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Jonesville, Michigan
Munro House
202 Maumee St |
George Clinton Munro bought a Federal style
wood frame house on this property in 1834. In 1840, he constructed the
brick Greek Revival addition that is connected to the original
house. The addition included a secret room that was used to hide runaway
slaves for over fifteen years during the pre-Civil War era. The house
was used as a station on the Underground Railroad and is said to have
harbored over four hundred runaways. Fugitives hid in the house for at
least one day on their journey to freedom in Canada.
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Munro was born in Elbridge, New York on January 22, 1814. He worked in
his father's store as a clerk, after being informed his health was too
poor to continue at Yale. He became dissatisfied with his position as
clerk, wishing to go into business for himself, and moved to the
Michigan Territory in August of 1834, where he engaged in mercantile and
real estate businesses in Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties. He
continued this business, as well as running flour mills in Litchfield
and Jonesville until 1852, when he became work in the hardware business.
He continued this until 1862, when he sold his interest in the company
to his partner. While working in the hardware business, Munro also acted
as a contractor for road-beds and railroad buildings for the Southern
Michigan Railroad and the Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw Railroads.
Beginning in 1862, he acted as justice of the peace, a collections agent
and money leader. He was also County Coroner, President of the Executive
Committee of the Michigan State Agricultural Society, and one of the
most prominent Masons in the State. He had been Grand Master of the
State and Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of the State. During
the Civil War, Munro recruited soldiers. He was Assessor and Supervisor
of Jonesville for a number of years, and ran unsuccessfully as a
candidate for State Senate, Lieutenant-Governor and State Treasurer on
the Democratic ticket. Munro was elected first President of Jonesville
upon its incorporation, receiving a near unanimous vote. He built the
first union school house in Jonesville in 1847 and was a School Board
member for eighteen years. He married Elizabeth C. Leaker on October 13,
1840 of New York, who died eight years later, leaving five children. A
little over a year later, he married Clara M. Leake, a sister of his
former wife, with whom he had nine additional children.
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The descendants of the Munro Family
continued to live in the house until 1945, when the three elderly Munro
sisters were evicted for ten years of back-taxes. After passing through
the hands of several owners, the house was purchased by Mike and Lori
Venturini in 1999, who continued the previous owners' bed and breakfast
business.
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| The house is the oldest in Jonesville,
and the first brick building in Hillsdale County. |
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Additional Resources
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