Rochester-Avon Historical Society

10/06/2026

There’s a proposed 0.2 mill levy on the November ballot in Wayne and Oakland counties that would support the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum as well as the Charles H. Wright Museum, make admission free for residents, fund education and transportation programs and protect nearly 300,000 publicly owned artifacts. It would cost approximately $30 a year for the owner of a $300,000 home.

The initiative would also direct 15% of gross revenue to local historical museums across both counties, administered through a five-member public authority appointed by Wayne and Oakland counties. At its core, this is about making our region’s history accessible, keeping it part of how children learn, and protecting the collections that belong to all of us.

Look for the Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority Proposal. It is on the back of the ballot under County proposals. More information is available at yestoourstory.com.

09/24/2026

The doughnuts and c***r will be there for this wonderful program tonight!! Come check it out!!

join us for an evening of casual conversations about memories of the Greater Rochester area in autumn and the history of growing fresh fruit and the experience of going to a c***r mill. Bring photos and share your memories! Open to the public. Free for RAHS members. There is a suggested $5 donation....

09/21/2026

A Call To Action!

The Harrison Community Center proposal for 501 W. University was one of three the Rochester Community School Board recently chose to move forward. We need your help! The RCS Board has said in the past they will consider community input in their decision to choose the winning bid.

RCS Trustee Shelley Lauzon has asked the community to share
which of the three proposals they support and why. Only the Harrison Community Center proposal calls for the preservation of the building.

For more information about the Harrison Community Center proposal, visit www.harrisoncentermi.org. To contact the RCS School board, visit www.rochester.k12.mi.us/about-us/board-of-education/contact-the-board.

Thank you for supporting the preservation of this historic and significant building in Rochester! If it's not preserved, the building will be torn down to make way for multi-family and single-family housing units.

You can view all of the bids (five total) RCS received: https://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/about-us/departments/purchasing/bid-responses

09/07/2026

During the storms of the past week, it seems one of Mount Avon Cemetery’s old Norway spruce trees, planted back in 1906 or 1910 (there were two rounds of them - according to Eula Pray - not sure which one this may have been), was lost. It looks like, for the most part, the graves beneath the tree escaped harm. See the images below for details on the individuals whose graves narrowly escaped destruction.

09/05/2026

As storms wreaked havoc across Rochester and Rochester Hills this past week, let’s take a look back at an equally impressive storm that brought damage to town back in 1900. Not only did this storm cause damage to trees and Rollins & Devers store in the old Masonic Block, but it also took the life of young John Glaser. Glaser was simply trying to catch water with a bucket inside of his “tenament” when lightning struck the structure and traveled through the leaking water to take his life. Glaser lived on the Milo Newberry farm. The Newberry farmhouse still stands along Bloomer Road east of town. Read the full article to hear the extent of the storm damage in the images below!

06/09/2026

There's a celebration at Cranberry Lake Farm on Flag Day, Sunday June 14! Join us and our friends at the Oakland Township Historic District Commission in celebrating 250 years of the United States.

05/29/2026

There’s a new local history exhibit you should see!

The Underground Railroad in Oakland County exhibit is now in place for the whole month of June at the Paint Creek C***r Mill in Goodison, Oakland Township. Come check it out! M-F 8-4:30.

05/22/2026

Here’s the latest from the school board about the former high school and RCS administration building at 501 W. University. One clarification: The oldest building on the property dates to 1889. However, the property has been the site of a school since 1847 with a Lyceum, the name of a type of school built in the 19th century. It burned in a fire in the 1880s and was replaced by the current brick building known as the Harrison School, which was listed on the State of Michigan’s register of historic places in 1987.

The district left the W. University complex and moved their administration offices to 52585 Dequindre Road in 2021.

05/22/2026

Don’t forget! The Greater Rochester Heritage Festival is coming up! We’re proud to support this community tradition!

Once again, the Rochester-Avon Historical Society is supporting the festival as a Settler level sponsor!