Draft:Godwin - Flora House

• Comment: 1-2 more sources like the ones referenced and this should be good to accept. Bkissin (talk) 21:10, 7 October 2024 (UTC)

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Front of the Godwin - Flora House, June 2019

The Godwin - Flora House was a private house located at 43425 Warren Road in Canton Township, Michigan. It was a two story red brick house on a stone foundation. The structure posed significance to the community since research conducted leans, but cannot prove, that it was part of the Underground Railroad (UGRR). It received an AAUW historical marker in 1992. The structure was demolished in December of 2023.

History

The house was built circa 1849 and sold to John Kinyon in 1852 for $3,000. In 1858, the house was sold to Issacher Hughes, a settler from Steuben County, New York. During the 20th century, the house went through two extensive fires and needed repair. The Flora family purchased the house in 1988, shortly before the second fire damaged the house. They chose to restore the house, and owned the property until 2018. Researchers came to the residence to conduct research on the house, and how it was connected to the UGRR.

Connection to Underground Railroad

Many students and researchers studied this house to try and prove it's connection to the UGRR. Historian David Curtis put in nearly 200 hours of research into this property. He draws connections to Issacher Hughes, who moved here from Steuben County, NY, an area with Quakers. They were supportive of freeing slaves, leading Curtis to believe Hughes was in favor of this too. Before an addition was put on in the 1900s, there was a short wall before the foundation that could be scaled to get into the basement, another factor in favor of the connection. Along with this, three leafed clovers were used as safe symbols, and a portion of the old well resembled part of one. None of the research was fully conclusive, but it begs the question that this may have been a part of the UGRR.