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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Flint in Genesee County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

Applewood Estate

 
 
Applewood Estate Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
1. Applewood Estate Marker
Inscription.
Side 1
In 1905 William Durant of the Buick Motor Company asked wheel and axle manufacturer Charles Stewart Mott (1875-1973) to build axles in Flint. The Mott family and business had moved from Utica, New York, to Flint by 1907. In 1913 Mott's company joined General Motors, where he was vice president from 1917 to 1937 and on the Board of Directors from 1913 to 1973. Mott served three terms as mayor of Flint: 1912, 1913 and 1918. He purchased sixty-four acres of farmland here in 1915 and contracted his brother-in-law Herbert Davis to design his residence, Applewood. Built in 1916-17, at a cost of more than $70,000, the estate was named for the farm's apple grove. The 15,444-square-foot house was designed in a modified Jacobean style. Mott's wife, Ethel Harding Mott, helped furnish the thirty-five room home, which included a bowling alley.

Side 2
General Motors executive Charles Stewart Mott maintained Applewood as a working farm until 1949. William Pitkin, Jr. designed the grounds, which included an apple grove, vegetable gardens, and livestock and recreation areas. Mott, whose grandfather owned a cider and vinegar company, added twenty-five apple varieties to the orchard. Mott's wife, Ethel, died in 1924. In 1926 Mott established the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Its goals included education
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advancement and community development. In 1934 Mott married Ruth Rawlings. In 1952 he donated thirty-eight acres of the estate to Flint for the future site of Mott Community College. He died in 1973. Applewood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 1989 Ruth established the Ruth Mott Foundation, which took ownership of the estate after her death in 1999.
 
Erected 2016 by Michigan Historical Commission-Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number S513.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AgricultureCharity & Public WorkIndustry & CommerceWomen. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.
 
Location. 43° 1.44′ N, 83° 40.541′ W. Marker is in Flint, Michigan, in Genesee County. Marker is at the intersection of East Kearsley Street and Walnut Street, on the right when traveling east on East Kearsley Street. Marker is at the west entrance to Applewood Estate, next to the parking lot for the Flint Cultural Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1400 East Kearsley Street, Flint MI 48503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Gatehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The Heart of the Farm (about 300
Applewood Estate Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
2. Applewood Estate Marker
feet away, measured in a direct line); The Demonstration Garden (about 400 feet away); Fun and Games (about 600 feet away); Flint (about 700 feet away); Ruth Mott's Point of View (about 700 feet away); Terrace Reconstruction Project (about 700 feet away); Renewing an Old Orchard (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Flint.
 
More about this marker. There is an identical marker on the east side of the estate.
 
Also see . . .
1. Charles Stewart Mott. Wikipedia article about Charles Stewart Mott and Applewood. (Submitted on November 12, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.) 

2. Mott Family History. Page on the Ruth Mott Foundation website with information about Charles Stewart Mott and Applewood. (Submitted on November 12, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.) 
 
Applewood Estate Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
3. Applewood Estate Marker
West entrance to the estate (from East Kearsley Street).
Applewood Estate House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
4. Applewood Estate House
View of the back of the house.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 236 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 12, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
 
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the front of the house. • Can you help?

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Mar. 28, 2024