Essays on the people, buildings, and events in the conjoined histories of East Lansing and Michigan State University, with a particular interest in the Michigan Agricultural College era (1855–1925), and a timeline of significant events.
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The “Home-Building Campaign” of 1929–1931
In 1929, the Lansing State Journal launched an ambitious initiative to promote new home construction in and around Lansing, providing substantial press coverage to property developers and builders. Modest yet stylish houses, with grandiose names like “The Downer” and “The Culver,” were the centerpiece of this effort. Despite this attempt to influence the local housing market through high-profile groundbreaking ceremonies and public open houses, the campaign lasted only two years, encompassing just over a dozen new homes. Read more about the legacy and forgotten history of these enduring homes.
