On Friday, October 18, 2024 Preservation Bloomfield and the Friends of Preservation Bloomfield hosted the Historical Haunts Dinner at the Chalmers Estate. Attendees had the rare opportunity to experience the century-old estate of auto baron, Hugh Chalmers in the thick of the Halloween season.
A strolling dinner with live music took place as the home was graciously opened by its current owners. A silent auction contributed to the fundraising efforts, all of which support the board’s ongoing commitment to preserving and maintaining the Barton Farmhouse and Craig Log Cabin located at the Bowers School Farm in Bloomfield Township.
Mary O’Bryan who has lived in the estate since 1990 can attest to some strange sightings including bearing witness to a young girl glowing in the doorway. “Provoked by stories from my children, I decided to spend a night in my daughter’s bed to see if I could experience a sighting,” said O’Bryan. “The drapes began to blow and an intense cold overtook the bedroom. I looked to the doorway and a girl about 3 to 4 feet tall was standing aglow in the doorway. The experience was surreal.” The story takes a turn as some time later, O’Bryan met the descendants of Hugh Chalmers. O’Bryan adds, “They were kind enough to give me a copy of his biography. I was shocked to learn his daughter passed away at the early age of 3. I believe that’s who I saw that night.”
All proceeds go directly to support the board’s ongoing work of preserving and maintaining the Barton Farmhouse and the Craig Log Cabin, not to salaries or overhead. Preservation Bloomfield is a non-profit, all-volunteer community organization formed to preserve and protect two historically-relevant homes in Bloomfield, Michigan.