Help Re-face the C.L. Post Manor

If you have ever sat back, sipping a hot mug of" Postum" (caffeine free beverage),on a cool winter evening, you

owe the warm comfort to the Post brothers . The" Post Manor" was the home of Carroll Lathrop Post ,and his

wife ,and the play ground of his niece Miss Marjorie Merriweather Post, the daughter of his brother and Partner

Charles William Post. These two early residents of "Cereal City USA" Battle Creek , Michigan ,founded and

developed the" Postum Cereal Company", later to be know as" Post Cereals". There is hardly a Baby Boomer

around our great country, who has not started their day, once or twice with "Grape Nuts" cereal first

introduced to the market in 1897.

The Post Manor, sits at 238 Capital Avenue NE ,Battle Creek Michigan 49017. The early address was on

Maple Street ,and so the home is part of the" Maple Street Historic District" of Battle Creek. The United States

Department of the Interior and National Park Service has the address, 238 Capital ave N.E. listed in section 7

page 11 of the National Register of Historic Places .

Construction of the home began in 1871. Built as a three story clapboard ,including Neo-classical details.

The frontal architecture is held up proudly with eight Corinthian columns and two smaller Ionic columns

which stand guard along side the entrance doors. Luckily the Columns are ,in generally adequate shape and

with some patient attention may be preserved for years to come. There is little opportunity in the Battle Creek

area ,where one may observe the Corinthian order columns . The base, shaft ,capital, abacus, frieze ,dentils and

cornice are all still present, though covered in gobs of thick and rudely applied paints, in every imaginable color

of white, there- by losing the effect of the detail in monotony.

Circa 1921 ,the Posts sold the home ,and it became a part of International Health Resorts , Spa and Hospital

facilities. The building was added onto at that point, and by 1931 the home was converted into apartments.

The owner in recent past, was very unkind to the building. Age, weather and lack of attention to the general

upkeep has taken an immense toll .

Well, here we are today.... time to "Put a new face on the C.L. Post Manor". And that is where you can help out.

The building has been sided in vinyl siding ,applied over the original wood lap board siding. When the home was

constructed ,insulation was a non issue . Today an uninsulated building is a thermal burden. No point in heating

the great outdoors . We will need to strip the layers of siding and blow insulation into the empty wall cavities,

not only as a source of green pride ,but would you want to live in a building in the Michigan winter ,which is

uninsulated? I don't think so. Any small contribution will help...really it will.

A great portion of the early architectural detail is covered in poorly formed aluminum coverings .

I realize that the time and effort required to prepare and repaint is enormous ,yet so are the benefits enormous

to the community and country at large . Your contribution will not be wasted.