Linda’s Monday Morning Moaning’
There is a house that has seen much in over 160 years, and probably, over the years a big variation in the amount and type of traffic passing by it on Mound Road in Washington Township.
Really my story starts with Josiah Jewell from Genessee County, New York, and his original purchase of land from the government of 160 acres on June 8, 1825. The acreage spanned the entire front portion of land running from 28 Mile to 29 Mile on Mound Road. By 1859, Jackson Crissman owned those 160 acres, by now configured a little differently. Jackson would soon add another 75 acres for a total of 235.
This property would stay in the Crissman family until Jackson’s death in 1881 and his wife May’s in 1902. By 1916, the property had new owner in William Hart, who picked up an additional five acres; he remained the owner into the 1930’s. It is known that by 1982, Stanley Ross had owned the land for some years, and was worked as the Maxwell Diary Farm.
By 2001, the land moved again in to private hands, where today it still rests.
Although the home on the property that was built by the Crissman’s has been in the process of being remodeled for many years now. Progress seems to have stopped some time ago. This sad shaped building is now there for all to see. Further down the road you come across another building on Mound, it is the Thornington School, in much worse shape. There is little understanding as to why someone wants to own an historic property and let it go to ruin.
If the costs of fixing are too dear, ways need to be found to work around that, if the problem wants to be fixed. The school really hasn’t long left before it will be at the point of no return. I guess my question is, why has the township of Washington not stepped in, similar to Shelby Township that has amassed a park now for some of their historic buildings, and save this school, especially?
On that ‘wee note’ till next week.
Thank you to the Greater Washington Area Historical Society and Museum for my research material.
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Linda Osborne Cynowa 