The Canfield Barn Site

ARCHITECT: Anderson Construction Company
CONSTRUCTED: 1935-1936

Lumberman John Canfield had the original structure built on this site in 1876. Since Canfield lived down the street, he constructed a palatial barn structure for his livestock. The barn resembled a church and was a square building, over 40 feet on each side, of solid masonry construction, containing over 100,000 bricks and 30 cords of stone.

A half century later, people were keeping automobiles instead of cows. In 1935, the barn was purchased by Jesse Wing Degan (niece of Edward Buckley) and a large home was put up on the site using materials from the barn. The residence was built by the Anderson Construction Company with plans supplied by an architect from Grand Rapids.

The architect specifications called for chemical cleaning of the brick to restore their trueness.

Today, the beautiful grounds are the frequent recipient of regional garden club awards. The attention to detail in the landscaping magnifies the architectural beauty of this historic structure.