the new roof from last fall.
November 12, 2005 - West Side Done!
Feel free to visit our home on the web and check on our progress. There's a lot of house to paint but it will be completed this year!
Last Update: Saturday, December 17, 2005Visitors:
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Copyright 2002 - 2005Ort Hill 1898 House Renovation Project
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Last Update: Tuesday, January 24, 2012Visitors:
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Copyright 2002 - 2005Ort Hill 1898 House Renovation Project
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