A piece of Cass County, Michigan history could soon be under local ownership.
The Historic Newton House was built in the mid-nineteenth century. Since 1980, the county has leased it from Michigan State University. It runs it as a museum, in cooperation with the Cass County Historical Society. At a meeting in Benton Harbor on Friday, the university’s board of trustees agreed to let the administration sell the Newton House to the historical society outright.
Historical society secretary/treasurer Melissa Bettinger said that would make it easier to get grants and donations. “The house faces significant restoration needs, upwards of $200,000, including a new roof, furnace, windows, exterior painting, et cetera,” Bettinger told board members.
She pointed to the historical society’s success with the Red Brick School. Since taking ownership in 2024, she said it’s been able to secure grants for a new roof, window restoration and an accessible entrance.
Bettinger said the county and historical society have already invested years of time, money and resources into the Newton House. "To us, the Newton House is far more than a building," Bettinger added. "It is an invaluable piece of Michigan’s history. With our ownership, the historical society can secure the resources necessary to restore, maintain, protect it and protect it for generations to come."
Under the board’s resolution, the university would keep the rest of its Fred Russ Experimental Forest, and the sale proceeds would go toward the forest’s endowment.
Meanwhile, Cass County’s historical commission, which was formed to oversee the property, wants to transition to a support role, helping local historic preservation organizations access government grants. It’s asking the county commissioners to pass a resolution supporting the change.
