Eye Candy of the Week: 222 W. Genesee St.,

In honor of the Historical Society of Greater Lansing resuming its walking tours in downtown Lansing today (Aug. 18), this month’s Eye Candy is a throwback to one of their earlier featured houses: 222 W. Genesee St., between Capitol and Seymour avenues. The 3,120-square-foot house, which is on the market for $325,000, was built in 1899. According to architectural historian Valerie Marvin who leads the HSGL tours, the house is a Queen Anne style with some other styles mixed in. She noted the Ionic columns and ironwork near the steps when this house was featured on the tour in 2015. Queen Anne houses are typified by asymmetrical roof lines, turrets like the one seen on the east side of this house, and first floor porches. Besides being an example of a beautiful Victorian-era home that has been well maintained, this house has an interesting local history. It was at one time the home of Michigan Supreme Court Justice Claudius Grant. Grant raised a regiment to fight in the Civil War, practiced law with former Gov. Alpheus Felch (whose daughter he married), and lost his own daughter in 1899, the same year that this house was built. Helen Therese Grant, who died in childbirth, was the first wife of Edward Sparrow, who later donated the money and land on Michigan Avenue to build the hospital that still bears his name.

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