South Street, W., 515: Boudeman House

Photographed by Karen Santamaria

This stately, Georgian-Colonial home was built in 1905 by Dallas Boudeman for his son, Donald. Among its most distinctive features are the four large columns that support the front pediment, and the formal floor plan. The younger Boudeman was an avid collector of antiques. In 1932, he added a small personal museum to the rear of the home to house his growing collection.

Donald Boudeman lived in the house until his death in 1949. His second wife, Donna, then occupied it until her death in 1987, at which time it was purchased by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, which still maintains offices there.

In 1912, an unidentified architect said of this house that “…that type of house represents dignity, education, cultivation, and home.”

Written by Karen Santamaria, Kalamazoo Public Library Staff, 2002. Last updated 1 August 2005.