History Rich: VanDuyne
The historic status of their home was an ancillary benefit to Dr. Eric and Gloria VanDuyne; what they really needed was the space and the location.
“With so many children, I always wanted to be some place where they could walk wherever they wanted to go,” said Gloria. “When we rented (previously) outside of town, we had kids who wanted to go to the beach, and kids who wanted to go into town, and I had to drive them everywhere.
“It’s been a wonderful location for our whole family.”
The Flint residents have six children, five girls and a boy, and when they purchased the Michigan Avenue home back in 1986, they had two grandchildren. Today, they have 24, and the sprawling estate is a lively and popular destination in the summer months, located along Lake Michigan shoreline and a short walk from downtown.
Their cottage was built at the same time as the neighbor’s home, the Adams residence, but it did not require the extensive restorations that were needed next door. “It was old and it needed work, but we weren’t able to jump in and do it all at once,” Gloria said. “Each year we’ve done something new, new windows, the attic, the basement. Everything’s been done little by little.”
From Michigan Avenue, the home has an especially stately appearance, with four columns gracing the front and an American flag flying midpoint. Inside, it’s impossible to not glimpse what summertime must be like in here. Whimsical pottery pieces, beadboard and a covered back porch combine with cavernous rooms, cottage furniture and lighthearted signs (“If you’re lucky enough to be at the beach, you’re lucky enough”) to fill the home. The VanDuynes also renovated the kitchen, added a bathroom and opened up a “mud room” type of space that leads out to the back yard and down to the lake. Handpainted tiles and benches by area artist Sue Bolt are vibrant touches that add to the welcoming feeling in this family gathering spot.
“I was interested in making it bright and light and fun, with some fun art pieces,” said Gloria, who owns a gift shop in Flint called Gloria’s. “It just makes me smile, I just love it.”
Even with all the space inside the home, when everyone’s together it has a way of feeling pretty cozy. “(It doesn’t feel as big) when it’s all filled up. Fortunately, the kids are all good friends,” Gloria said.
“I love the dining room when everyone’s around the table,” she added. “We like that it’s big enough for everybody.”
Additional notes about the home:
— “Did you see the basement?” Gloria asked during the phone interview. Oops. Since they’re downstate and weren’t here for our photo shoot, we missed it. (She said it’s also a nice open gathering space in the home, for the record.)
— The home has three levels above ground (plus that basement).
— The VanDuynes purchased the home from the Leigh Block family; the Blocks were the owners of Inland Steel, based in Chicago, the sixth largest steel company in the U.S.
— On the second floor, six bedrooms are all connected with doors leading into the next; they’re separated by three full baths at the midpoints.
— The third level has three bedrooms and an attic playroom and appears to be in the most historic condition.
