Historic House Part of Demolition Plan at Former Riverside Hospital Property

A house once owned by one of Trenton's most well-known businessmen was slated for demolition Monday morning as part of a plan to revitalize the former Riverside Hospital property.

Local businessman Austin Church's Church owned the baking soda company called the Church-Dwight Company, according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority website. His second house was connected to one of the buildings at the former hospital and once served as the Riverside Hospital Administrative Building. 

"Riverside Hospital was located here when a group of doctors bought the Church residence and converted it into a modern, well-equipped hospital in 1944," according to "Tuaxton, Truago, Trenton."

The house was built for Austin Church's wife. Church's primary house, located across the street from Riverside Hospital, is now the site of Savannah's.

The MSHDA website describes the primary Austin Church house as:

A two-and-one-half-story, gambrel-roofed, Colonial Revival frame structure with lunette windows in gambrel ends. Three gabled dormers with round-headed windows, classical details, and balustrades between them interrupt the roofline. A centered Palladian window pierces the front facade at the second floor. A large Neo-Classical Revival porch with a round bay at the entrance wraps around the east and north ends and is supported by Doric columns, as is the second floor balustrade. The front entrance shows classical detailing with half-length sidelights and transom lights.

The house was scheduled for demolition Monday afternoon. It might take up to a week to completely demolish and clean up the site.

City Administrator Jim Wagner called the demolition of the historic house a necessary evil for the sake of progress. The former Riverside Hospital property sat vacant and untouched for about 10 years.

The property is expected to be revitalized by local doctor Iqbal Nasir.

>>See the above photos of the Austin Church house before it was demolished Monday afternoon.

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