CCLBA lists historic Battle Creek home for sale
1800s Victorian home at 26 Fremont St. listed for $119,000

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority today announced the 1800s Victorian home at 26 Fremont St. in Battle Creek is for sale. A labor of love for the Land Bank and historic preservationists alike, the home was the site of the Land Bank’s Practical Preservation workshops and a 2019 fundraiser to help stabilize and preserve the building.

“This site has been integral to the Land Bank’s efforts to provide key skills and knowledge to the many folks who own older or historic properties and to connect with and support our community through rehabilitating a home with so much history,” said Krista Trout-Edwards, executive director of the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority. “Our hope is that we can pass the baton to a new family who can further restore and improve this property, giving it life again and inspiring future generations to explore our deep history.”

The house will be included in the May edition of This Old House magazine, which hits newsstands on May 23. It’s the featured home in the Save This Old House article, and the first Michigan home to be featured in some time.

The house at 26 Fremont St. was built by local marshal and businessman John Carlos Barber in 1870 and served as his family’s home for 70 years, spanning three generations. Descendants of the original owners operated The What Not Shop out of the home during the 1920s. The house is one of two remaining grand homes of the four that once stood at the corner of Fremont and Frelinghuysen in the Old Maple Historic District.

While in the stewardship of the Land Bank, the home has undergone extensive renovations including a new roof and gutters, side porch replacement, and repairs to the foundation, millwork, siding and other exterior components. The Land Bank secured new exterior paint in a period-appropriate color scheme created by a local designer that will be available to the buyer. The Land Bank’s investment also includes reports on lead, asbestos and structural repair priorities, all of which will also be available to the new owner.

The property is being listed through the Land Bank’s Transform This Home program. Offers will be accepted through June 6, 2022. Interested buyers should contact Melissa Kennedy with Troxel Realty at (269) 441-8183.

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The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority is a separate legal authority that collaborates closely with the Calhoun County Treasurer and local municipalities to eliminate blight, improve downtowns and promote local economic development.

The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority is selling the 1800s Victorian home at 26 Fremont St. in Battle Creek.