Dexter Area Historical Society
Museum
3443 Inverness Street Dexter, MI 48130 The Museum is closed until May. Throughout the year we welcome researchers, questions and donations. To contact us leave a message at 734 426-2519 or send an email to [email protected] |
Gordon Hall
8311 Island Lake Road Dexter, MI 48130 Gordon Hall is open during special events and by appointment only. |
Click the links for more information on the events.
August 10 Gordon Hall Raffle Drawing
November 1 Gordon Hall Challenge Grant begins
November 22 Museum closes for the season
December 6 Christmas at the Mansion Gala
December 7 Christmas at the Mansion
December 7 Dexter Heritage Guild Holiday Bazaar at the Museum
December 8 Christmas Tea at Gordon Hall
August 10 Gordon Hall Raffle Drawing
November 1 Gordon Hall Challenge Grant begins
November 22 Museum closes for the season
December 6 Christmas at the Mansion Gala
December 7 Christmas at the Mansion
December 7 Dexter Heritage Guild Holiday Bazaar at the Museum
December 8 Christmas Tea at Gordon Hall
Gordon Hall 50/50 Raffle
You can support Gordon Hall and win up to $10,000! by buying Gordon Hall 50/50 Raffle tickets; still only $10 each or 5 tickets for $40. The drawing is at Monument Park on August 10 at 7 pm. The winner does not need to be present to win. Only 3000 tickets were printed, so your chances are pretty good!
How to buy tickets from June 1 to August 10:
Winner is responsible for all taxes. We are licensed by the State of Michigan, Number R75189. |
Don't forget to get your copy of the book
Dexter Michigan Then and Now Celebrating 200 Years The cost is $30 with a small service fee on credit card sales. The book will be available for purchase: At the museum Friday and Saturday 1-3 through November At our booth downtown during the Dexter Bicentennial At Gordon Hall during events there on Saturday June 22 At the Encore on Sunday June 23 And at the following locations in town:
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Compiled from the collection of information and photos at the Dexter Area Museum and printed with the help of a donation from the Dexter Community Fund.
Proceeds support the work of the Dexter Area Historical Society |
Dexter's Bicentennial Celebration!
The city went all out with a carnival, fair and parade. You could even see Judge Dexter walking around town! The Dexter Area Historical Society joined in the city-wide celebration. Our events started in May with a cemetery tour and concluded with an evening at Gordon Hall with Billy Mack and the Juke Joint Johnnies. We also dug up the 1974 memory capsule and buried a new one. We hosted a tea at Gordon Hall featuring 1860’s wedding fashions, participated in the parade and hosted a booth downtown. |
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Join us at our next event – Christmas at the Mansion – in December.
Unveiling the 1974 Time Capsule and burying a new one!
Although we were disappointed that the casket containing the 1974 memorabilia was broken and the contents suffered water damage, there were still some interesting items inside!
The items were on display at the museum along with the many donations for burial in the new capsule. A large crowd enjoyed cake served by the Heritage Guild and ice cream compliments of the Dexter Lions. |
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Forest Lawn Cemetery Tour
As part of the Dexter Bicentennial Celebration, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, the Dexter District Library, the Dexter Area Historical Society, and Forest Lawn Cemetery of Dexter offered a guided walking tour of the historic Forest Lawn Cemetery, located on Grand Street in Dexter.
The tours included the history of the cemetery and costumed actors portraying local historical figures, including Judge Dexter’s family Stay tuned for possible addtional tours in the fall! |
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Antique Appraisal by DuMouchelles
On May 4, 2024, the Dexter Heritage Guild hosted 2 appraisers from DuMouchelles Art gallery, who came to the Dexter Area Museum for a day full of appraisals. There were 43 People who attended the event. Some of the items brought in, included paintings, lithographs, swords from different wars, an Indian club made with horsehair, a framed script from the New York Herald Newspaper dated 1865, a French rug dated from 18th century, and even a scrapbook from 1907. It was an interesting and informative event!
Many people heard about this event from the previous year's waiting list or read about it in the Dexter Historical Society's Newsletter, or on Facebook or in the Sun Times. Keep tuned for details on the next event in Spring 2025.
