OU alumnus rallies community to help restore Meadow Brook Hall’s historic Gate Lodge

ROCHESTER HILLS — After years of disrepair, the original Gate Lodge entrance to the Meadow Brook estate has a fresh new look.

“A lot of people in the community have driven past the Gate Lodge over the years near the intersection of Adams and Avon, and they could see this seemingly abandoned building, without any context of what it used to be,” said Madelyn Chrapla, the curator of Meadow Brook Hall. “A lot of people didn’t even know what it was.”

Built in 1928, the Gate Lodge, and its gatekeeper — who lived in the Tudor-revival house — welcomed visitors to Meadow Brook Hall, the country estate of Matilda and Alfred Wilson. The 1,100-square-foot home contains a kitchen, living space, a bathroom and two bedrooms, along with an attached garden and a chicken coop.

While the lodge has housed a number of people over the years — including Robert Gaylor, who resided there from 1967-97 while he worked as a librarian in the Oakland University Kresge Library — it sat unused for over 20 years.

“At Meadow Brook, we have to take care of the preservation of our own building and the other assets that we have in our immediate campus, and the university is focusing on the students and their education, so this building has just been kind of left without purpose for two decades,” Chrapla said. “Of course, a building without continued use is going to fall into disrepair.”

After noticing that the historical building was slowly rotting away, Michael Klieman, an OU alumnus and a member of Oakland University’s Katke-Cousins Golf Course, vowed to restore it back to its original glory.

“I know that it is a huge part of history, and it was a shame that it was being neglected like that, because you will never build another building like that again,” said Klieman, of Washington Township. “I just wanted to do what I thought was right and save the thing.”

So in 2020, Klieman decided to take on the project himself and restore the building.

“Once word got out around the golf course community, I had eight or nine guys approach me and want to be part of the restoration. We really never had a plan,” Klieman said, with a chuckle.

“Amazingly, for all the people who passed it and said, ‘Something needs to be done about this building,’ Mike was the only one who actually put action to it,” Chrapla added.

After gathering a number of OU alumni, golfers and friends to help fundraise, Klieman created a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit called The Gatehouse Society dedicated specifically to the historic preservation project.

Chrapla also joined the effort, lending her expertise to help restore the house back to its original glory. She secured the proper craftsmen to restore plaster, electric, lights, wood, windows and the rooms on the interior of the building, as well as to rebuild the purple martin birdhouse to the original blueprints and install water mitigation systems to alleviate stormwater damage in the future.

The first phase of the project — which cost around $300,000 — also covered updating the plumbing, ventilation and electrical wiring; restoring the bathroom and kitchen; and fixing some structural damage to the front of the house.

“We tried to preserve everything as much as we could, because we want to restore, and not replace,” Klieman said.

While some items were able to be restored, like the 100-year-old wood floors, others were beyond repair, like the rotting historic gate.

After years of wear and tear, the once majestic entrance to the estate has been completely rebuilt to the original blueprints by a craftsman using the same techniques and materials that were used a century ago, Chrapla explained.

“It was a dream come true,” she added. “This was one of those projects that seemed unattainable.”

For their efforts, Klieman and Chrapla recently earned the 2022 Earl Borden Preservation Leadership award from the city of Rochester Hills.

Rochester Hills City Council President Ryan Deel said the award recognizes “individuals, families, businesses and organizations who have made a positive impact in historic preservation in the city of Rochester Hills.”

The pair were nominated by Rochester Hills Historic District Commission member Richard Stamps, a retired professor from OU’s Anthropology department.

In his nomination, Stamps said Klieman is “the epitome of a leader.”

“Mike saw a structure in distress, the gatehouse on the grounds of Meadowbrook farms estate, and vowed to save it from deterioration by rallying financial support from friends,” Deel said.

Chrapla, Deel noted, provided the necessary knowledge for the accurate and historically correct restoration of the gatehouse and its surroundings.

“Madelyn ensured that the main gate was completely rebuilt by a craftsman using the exact same techniques that were used a century ago,” he said. “Due to the efforts of Mike and Madelyn, Meadow Brook Hall continues to be a significant part of the history of the city of Rochester Hills.”

While a fully restored Gate Lodge is still a few years away, Klieman said community members can still help contribute to the cause. Additional money is needed to complete the landscaping, repair the exterior fencing and garage, restore the entry and screen doors, repair a chicken coop, and help restore the basement.

“As much as we have done, we have some more to do,” Klieman said.

For additional information on how to help preserve the Gate Lodge, email Klieman at 0088Mike@gmail.com or call (586) 610-9290.