HICKERY CORNERS, Mich. - MSU trustees, President M. Peter McPherson and other administrators inaugurated the university-owned, newly renovated W.K. Kellogg Manor House on Friday.
The house, which was built in the 1920s, was rededicated Friday and was opened to the public Sunday.
To coincide with the opening, the Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting at Brook Lodge, MSU’s newly acquired property which was donated to the university in March. The lodge is adjacent to the Manor House and the MSU-owned W.K. Kellogg Biological Station.
“I’m really excited to see what this looks like,” Trustee Colleen McNamara said standing at the house’s door in anticipation. “This is terrific.”
McPherson said at the dedication ceremony that he was very grateful for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s commitment to the university.
He first visited the house shortly after being hired as MSU’s president in 1993, and said it needed some work then.
He was happy to see it improved.
“It was historical and very interesting but the renovation has made it beautiful once more,” McPherson said. “This being completed, we now have over 5,000 acres combined here.”
The property now comprises one of the largest areas in the state for the conducting of research in Michigan, McPherson said.
MSU’s western Michigan property now includes Brook Lodge, the Manor House, the W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest, the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station and other properties.
The Manor House previously served as a summertime residence for the Kellogg family - best known for their cereal. The house was restored to look as it did when Kellogg lived there several decades ago.
The restoration of the house was funded by a $3.5 million gift from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Trustee Dorothy Gonzales said she thinks the university is becoming more inclusive of residents on the west side of the state.
Trustee Dee Cook walked around the restored house looking in amazement at the antique furniture and fixtures.
“It’s extraordinary what the foundation has done,” she said. “It’s a gem.”
Fellow Trustee Donald Nugent walked with other trustees and administrators looking in wonderment and awe around the house.
“That Manor House is absolutely amazing,” Nugent said. “If you look at the generosity of the Kellogg family and the Kellogg Foundation to MSU as well as other universities, it is a tremendous resource.”
Spending a few days at Brook Lodge - for Thursday’s closed meeting and Friday’s action meeting - made him appreciate the new facilities there, too. The lodge is set on 80 acres, and includes a mixture of cottages and meeting rooms. It consists of 47 guest rooms divvied among several cottages and has dining space for 125.
The adjacent undeveloped land includes forests and wetlands and is considered one of the lower peninsula’s largest natural habitats.
“It’s a wonderful addition to the university,” Nugent said. “It’s truly an asset.”