On May 4, 2024, the Dexter Heritage Guild hosted 2 appraisers from DuMouchelles Art gallery, who came to the Dexter Area Museum for a day full of appraisals. There were 43 People who attended the event. Some of the items brought in, included paintings, lithographs, swords from different wars, an Indian club made with horsehair, a framed script from the New York Herald Newspaper dated 1865, a French rug dated from 18th century, and even a scrapbook from 1907. It was an interesting and informative event!
Many people heard about this event from the previous year's waiting list or read about it in the Dexter Historical Society's Newsletter, or on Facebook or in the Sun Times. Keep tuned for details on the next event in Spring 2025.
2023 Gordon Hall Challenge Grant a Success!
DAHS set a goal to raise $50,000 this year for the Holiday Campaign in support of Gordon Hall. We were very fortunate to have a small group of dedicated supporters come forward very early with a pledge to match up to $15,000 in donations, so we were off to a good start. Since that time, the lovers of history in this area have dug into their pockets to prove how much they support our goal to restore Gordon Hall. As of January 31, 2024, we raised a total of $50,875! All of the money we are raising is going into our construction fund, which we will use to complete construction projects, leverage additional funding from donors and grant makers, and support our fundraising. The restoration project itself continues to move forward. This year we are upgrading the electrical service at Gordon Hall. The new service will be more economical in monthly bills and will have the capacity we will need to operate the facility after the restoration has been completed. To those of you who have donated to restore Gordon Hall, we can’t thank you enough! To that amazing group that has donated faithfully over the years, you are an inspiration! This is a huge job, and it will take each and every one of us to complete it successfully. THANK YOU for your faith in us. |
Will you join our legacy of support? It is never too late to help!
If you would like to donate, click the DONATE button to use a credit card. To use a check, make it to DAHS and note “Gordon Hall restoration” on the memo line. Then mail it to DAHS 3443 Inverness Street Dexter, MI 48130.” You can also help us by becoming a volunteer or by spreading the word about our plans. |
The Latest Restoration Project at Gordon Hall
When U-M completed the conversion of Gordon Hall into 4 apartments in 1950, electricity was supplied to the house by 5 separate service lines: one for each apartment and one for the whole house. In late 2023, DAHS began a project to remove those lines and upgrade the service to a single 800-amp service. This will provide sufficient capacity to power a modern efficient heating and cooling system and a lift to provide access to the second floor for all. This project will be completed in late 2024. It has been funded partly by generous contributions from the Dexter community (in particular from the 2022 Holiday Campaign in Support of Gordon Hall). We have also been very fortunate to receive grant funding from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). Thanks to our local contributors and to the State of Michigan for helping us get this important improvement completed! |
Christmas at the Mansion was a great success.
The mansion was decked out in holiday splendor. Our guests on Friday evening enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, spirits and desserts while engaging in conversation in the festive Gordon Hall setting. On Saturday 460 folks visited Gordon Hall to put in their requests with Santa, build gingerbread houses, and enjoy the Christmas Village Collection of Department 56 houses. There were two seatings on Sunday afternoon for tea. The guests enjoyed tea, sandwiches and cookies and learned about the women of Gordon Hall. |
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Holiday Bazaar!
The Dexter Heritage Guild hosted another successful bazaar as well as a "Second Chance" the following weekend. The proceeds from the sales support work at the museum.
The Dexter Heritage Guild hosted another successful bazaar as well as a "Second Chance" the following weekend. The proceeds from the sales support work at the museum.
Gordon Hall Days -2023
Thanks to our community and to our sponsors for a very successful Gordon Hall Days!
Thanks to our community and to our sponsors for a very successful Gordon Hall Days!
Gordon Hall Raffle - And the winner is . . .
The 2023 winner of the Gordon Hall Raffle was Terry Stafford of Dexter! It was a 50/50 raffle and the drawing was held at Dexter Daze on Saturday August 12. Congratulations to Terry and his wife!! As always, this wonderful community supported DAHS and Gordon Hall by buying raffle tickets. Terry supported us even more by donating some of his winnings back to DAHS! Thank you so much to Terry and to everyone who bought a ticket! We value the faith you have in us. DAHS will apply our half of the total sales to the restoration of Gordon Hall. |
Restore Gordon Hall!
We continue our fundraising efforts toward the restoration of historic Gordon Hall. Our goal is to start work in 2024, Dexter's bicentennial year.
