The weird thing about this story is how well-dressed housekeepers were back in the day.

The Blodgett Mansion Has Been Around Since 1928

Currently owned by Aquinas College, the estate on Plymouth Avenue, was built in 1928. It was built by John Blodgett, whose father, Delos, was an early lumber baron in Grand Rapids.

Although his dad willed the property to the hospital that bears the family name farther up Plymouth Avenue, his son, John Jr., repurchased the house, and its adjoining structures, and lived there until his death in 1986. It was eventually donated to Aquinas in 2011.

The YouTube channel, Tours Around Michigan, recently focused on the house and its long history and posted some videos on their page.

Old Houses Have A Lot Of Cool Features

The original video that drew me to their page was this one of a hidden safe in the home. This one was located in one of the mansion's seven bedrooms.

The house also has huge cedar closets which have to smell fantastic.

The show also featured an old school communications system, in which buttons could be pushed to alert staff that someone needs attention in one of the bedrooms. This particular light is apparently lit up frequently by the ghost of the house's mistress Minnie Blodgett, one of at least two ghosts that allegedly haunt the home.

There Is More Than One 'Ghost' On The Property

The other ghost is supposedly of a housekeeper, who confronted a camerawoman during the shoot who swore the woman was real. Here's the host explaining what happened, including the well known fact that the woman wears pearls.

You can watch more of Tours Around Michigan's tour of the Blodgett Mansion here, and here is a fascinating piece on the construction of the home, which is also known as "Brookby".

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