Colonel Samuel White / Homestead

The Samuel White family was one of the first to settle in Novi Township. White (1794-1870) and his wife, Amanda (1799-1869), immigrated to this area from Royalton, New York, in 1827. White had recently retired from the army, ending a career that included service in the War of 1812. A prosperous farmer, White was the second supervisor of Novi, a delegate to the 1835 Michigan Constitutional Convention and active in numerous other civic endeavors. He built this house for his wife and four children around 1840.

This Greek Revival farm house, built by Samuel White, shows the influence of the people from upstate New York who first settled this area. The deed to the property was signed by John Quincy Adams. Built around 1840, the house retains its original architectural features. The classic entrance, friezes and returns are typical of the style. Heavy native beams support the house, which rests on a fieldstone foundation. The barn, part of the working farm until 1956, was converted to a house in 1980.