Any donation, large or small, is appreciated. Your support will help to create a lasting legacy for future generations. You can donate by pushing the DONATE button below or by mailing a check to DAHS at 3443 Inverness in Dexter 48130 (designated Gordon Hall Restoration). |
DAHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and your donation is therefore tax deductible to the extent provided by law. We are run entirely by volunteers, so your full donation is applied to the work that we do.
Membership and Volunteers:
We have many opportunities for volunteers and welcome your participation!
Click here for a link to the membership and volunteer form.
Check out our latest Newsletter - Spring 2024
Or browse the Newsletter Archive
We have many opportunities for volunteers and welcome your participation!
Click here for a link to the membership and volunteer form.
Check out our latest Newsletter - Spring 2024
Or browse the Newsletter Archive
Past Dexter Area Historical Society Events
Christmas at the Mansion 2022
Thanks to everyone who made the events possible and many thanks to those who enjoyed them! |
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Gordon Hall Days 2022
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Dexter Memorial Day Parade
Gordon Hall Renovation Update
The first phase of Gordon Hall renovation is complete and it looks great! We contracted A. R. Brouwer Company, LLC for the addition of three bathrooms on the ground floor, a room on the second floor and replacement of the back porch with a replica of the original. In addition, work has been done on the North Parlor including restoring the original 1840 floors and painting the walls. |
Gordon Hall has a nice new look and is ready to host events. Please see our event page or contact Bene Fusilier at [email protected] or 734-426-8972 to book your date today.
These pictures show some of the completed work by the contractor as well as the work done by volunteers to remove carpet and plywood in the North Parlor. It took crowbars to remove the many nails that were used to hold down the plywood! The stairway was added in 1951 by the U of M to access the two upper apartments, so we just removed the carpet from them. Our plans are to continue restoring the floor which we hope to show off on September 11th and 12th during our special 2021 Gordon Hall Days. |
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Gordon Hall Milk House
Thank you to the Ann Arbor Kiwanis for awarding us a grant to complete the steps for the milk house at Gordon Hall. When we open, besides our new improvements at Gordon Hall, you will be able to visit the milk house and go down to the basement where they stored meat and produce.
Exciting tours will await when we can have visitors.
Exciting tours will await when we can have visitors.
We want to extend a very sincere thank you to our Dexter Area Historical Society members, our sponsors and to the Dexter community for their continued support of our ongoing restoration efforts at our local historical treasure, Gordon Hall!
The Dexter Area Historical Society (DAHS) is a nonprofit organization in Dexter, Michigan, which supports the preservation of the history of the Dexter area. DAHS owns and operates two properties: the Dexter Area Museum and Gordon Hall.
The DAHS board meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM at the museum.
Dexter Museum
Located in the Village of Dexter, Michigan the Dexter Area Historical Museum serves as western Washtenaw County's link with history. The museum is housed in the former St. Andrew's United Church of Christ built in 1883. In addition to numerous artifacts, the museum contains a large display area, a genealogical library, a local history library and the Corner Gift Shop. The museum is open May - November on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
The Dexter Heritage Guild is the fundraising group for the Musem.
Museum and Heritage Guild information
Historic Gordon Hall
Built in the 1840's Gordon Hall is owned and operated by the Dexter Area Historical Society. The society puts on events at Gordon Hall throughout the year to raise funds for the rehabilitation of the building. The venue may also be rented for weddings and other events.
Gordon Hall history and event scheduling
The DAHS board meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM at the museum.
Dexter Museum
Located in the Village of Dexter, Michigan the Dexter Area Historical Museum serves as western Washtenaw County's link with history. The museum is housed in the former St. Andrew's United Church of Christ built in 1883. In addition to numerous artifacts, the museum contains a large display area, a genealogical library, a local history library and the Corner Gift Shop. The museum is open May - November on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
The Dexter Heritage Guild is the fundraising group for the Musem.
Museum and Heritage Guild information
Historic Gordon Hall
Built in the 1840's Gordon Hall is owned and operated by the Dexter Area Historical Society. The society puts on events at Gordon Hall throughout the year to raise funds for the rehabilitation of the building. The venue may also be rented for weddings and other events.
Gordon Hall history and event scheduling
Locations
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Museum HoursMay through November
Friday and Saturday afternoons from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Gordon Hall is open during special events and by appointment only. |