Mount Pleasant in Isabella County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Peter E. Richmond / Peter and Anna Richmond House
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 25, 2023
1. Peter E. Richmond side of marker
Physician Peter E. Richmond was born in 1846 in New York. He graduated from the McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal in 1873 and moved here in 1874. He visited his patients on horseback, gave free medical care to the poor, and was considered the “pioneer physician” of Isabella County. He was the Supreme Medical Director of the Gold Reserve Life Association, a local insurance organization. In 1877 he married Anna Grey. In 1904, he platted the northeast section of the city with John Kinney.
Physician Peter E. Richmond purchased this land in 1874 from Langdon and Pamelia Bentley. In 1893 John T. Hidey built this balloon-framed, Queen Anne style home for Richmond, his wife, Anna, and their daughter, Imogene. Hidey also built the Indian Industrial Boarding School and other local homes. Richmond lived in this house until his death in 1910. Anna sold the house in 1915 for $4,700 to R. T. Kane, who later became Mount Pleasant's mayor.
Erected 2016 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number 2279.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 43° 36.017′ N, 84°
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. St. John's Episcopal Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Central Michigan University (approx. ¼ mile away); Sacred Heart Academy (approx. ¼ mile away); Isabella County Seat / The Founding of Mount Pleasant (approx. 0.4 miles away); Doughty House (approx. half a mile away); Isabella County Courthouse Postcards (approx. half a mile away); Isabella County Courthouse and Jail (approx. half a mile away); The Isabella County Court House was already over thirty years old… (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mount Pleasant.
More about this marker. This house is a private residence. You may not step onto the property including the yard or driveway without permission.
Also see . . . The Peter and Anna Richmond House. Article by David Stairs for the Design-Altruism-Project blog. Includes photographs of the house and of this marker’s unveiling. Excerpt:
The process of applying for historical(Submitted on November 3, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.)marker recognition can be lengthy. In my case, it took ten years to secure all of the facts. Only original documentation from the subject’s lifetime is permissible. This meant searching through microfiche obituaries, Sanborn fire insurance maps, even the birds eye map of Mt. Pleasant, which predated the house. Eventually, with the help of a 1906 history, “Faces and Places Familiar, Mt. Pleasant,” it all came together. ...Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 25, 20232. Peter and Anna Richmond House side of marker
This was my first attempt to secure historical recognition for any structure. In the case of the Richmond House it was a good thing; many of the grand old houses nearby have been converted into boarding houses and sororities. The marker will protect the house from ever being anything other than a single-family dwelling. I don’t necessarily recommend the activity to everyone, but I do believe it’s a good thing to rescue the past from obscurity, and make history generally and publicly available.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 25, 2023
3. Peter E. Richmond / Peter and Anna Richmond House Marker
The house is behind the hedge on the left.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 25, 2023
4. Peter and Anna Richmond House and its Marker
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 25, 2023
5. Peter and Anna Richmond House
This view is from the street corner, where there’s a break in the hedge.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 50 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 3, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
