Click above images to enlarge Simmons House 38125 Base Line Road, Livonia - Wayne County Other Names Greenmead Farms Property Type farm complex Historic Use DOMESTIC Current Use DOMESTIC Style Greek Revival Architect/Builder Sergius P. Lyons Significant Person Joshua Simmons Narrative Description The Simmons House is a side-gable, two-story, Greek Revival frame house standing on a raised stone foundation with clapboard covering the exterior. the facade features a trabeated entrance, full-height, fluted Ionic pilastersat the corners, and a box cornice at the roofline. All windows feature drip molds. Also known as Greenmead Farms, the house is part of a complex that also includes two barns, servants' quarters, and a greenhouse. Statement of Significance The Joshua Simmons House is one of the earliest frame houses in Novi Township. Early settler and farmer Joshua Simmons hired local builder Sergium Lyon to build this house in 1841, replacing an earlier log house. The Simmons family lived on the farm until 1915 and added buildings as needed. Marker Name Joshua Simmons Farm Marker Text JOSHUA SIMMONS FARM In 1824 Joshua Simmons of Bristol, New York, obtained a patent from the federal government for 160 acres of land in Livonia Township. Simmons and his wife, Hannah, were among the township's earliest white settlers. Their first home was a log shanty, built in 1826. In 1841 they constructed this house in the Greek Revival style, popular in New York State. The farm was named Meadow Brook. Joshua Simmons (1801-1882) hewed lumber to build the earliest barns and mills in Livonia, Farmington and Plymouth. He continued to acquire acreage, becoming one of Livonia's most prominent landholders. In 1920 Sherwin and Jean Boyd Hill purchased the farm and renamed it Greenmead. The city of Livonia acquired the property in 1976 as a park. The Joshua Simmons Farm is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Period of Significance 1826-1865 Significant Date(s) 1841 Registry Type(s) 11/04/1996 Marker erected 03/24/1972 National Register listed 08/13/1971 State Register listed Site ID# P25332