By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published October 28, 2025
ROYAL OAK — The Orson Starr House, a historic landmark in the city of Royal Oak, celebrated 180 years on Oct. 19 with a special birthday party.
Guests toured the 1845 Greek Revival farmhouse, heard stories about the Starr family and enjoyed a celebratory slice of cake in honor of the milestone.
“They had a number of families, kids and old folks come and see it (the house),” said City Commissioner Sharlan Douglas, who is a trustee of the Royal Oak Civic Foundation, which made the celebration possible. “Ninety percent of the folks that came had never been there before, so we really did the job of introducing people to this charming piece of Royal Oak history.”
The Royal Oak Civic Foundation gave the Orson Starr House a $2,000 grant to throw the party.
“The Royal Oak Civic Foundation exists to raise funds for the city of Royal Oak programs and projects, and so in the round of grants last summer the Orson Starr House applied for funding to put on their birthday party to raise awareness of it,” Douglas said. “I understand they were very pleased with the results.”
Alexandra Kerrington, member of the Royal Oak Historical Commission and a volunteer at the Orson Starr House, led attendees through the history of the home and the Starr family on Oct. 19.
“The Starr House is the oldest standing home left in Royal Oak; it’s not the oldest one there ever was, but it is the only one that is left, so you can get an idea of how rare it is that we have such old buildings when we have so much development in Royal Oak,” Kerrington said. “It’s important that we have open houses and we have people coming in that have lived here their whole lives and have never been in the Orson Starr House.”
Originally the day was supposed to include a historical walk to significant areas in Royal Oak associated with the Starr family, but due to the rainy weather, it was not able to be done.
“It was a really good turnout considering we had a ton of rain that day. It was cold. … I was pleasantly surprised at how many people turned up right away. Before we even opened, we had people at our door,” she said. “Like I said, we had a lot of new visitors. We always love having returning visitors, but giving that first tour through the house is always special.”
Kerrington said that the best part about having this historical landmark in Royal Oak is the opportunity to teach people about the history of Royal Oak pioneers and their connections to the different parts of the city.
“You can see people connect the dots and discover the city’s origins. The Starr family were some of the first pioneers to come to this area in the state,” she said. “People don’t realize that the land they are living on could be Starr land.”
Getting the kids involved and taking them through tours of the Starr house is another favorite aspect of Kerrington’s.
“It’s really important, especially for the little kids as well. It’s my favorite way of teaching them how people used to live, and right here in their hometown,” she said.
The Starr House was built by Orson and Rhonda Starr, according to community engagement specialist Judy Davids. The Starrs were known for their craftsmanship in manufacturing cowbells, brick and tile, industries that supported the area’s early growth.
“The Starr House was built in 1845; this was a time of great immigration from eastern states into Michigan, and so the Starr family made cowbells and bricks, and especially when you think about the role of farming in the mid 19th century in Michigan, cowbells are such an important symbol of that agricultural background,” Douglas said. “And I will say, I mean, I am a history buff and a genealogist, and I will say that if you don’t learn from your history, how can you plan for your future?”
While the planned walking tour was canceled due to rain, residents can still explore the Starr family’s legacy on their own. A self-guided tour map is available to download at romi.gov/starr-walk. The route is 3.5 miles.
For more information visit romi.gov.