Historic Holland-The Farm
The old Van Raalte farmhouse sits stately atop the highest promontory in Holland, east of town on 16th Street.
The property is a city-owned park, bought in 1983 when many people agreed the history and the last standing Van Raalte home should be preserved as part of Holland's personal history. Prior to that, the property was only owned by descendants of the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, Holland's founder.
Since then the property has not changed a lot. Parks department and DeGraaf Nature Center interns routinely live in the old farmhouse and take care of it. A trail system with boardwalks, picnic area, playground and sledding hill were developed and have been maintained.
But not much has been done with the old farmhouse that was built in 1871. An addition was added by the family several decades ago. The tiny kitchen was modernized. At one point the wood trim was painted pink to match dated wallpaper. Bits of the historical house are still present in some lighting fixtures, draperies and rugs.
When the Rev. Van Raalte's great-great-great-granddaughter, Cindy Merwin, visited during a Civil War Muster - held at the farm annually by the city and the Holland Historic Trust - she found an old mahogany and steel piano in one of the barns on the property, said Carolyn Marquis, chairwoman of the city's Leisure and Cultural Services Commission.
Merwin said the piano was Julia Christina (Van Raalte) Reimold's, Marquis said. Reimold was the third generation Van Raalte to own the farm. She and her husband inherited it in 1917 after her father, Benjamin Van Raalte, died. He was given the property by his father, the Rev. Albertus Van Raalte, after Benjamin Van Raalte returned home from the Civil War.
Though having a working farm is very expensive, Marquis said, there has been thought to using the two barns that remain on the property. The barns, both built after the younger Van Raalte's return from war in 1865, are old and weathered and only used for storage.
The "Farm" now hosts a Civil War reenactment every fall. One of the first Reenactments was the battle of Utoy Creek since that had direct ties to the property owner. Mr Benjamin Van Raalte enlisted in Company 1 of the 25th Michigan Infantry in 1862 and served until the regiment was mustered out. One of the most interesting incidents reported about his service was that at Utoy Creek, Georgia the regiment lost two color bearers and the regimental colors, where left on the field when the Union troops were driven back. During the night Van Raalte crept through the confederate lines, secured the colors and brought them back to the regiment.
The posted coords will place you near a historical marker. To locate the geocache you will have to visit it and collect some information.
The geocache is located at N42 46.ABC W 86 03.XYZ
A= Second digit in the year the property was sold to the city of Holland
B= Number of acres divided by 20.
C= Number of times "Van Raalte" is on the sign (both sides)
X= Number of times Benjamin's mother Christina is mentioned in the description.(both sides) plus 4
Y= Number of letters in Alburtus C. VanRaalte's sons first name.
Z= Number of Barns mentioned on the sign.
Check sum ABCXYZ = 39. If the check sum doesn't add up then you didn't pay close attention. Go back and try again!