History Rich: Adams
Chuck and Mary Adams have an affinity for antiques, the armoires that are precision-crafted and carved, candelabras as tall as toddlers, dolls and figurines worn and loved with stories to tell. In other words, not the imitation stuff.
By Beth Anne Piehl
Photography by G. Randall Goss
Inside their home, their taste is evident room to room. To room, to room. The historic landmark is 9,000 square feet on three levels, and an additional 4,000 square feet in the basement, which is the most modern level with workout equipment and a more casual entertainment area.
Above-grade, it’s a step back in time. But to get there, the Adamses spent years renovating the dilapidated structure to habitable conditions, starting when they purchased it in 1990. “In 1991, we realized we needed to sell it or restore it,” said Chuck, “or it wasn’t going to make it.”
The home hadn’t received much attention in the years prior; it was mainly a summer cottage that had fallen into disrepair. Chuck said he could put his arm through the walls in a number of areas because of rot, and the third floor had been sealed off and neglected in an effort to conserve energy in the mammoth house. During one particularly heavy rainstorm, a plume of water shot down through the floors from the upper level and into the basement (a la the movie “The Money Pit” with Tom Hanks, Chuck recalled).
Through the years of restoration, much of the original flooring was kept, but the ceilings — bowing severely over the living room — were replaced, along with the roof. Innumerable other interior upgrades were required to get the house back into livable condition. The bulk of the restoration was completed in 1995, and the basement space finished in 1996. Mary did most of the interior design styling herself, using accents of the bygone era to infuse life into the manor that is frilly and textured and layered in more ways than meet the eye.
“We still reflect on it,” Chuck said, when asked if he would do it all again. “The answer, reluctantly, is yes, we would. It’s about pride of ownership … and there are a lot of houses that have followed in our footsteps.”
More points of interest:
— The property includes a beach house and sits along 125 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline.
— There are four bedrooms and three baths on the third floor, and six bedrooms and four baths on the second floor. In total, there are 10 full baths and a half-bath in the home.
— The third floor is the designated kid space, for when grandchildren enter the family picture (their adult children include a daughter and two sons). Elaborate handpainted designs complement bedrooms and play spaces.
— There are two separate, but side-by-side stairwells; one was reserved for servants who could only access certain floors. The Adams guesstimate the May family had seven to nine servants on staff when they came up North.
— The only bedroom without a view of the lake is called “The Gaudy Room,” and it’s staged like a museum exhibit.
— East Jordan carpenter Jim Maine created custom bookshelves and trim in the library, based on a photo in an ad that Mary saw and wanted to incorporate. A special knife blade had to be created to attain the historic look, Chuck said.
— Chuck and Mary don’t just prefer antiques in their home; they’re the owners of Consign Design in Charlevoix, an antique shop.
HomeLife Magazine » Issues » March and April 2009 » History Rich: Adams Home