Aquinas College celebrates first century of Holmdene house

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

The venerated old manor house anchoring Grand Rapids’ Aquinas College campus celebrates its first 100 years this Saturday. The celebration features tours of the mansion, the historic gardens and the showing of a circa 1930 film of the estate.

The landmark, called Holmdene after “holm,” a type of oak tree, and “dene,” Old English for “estate,” was the home of Edward (1860-1938) and Susan Blodgett Lowe (1865-1931). Edward Lowe was the grandson of Richard Edward Emerson Butterworth, a pioneer in the gypsum/plaster industry and co-owner of the Butterworth and Lowe Iron Works with Edward’s British-born father, James Lowe.

Edward and Susan Lowe helped establish and fund Butterworth Hospital.(Susan Lowe’s brother, John Wood Blodgett, established Blodgett Hospital).

The Grand Rapids Dominicans purchased the Holmdene estate in 1945 as a campus for Aquinas College.

In 2004, Lou and Arlene Corsiglia, longtime Aquinas supporters, created an endowment to fund the preservation of Holmdene and the historic gardens, designed by nationally recognized landscape designer Helen Biddle Shipman in the 1920s. Preservation work has begun.

“Most of our focus is on rebuilding the brick porches, the chimney, and the exterior doors,” says Bill Weitzel, spokesperson. “Our goal is to establish the Holmdene Historical Society to raise funds and preserve the five historic buildings on campus: Holmdene, the Carriage House, the Fruit and Wine Building, the Gatehouse, and the stables which are now a chapel.”

In 1980, Holmdene became an administration building with faculty offices on the second and third floors. A longterm goal is to restore the first floor of the three-story manor to its original condition and design.

The free open house runs Saturday, May 17 from noon to 4 p.m.

Source: Bill Weitzel, Aquinas College; Pat Kozal, Aquinas College

Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].