LANSING, Mich. — If you've ever taken a drive down Cambridge Road near Morres River Drive you might have noticed the house at 1348 Cambridge Road or The Potter House.
“You just don’t see homes like this any more, they certainly don’t build them like this anymore," said Associate Real Estate Broker with Coldwell Banker Hubbell Briarwood Brian Huggler.
The home is currently owned by James McClurken, but its chapter in history began in the 1920's with Ray Potter. He was the son of James Potter, who was gifted the land for Potter Park Zoo in 1844.
“Ray Potter started his life down in Potterville," said McClurken. "His uncle, who was a factory owner here in Lansing, brought him up here to attend Lansing High School. He actually began his career as a timber cruiser.”
His wife Sarah was known as one of the early members of the Lansing Women's Club.
“When she had parties she always had to schedule the Lansing Women's Club downtown because their house on Hillsdale wasn’t big enough to entertain the way they wanted," said McClurken. "And when Gerald Moore started his subdivision they decided they were going to build a house to entertain."
The Potter's dream became a reality when East Lansing architect Harold Child drafted blue prints and built the six bedroom, four bathroom home for entertainment.
“The entire first floor of this house is built open for large numbers of people to dine, mix and do nice things here,” McClurken said.
Ray Potter lived in the house until 1961 and the house was given to the city of Lansing because the person who wanted to buy it, couldn't.
“There was a covenant in the deed that says Catholics can’t live here and those covenant restrictions were binding by the neighborhood at the time so the Bishop isn’t allowed to buy the house,” McClurken said.
The Bishop was persistent and was eventually allowed to buy the house in 1963 and used the home as a Catholic church until 1983. They built a chapel onto the back of the house which was eventually transformed into a bar.
“People here worship in a different way today,” said McClurken.
Each owner did their own work to modernize the home, but McClurken wanted to preserve its history.
“We have the original blueprints and I spent the first five years here tearing out everything that everybody had added to the house," Mcclurken said.
“We own a classical musical company and we use the ballroom as a music studio so people come from all over the world to record here and they stay in the bedrooms and it’s been quite an operation over the last 50 years,” he added.
Everywhere you look is a small piece of history. From 90-year-old curtains to fireplace tiles that tell the story of Ray and Sarah Potter's history, and some history that might only be a memory to some.
“This ballroom had 30 of those chairs in it and it was old people who were sitting here remembering their spouses who they met here in this room and it was the first time they had been back here and they were by themselves,” Mcclurken said.
Now another chapter of this house is closing as Mcclurken gets ready to move on and possibly restore another historic home because that's what he does.
“No matter how long I live, I’ll never live in a house of this quality and with this elegance and this kind of design,” Mcclurken said.
“I think when the right person walks in this house they’re just going to feel a connection to the house and a feeling that they want to be here and they want to be the next stewards of such a beautiful place," Huggler said.
The Potter House is on the market for $1,395,000. More information can be found here: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1348-Cambridge-Rd-Lansing-MI-48911/91703079_zpid/
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
