Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst Farmstead / Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst Farmstead

In 1827 Gamaliel Simmons of New York purchased 160 acres of land from the federal government in what was then Farmington Township. In 1830 the first Novi town meeting was held in the Simmons residence, a Greek Revival structure that stood on this site until the current house was built in 1931. The basement of this house contains the cellar of the Simmons house and incorporates salvaged doors and trim in the interior. The farm had several owners until Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst of Greenfield Township bought it in 1918. The north barn was built by the Dennis family, which owned the farm from 1836 to 1898. One of Novi’s last farm complexes, the site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst purchased this farm in 1918. The Fuersts and their six children expanded the existing orchards to encompass most of their 160 acres. They joined the Erwin and Simmons families and others in establishing Novi as a major fruit grower. Their products included apples, peaches, plums and pears, along with butter and eggs. The large east and south barns, built during the 1920s, and the 1931 Craftsman style house testify to the growth of the Fuerst enterprise. In 1973 the Fuersts’ daughters Ruby and Iva sold their property to Novi Schools, stipulating that it be held for public use. The sisters lived in the house until their deaths in 1991. The farmstead was purchased by the city of Novi in 1997.