A Look Inside the 1908 Rowe Hospital: Stockbridge, Michigan

This cool old Queen Anne Victorian home still sits in pretty decent shape, as it has for well over one hundred years.

It was originally built in 1908 as the home of local Stockbridge physician, Doctor George A. Rowe. The mansion ended up being over 3,200 square feet…..but over 5,000 square feet if you include the attic and basement.

Doctor Rowe married Nellie Runciman in 1891 and seventeen years later, they moved into their newly-built home.

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According to Realtor.com, it sits on two lots, and all the beautiful original detail, hardwood floors, large pocket doors, a couple of staircases, woodwork…..and even a secret room…..still exist.

Off to the side up the driveway and in the back is a large carriage house. The original use for this was exactly what it says: this is where the good doctor parked his buggy after coming home from a hard day’s work. All the usual carriage tack was stored in the back house as well. Nowadays, if anything like this is constructed, we refer to it as a ‘pole barn’. The carriage house is over 2,200 square feet and has electricity.

Doctor Rowe passed away in 1929 and is buried within Oaklawn Cemetery in Stockbridge. A year after Rowe passed away, Doctor Guy Culver and Ellen Mayer proposed to turn the mansion into a hospital named after Dr. Rowe. It was, and it remained so for over twenty years until the 1950s. Each edition of the local Stockbridge newspaper would list the names of the hospital patients so other townsfolk could visit.

Renovations over the years have kept the place in good shape and is currently back to being used as a residence. It’s another little slice of local history!