Dr. Stanley Large 1940
Dr. Large House
515 North Main Street
Circa 1913
It is believed that this Arts & Crafts style house was built around November of 1913 for Dr. Stanley Large. Built-ins were the hallmark feature of the Arts and Crafts Era homes. Built-in cabinets allowed the furnishings to be part of the architecture, ensuring design unity and economic use of space. The fireplace was the symbol of family in the movement, so this home features a dominant fireplace in the living room and a large exterior chimney.
The house retains many of the original interior features such as a coffered ceiling in the living room, built-in bookcases on either side of the fireplace, original oak flooring, built-in china cabinet in the dining room, and the original built-in deacons bench in the foyer. The home’s porch features thick square cobblestone columns.
In 1969 the Hatfield family purchased the house. They later built an addition onto the rear of the house and enclosed the front porch.
Dr. Stanley Large was born June 25, 1873 in Listowel, Ontario and came to Imlay City in 1896 after graduating from the Dental School of the Detroit College of Medicine. He married Effie Jones, daughter of Dr. George Jones March 7, 1900. He opened dental offices over the People’s State Bank on Third Street in 1905. He was a long-time dentist, businessman and civic leader in Imlay City.
In 1922 Dr. Large brought John DeHaan from Hudsonville, Michigan to clear 10 acres of muck land east of the city. He experimented with growing celery. This was so successful that in 1928 Dr. Stanley Large, along with G. Fred Butler (his brother-in-law) and Harry E. Palmer formed the Belle River Celery Company, which helped to open up the Imlay City muck lands. Later 10 Dutch families from the Zeeland and Kalamazoo area were hired to come to Imlay City and grow celery. Mr. Butler and Dr. Large also had the Ford automobile agency here, and were later in the insurance business.
Dr. Large and Mr. Butler, along with some other investors, built the gasoline station and restaurant at the corner of M-53 and M-21 known for many years as Hi-Speed and later operated by Pure Oil Company. Dr. Large was on the Fair board many years and was long-time President of the organization. He was village clerk at the time the village hall was constructed in 1902.