George Nason House

George M. Nason (1859-1929) built this house in 1907-08. The Nason family had emigrated from Northampton, England, to Buffalo, New York, in 1832. George’s father, Robert (1831-1907), came to Chesaning in 1852 and engaged in farming and lumbering. In 1861 he purchased fifteen hundred acres of land about five miles from Chesaning and erected a sawmill. For over a decade, he also engaged in prosperous land speculative activities and by 1881, he was considered to be one of Chesaning’s wealthiest men. George Nason (1859-1929) built this Georgian Revival-style house as a monument to his family’s success in the lumbering business. Its exterior features stately Ionic columns. A grand circular opening between the first and second floor dominates the interior. Nason family members lived in the house until 1945. The building remained a private residence until 1980, when it was opened to the public as an elegant dining establishment called the Chesaning Heritage House.