Greenmead Farms
About this property
Greenmead Historical Park, also known as Greenmead Farms, is a 3.2-acre (1.3 ha) historic park located at 38125 Base Line Rd., Livonia, Michigan. It includes the 1841 Greek Revival Simmons House, six other structures contributing to the historic nature of the property, and additional buildings moved from other locations. Greenmead Farms was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1825, twenty-three-year-old Joshua Simmons, along with his wife Hannah, moved from Bristol, New York to a 160-acre (0.65 km2) parcel of land in what is now Livonia. Simmons named his farm "Meadow Brook," and built a small log cabin on the property in 1826. In 1841, he hired Sergium Lyon to build the Greek Revival farmhouse that still stands on the property. Simmons continued to farm, adding buildings as needed and acquiring additional property to become the wealthiest landholder in Livonia by the time of his death in 1882. The Simmons family stayed on the farm until 1915. In 1920, the farm was purchased by Sherwin and Jean Boyd Hill, who renamed it "Greenmead." Hill raised dairy cattle at the farm until his death in 1961. The farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and the city of Livonia purchased in 1976 for use as a park, and moved other historic structures, including a number of pre-Civil War houses, onto the grounds. As of 2025, the property is open to the public. The 1841 farmhouse is a two-story, Greek Revival frame house with side gables and clapboard siding, sitting on a stone foundation. Drip molding surmounts the windows, and Ionic pilasters flank the front door. The interior has five fireplaces, and period 19th-century woodwork. In addition to the house, nine of the original eleven outbuildings are still standing. These include the 1829 North Barn (the first barn built in Livonia), the farmhand's house (believed to be the original Simmons cabin), an additional barn and a greenhouse. Greenmead Historical Park - official site from the city of Livonia
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Greenmead Farms listed on the National Register?
Greenmead Farms was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 23, 1972.
What type of historic resource is Greenmead Farms?
Greenmead Farms is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Greenmead Farms?
The period of significance for Greenmead Farms is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Greenmead Farms?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Greenmead Farms will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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