The Charles H. Hackley House is a building located at 484 West Webster Avenue in Muskegon, Michigan, USA. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and is now part of a group called the Hackley and Hume Historic Sites. The house is open to the public for visits.
History
Charles Henry Hackley was born in Indiana in 1837. In 1856, he moved to Muskegon with his father, Joseph, and began working as a laborer in the local lumber mills. He was later given a higher position as a foreman and then became a bookkeeper. In 1859, Charles and his father started their own business, J.H. Hackley & Company. By 1881, Charles partnered with Thomas Hume to operate the successful lumber company called Hackley and Hume. At this time, Hackley had expanded his business into different areas and was the most important financial and industrial leader in Muskegon.
In 1887, Hackley began planning to build his home by buying land at the corner of Webster and Sixth streets. He sold one and one-half of these lots to his business partner, Thomas Hume, who built his own house on the land. Hackley hired David S. Hopkins from Grand Rapids to design his house and the local company Kelly Brothers to create detailed woodwork inside the home. The house was completed in 1889.
Hackley died in 1905, and the house stayed in his family until 1943, when it was given to the Red Cross. As of 2017, the Hackley and Hume homes have been restored by professionals and are open to the public as the "Hackley & Hume Historic Sites."
Description
The Hackley House is a large three-story wooden Queen Anne house with a three-story tower at one corner and a two-story porch. The complex 13-color paint design on the outside has been recreated using the original colors. The roof is multi-sided with large triangular sections, and a porte-cochere is located at the front. The windows come in different shapes, such as horseshoe and round, and some are made from French plate glass with stained glass decorations. The house is built on a foundation made of smooth stone. Behind the house is a carriage house that is shared with the nearby Hume House.
Inside, the house has many decorative details. The entrance doors and trim in the main hall and living areas feature carved, turned, and shaped woodwork. These include columns, spindles, panels with leaf patterns, and small figures, all made with skilled craftsmanship. Some walls are decorated with ceramic tiles and fabric designs. The patterns in the decorative elements include themes from Byzantine and Cambodian art, Michigan wood, and the idea of unity among people.