MSU Hackley & Hume Papers

Cost: $60,000

Jean Hume Browning, granddaughter of famous lumber baron Thomas Hume, donated the Hackley and Hume Collection to MSU Archives where they reside today.

The Hackley and Hume collection represents the life and work of Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume from 1859-1955 in Muskegon. This unique collection consists of documents, photographs, films, financial records, letters maps, land contracts and much more.

The funds will make this collection of 57 boxes, approximately 2,500 pages per box, available in a digital capacity and accessible to the museum staff and to public researchers. The knowledge gained about the Hackley’s and Hume’s lives, businesses, and families will allow staff to create innovative tours, programs, and events.

Hackley Piano Restringing

Cost: $6,300

The Hackley family’s piano is one of the most prominent features of the Hackley House First Parlor. It is not only an original family piece, but helps further the interpretation of the room as an entertaining space. However, it is no longer at the proper pitch and this problem will continue to get worse. This could also lead to issues with the soundboard of the piano itself.

In April 2019, a local piano tuner named Austin Mys who specializes in antique pieces, revealed to us that many of the strings inside the piano are still original and can no longer be tuned properly. While he was able to make the piano in tune with itself, he was not able to raise the pitch of the piano strings to their proper level.

Hackley Second Floor Carpeting

Cost: $50,000

Based on physical and photographic evidence, it is believed that carpeting covered the entirety of the family areas upstairs (Rooms 200, 202, 203, 204, 208, and front staircase). Based on the cost of the carpeting laid down in the Hackley Parlors and 1^st Floor Bedroom, it is assumed that this would most likely be a very expensive interior restoration project.  However, this project is arguably the most significant in returning the house to its original furnishing plan.

Carpeting can be seen in the 1890s inventory photos:

Hackley Sixth Street Porch Vestibule Restoration

Cost: $7,000

Off of Room 104, there is a side porch area which faces 6^th Street. Between the porch area and Room 104 is a small vestibule area, very similar to Rooms 100 and 101A. This vestibule itself is in disrepair and needs extensive restoration work including:

• Assessment of area to address any underlying structural damage.
• Lathing, plastering, and paint work.
• The original tiling on the floor is somewhat damaged and needs to be conserved or possibly replaced in some areas.
• A reproduction light fixture would also be advised.

This room would add to the overall interpretation of the house since it could be used as an actual entrance/exit to enhance tour experiences and also has historical significance, as it was reportedly the doorway through which Charles Hackley would leave for work every day.

While there are no archival photos of this area, it would have undoubtedly been very similar to the other vestibule areas in the house, such as Rooms 100 and 101A. Photos of this area as it currently exists show its condition:

Hackley First Floor Bathroom Restoration

Cost: $5,000

The 1^st Floor Bedroom is another one of the unrestored areas of the Hackley House. Originally decorated with wood paneling or wainscoting, the Hackley’s redecorated this room around 1900.  The bathroom area is currently devoid of almost all fixtures and requires replacement of several wall tiles. Restoring the bathroom will continue the restoration of the house and also add to the interpretation of the Downstairs Bedroom.

As indicated by the age of the tiles currently present on the walls, the downstairs bedroom has been changed from its original design. While this decoration does not technically match the 1889 decorative scheme, to remove the decoration of the room would be incredibly destructive and would ruin a primary example of the Hackley’s redecoration of their house.

The tiles in this bathroom can be seen in the catalog “Artistic Tiles” by the American Encaustic Tile Company, published circa 1898. This catalog also includes a picture which not only features the same tiles present in the downstairs bathroom, but also some fixtures which are very similar to the ones seen in the bathroom upstairs. 

This photographic example will be very helpful in the restoration of this room.

Hume Second Floor Bathroom Wallpapering

Cost: $5,000

The Jack and Jill bathroom, room 203, was restored and wallpapered in 1990 with the Designer Show House project. The wallpaper is currently 31 years old and has some damage from a previous water leak. Even though there are no pictures from the 1920s to tell us what would be appropriate for the room during the Hume’s residency, we do know the paper is outdated and in need of an update.

Photos taken in June 2016 and the picture on the right shows evidence of the water damage that occurred at some point in the last 27 years.

Hume Stained Glass Recreation

Cost: $19,000

At the time of the construction of the Hume House in 1887-1889, Thomas Hume hired Wells Glass Company to design and install stained glass windows in the reception hall front doors and in the first parlor window. During the late Hume residency or very early Day Care occupancy, the two vertical panes of stained glass in the picture window of the parlor were removed and replaced with regular glass.

Hume Room 206 Restoration – Peggy’s Room

Cost: $3,000

The Designer Show House restored Room 206 in 1990. The room has not been updated in 31 years and is due for an update. The current paper is faded and does not follow the 1920s themed interpretation for the Hume house.

Hume Portiere Curtains

Cost: $3,000

During the Victorian Era, portiere curtains were used in wealthy households. The Hackley house has great reproduction curtains made by Carol Beatty. We have evidence from the 1940s that portieres were still being used by the Hume’s in the house.

Room 102: 1^st Parlor

Room 103: 2^nd Parlor doorway

Room 104: Pocket doors to the library from the reception hall