'An act of faith': Couple plans to 'rejuvenate' century-old building that housed two former CMU presidents
The house that the Sickelkas bought earlier this year sits June 8 on the corner of High Street and Franklin Street in Mount Pleasant, MI. The couple has a plan to "rejuvenate" their new home while preserving its history.
David and Susan Sickelka watched as four movers transferred all their possessions from an orange semi-truck into their 114-year-old home. Floorboards creaked and thuds echoed against the walls filled with pealing, yellowed wallpaper as boxes were placed in designated rooms.
At the beginning of the year, the Sickelkas committed to a 10-year rejuvenation project of an old house that sits at 301 E High St.
The house was built between 1902 and 1906. Charles Grawn, the third president of Central Michigan Normal School, lived there for 13 years.
Throughout the past century, Central Michigan presidents, faculty and students have resided in the seven bedrooms, three floors and 3,000 square feet.
The Sickelkas purchased the house with a goal to preserve its rich history. The couple is not new to renovation projects. They feel compelled to work on old homes and are excited as they begin their third project.
“Everyone is drawn to old house, because there are always layers of stories -- who lived there, who they were connected to, what they did," Susan said. "In new construction, there are no stories."
David, left, and Susan Sickelka direct employees of Allied Maher Brothers moving company as they carry belongings into the house June 10 on High Street.
An act of faith
The Sickelkas are both clergy and were drawn to the Mount Pleasant area on what they described as an “act of faith.” They hope to start a congregation in the area, while progressing toward rejuvenating their new home.
The married couple are currently living 600 miles apart as David fulfills his post-sabbatical obligations as pastor of a church. He plans to visit over Thanksgiving and Christmas break, but won't officially move back until next October.
In the meantime, Susan said hundreds of boxes still sit on floors throughout the house. Still, their shared goal remains the same.
This is the most comprehensive housing project they have worked on, the couple said. They have also worked on a 1907 Indiana home and a 1920 home in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Sickelkas are referring to the project as "rehab" or "rejuvenation," because they don’t intend to source antique pieces to make it a complete restoration. However, they plan to maintain much of the history of the house and keep it true to its era.
"Before we knew of the historic nature of the house or even visited, we were set on buying it," Susan said. " We were drawn by the profound character, gracious design and woodwork.
The Sickelkas bought the house for $137,500. The couple are spacing out projects to be more cost-efficient. However, to do the restoration they want and the house needs, Susan said it would cost more than $200,000.
Dave Sickelka looks on as Susan Sickelka cleans kitchen cabinets June 8 at their house on High Street.
Since moving in, the Sickelkas have reconstructed part of the side porch, painted, cleaned, pulled trees and installed a new waterline.
Susan said the next project is gutting the kitchen. As they are redo the kitchen, the Sickelkas plan to keep the original wood and use it to create cabinets inside the home. The woodwork around the home is one thing that makes the house unique.
“Most of the wood trim and staircase woodwork is original to the home and remains unpainted,” Downtown Development Director and part of Mount Pleasant’s Historic District Michelle Sponseller said. “Most homes of this age would have had a homeowner paint the trim at some point, so it’s wonderful to see. Given the age of the woodwork it now has a beautiful honey color.”
Once that the kitchen is finished and the COVID-19 subsides, the Sickelkas plan on inviting the Mount Pleasant and CMU community to events and parties
Sponseller said projects like the the one the Sickelkas are undertaking are important for shared community experiences. She looks forward to seeing the home preserved for future generations.
Dave Sickelka vacuums a bench on the landing between the first and second floor June 8 at his home on High Street. The staircase immediately drew the attention of the Sickelka's.
The history on High
The house on High Street originally belonged to George Lawrence, who sold the home to Charles Grawn in 1900, according to an story in the Isabella County Enterprise newspaper. According to the article, the home caught fire in May 1900, leaving Grawn and his wife, Helen, with a lot and a home to rebuild.
Due to this, Grawn did not list the home at his permanent address until a Central Michigan Normal School housing bulletin for the year 1906-1907.
The home became the residence of choice for school presidents. In 1918, Eugene Clarence Warriner became the fourth President of Central Michigan Normal School. The Isabella County enterprise announced Warriner’s start at the school and his purchase of the home from Grawn in March 1918.
Warriner moved in with his wife, Ellen, and lived there until his retirement in 1939. He was the last university president to reside in the house on High Street. In 1942, the university purchased what is now the Carlin Alumni House to house university presidents.
The house was then owned for a short period of time by Morris J. and Audrey Winslow before being purchased by the Shurtliff family. The Shurtliff family lived in the house from the mid-60s until the passing of Louise Shurtliff in 2013.
"We thought this house was perfect because there were natural connections to its story, CMU and the people who lived here," David said. "That's the kind of rootedness that we want to base our lives and ministry on."
A sculpted clay hand sits on the back porch July 8 at the house on the north corner of Franklin and High Street. The back of the sculpture was signed by Jay Shurtliff. After buying the house, the Sickelka's found many pieces of art around the house.
Growing up in the home
“As a little kid, I told my mom I hoped the house they chose had a fireplace and a window seat. That’s how I would gage the houses we looked at," Carla Jimison said. "The house my parents bought had both of those."
Jimison was around the age of four when her parents, Jay and Louise Shurtliff, bought the house on High Street. Jimison, her two sisters and younger brother all grew up in the home. It belonged to the family from the mid-1960s until the Sickelka's recent purchase in 2020.
Jay Shurtliff was a ceramics professor for 39 years at Central Michigan University. During that time, he updated the wiring of the home, turned the barn that once held horses into a pottery studio, updated old wall paper and carpeting, repainted the outside of the home and porch, and reroofed the house.
His wife, Louise, kept up the garden and plants surrounding the home. When the Sickelka's bought the house, there were remnants of plants from the original plans of the yard -- Trillions on the east side of the house, Lady Slippers on the north side and Mystery Lilies that blossomed every year.
Many of these plants played a special part in Jimison’s childhood, especially the Mulberry tree that lived in the yard before the Shurtliff family did.
“In the summers when the mulberries were on, we would end up with purple feet if we played outside without our shoes on,” said Jimison. “We always made more friends that time of year, because people would love to come over and pick mulberries.”
A plaque decorating in floral patterns hangs on the front of a door June 8 on the second story of the Sickelka's house on High Street. Carla Jimison, daughter of the former owners of the house, said she is excited that someone has interest in preserving the place where some of her most significant memories still reside.
The window seat remained one of Jimison’s favorites in the house. As a kid she discovered if she crawled underneath the seat, the original wallpaper of the home could be found close to where the floorboards.
She was also captivated by the original windows and glass on the house that were hand blown, so they reflected bubbles and waves when she looked outside.
The door frame between the foyer and dining room still has the penciled lines marking the height of growing children. Jimison recalls her mom placing the ruler on their head and standing them straight against the wall whenever she noticed them growing.
The family later turned the basement into an apartment that housed female CMU students. The basement had a separate entrance from the home, so the family and girls living in the apartment rarely cross paths.
The home was where many of the family’s biggest moments took place -- from holidays to the beginning of an art business in the pottery studio out back. Jimison’s eldest sister was even married in the home, and Jimison herself held her wedding reception there.
Jimison said she is excited that someone has interest in preserving the place where some of her most significant memories still reside.
Kieth Clay of Allied Maher Brothers moving company helps Dave and Susan Sickelka move in June 9 at their new home on High Street.
