Historic Home Tour

Marshall Michigan

Lehmann Home (Rose Hill)
1110 Verona Road

This Italianate mansion was constructed in 1860 outside the city limits by Edward Butler.

Marshall’s Rose Hill was built on land once owned by James Fenimore Cooper. This Italianate mansion was constructed in 1860 outside the city limits by Edward Butler.

In the 1890s, the house became the summer home of William Boyce, a flamboyant and self-made multi-millionaire in publishing, who was to become the founder of the American Boy Scouts. Mr. Boyce added improvements such as indoor plumbing, a bowling alley in the basement of the barn, and a private golf course on the grounds.

In the 1930s the house sat empty and was used to store carpet rolls until it was rescued by Harold Brooks, a pioneer in restoration, who also rescued a number of other historical buildings in Marshall, including the Honolulu House.

Rose Hill received its name in the early 1900s from an owner who was an avid gardener. More recently, gardening has been compromised by a large number of deer that live in the woods behind and visit the grounds frequently. On the property are a number of century-old trees, including one on the front lawn believed to be the oldest tulip tree in the state of Michigan.

Over the years, various owners have added modern amenities, including air conditioning, an extra garage, swimming pool, and tennis court; however, the basic layout of the house remains intact, except that the present kitchen was once the dining room. The latest project has been to have curved storm windows custom made for all 56 windows.

Rose Hill opened as an inn in 1999 and has since become a member of the Select Registry Distinguished Inns of North America. Throughout the house, you will find antiques of the Victorian era and a number of collections of the Lehmann family.