By Kaitlyn Campbell
The Harrison District Library was in the process of moving its location to the historic Surrey House building this week.
The move began on Monday, August 14 with the library closing its doors to their location on Main Street. They plan to be closed through August 22 and, pending final inspections, tentatively reopen on August 23 at the Surrey House building.
The library hours will remain the same upon reopening. The hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Any materials that are currently checked out from the library have been extended during the closing, and they have asked everyone to not return any materials during the closing.
The Surrey House building has stood in Harrison for over 130 years and was first owned by John R. Brown in 1885. According to The Harrison District Library Relocation Project website (www.surreyhouse.org), “In 1885 John R. Brown owned the Surrey House. He came to Michigan in 1879 and worked for the lumberman Winfield Scott Gerrish for over ten years. He was later elected Sheriff of Clare County and was City Marshal in the City of Harrison in the 1900s. Brown dealt in real estate and farmlands after his lumbermen days were past and owned a considerable amount of farmland himself.
“The hotel changed hands many times until the 1890s when it was bought by Daniel Lockwood. He operated it for a time as the Johnson House and later renamed it the Lockwood Hotel. Daniel and Mary Agnes Lockwood were long time local residents and all eight of their children were born in Harrison. In addition to operating the hotel Daniel was also a farmer and a well driller and he owned farmland in Greenwood township. The Lockwood family lived in a house next door to the hotel on Beech Street.
“Daniel and Mary Agnes’ daughter Sarah Fredrika, nicknamed ‘Ted’, ran the hotel with her husband Bert Kane. They took over in 1924 and renamed it the Ohio Tavern. Presumably, it was called the Ohio Tavern because of the large amount of visitors from Ohio who stayed there. Unfortunately, Fredrika passed away from complications after an operation in 1931 leaving her husband and four small children. She was well loved in the small town of Harrison and her obituary is a heartfelt one.
“Three other Lockwood children William (Willie), Joanna and Marguerite owned it during the bank foreclosure in 1932, the same year their father Daniel passed away suddenly. The three siblings William, Joanna and Marguerite lived in Ohio. Joanna and Marguerite were schoolteachers. The depression was certainly felt in Harrison as many people left to find livelihoods elsewhere and tourism didn’t become fully successful until after World War II.”
Fast forward to the 1940s and the Surrey House opened for business under the ownership of two Flint businessmen, Edward Groehsl and Arthur Buttersfield, who also renovated the building. They constructed a new porch with the west-facing entrances that are they today, as well as doorways to the bar and reception area for the restaurant.
The reception of the remodeling and opening of the Surrey House was a very positive one from Harrison residents. “There was considerable excitement in the community over the remodel and opening. Newspaper ads billed it ‘A Splendid Edifice and a Credit to the Community.’ A lot of development was going on in the post war years and tourism from lower Michigan was becoming big business. A large restaurant and lodging establishment was a much-needed contribution to the community.”
Over the years, the ownership of the Surrey House has continued to change multiple times. “Groehsl and Butterfield’s ownership of the Surrey House lasted only a few years. In 1949, Omar and Lucille Austin and Leonard and Margaret Baker became the owners. Many Harrison residents recount their first job was working at the Surrey House. They ran an efficient establishment and demanded good behavior both from their employees and customers and were highly respected.
“Ruby and Rumsey Swallow owned the Surrey House until the mid-2000s. In 1972, Rumsey Swallow, Keith First, and Keelan Nixon purchased the Surrey House from the Austins and Bakers. A year later Rumsey Swallow bought out first and Nixon ran the business for a time until bought out also by Rumsey.
“Under the Swallows ownership, over the years the Surrey House had many managers, several grand openings and a few sad closures. In 1980, the Surrey House suffered a fire. An electrical issue is believed to be the culprit and it caused extension damage to the bar and smoke and heat damage to the dining room.
“In the 2000s Brooke and Kim Wood opened the Surrey House and ran it until it closed in 2011. From 2011 to 2016 the grand old building of the lumber era was for sale. Many people dreamed about what they would do with the building from micro-brewery to bed and breakfast and many ideas in between until the library purchased it along with a generous donation by Brooke and Kim Wood.”
Many people of Harrison have been associated with the Surrey House, but now, the building will belong to everyone in Harrison as the make public use of it as the new location for the Harrison District Library.