Another historic home moving downtown

July 26, 2007
By Robert C. Burns
Muskegon Chronicle

Muskegon's "In-fill Express" is ready to roll again.

Early next month, an old two-and-a-half-story home at 1705 Peck will be picked up and moved downtown to a vacant lot at 372 W. Muskegon.

Its owner is Kevin Eden, an architectural designer now living near Whitehall.

"This house has a lot of character to it. I'm very excited about it," Eden said.

In recent days, Deitz Movers and Engineers has been preparing the house for the move. That isn't expected to occur until around the middle of next month, however, pending the Michigan Department of Transportation's approval to use a portion of Seaway Drive for the move.

Eden could have opted for something more modern, but fell in love with the old four-bedroom house. Its architectural features are basically unchanged since it was built in the early 1900s, right down to its original tile bathroom and kitchen floors. It also has its original stained-glass windows, 9-foot beamed ceilings, and oak pocket doors and trim.

He credits friend Greg Borgman for the idea of moving the house into the downtown.

The area Eden and his new house are moving into is designated by the city of Muskegon as a "Historic In-fill District." Eden will become a close neighbor of Millie Ortiz, who moved a house from Pine Street in early 2006, and John Allen, who has relocated the historic Bauer House to the corner of Muskegon Avenue and Fourth Street.

In recent years, several other large homes have taken up residence along Muskegon and Webster avenues, between Fourth and Fifth streets. Eden's will be the 10th.

He purchased the empty lot from the city for $1,000 in June. The Muskegon City Commission on Tuesday granted Eden a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone certificate, which will limit property taxes to 50 percent of the state average for the next 11 years.

Eden told the city he plans to make improvements to the house estimated at $46,400.

A detached garage will be left behind on Peck Street, but Eden said he plans to build a new one in the same style after the move.

He bought the home from the Muskegon Rescue Mission, which raised a neighborhood controversy two years ago when it tried to use the home for offices next door to its women and children's shelter at 1691 Peck.

That plan eventually fell through, but Karla Skoglund, the Rescue Mission's director, said the resulting vacant lot will be useful as a small private playground and sitting area for the center's women and children.

"What started out as a negative has turned out very positive," she said. "And It's a delight to find a young man who is passionate about this historic home and will do wonderful things with it."

© 2007 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission