History
6
In 1847, Holland's founder, the Reverend Albertus C. Van Raalte, purchased this property from the federal government for $2.32 an acre. When his son Benjamin returned from the Civil War in 1865, Van Raalte gave him the 160-acre tract. By 1873, when Benjamin married Julia Gilmore, he had built this Classical Revival-inspired house and two barns. Benjamin was a prosperous farmer and agricultural implements dealer. When he died in 1917, his daughter Julia Christina and her husband, Orlando C. Relmold, inherited the property. The Relmold family came to the farm each summer, and Julia Christina considered it her home and often came for extended visits. In 1883, Benjamin's great-grandchildren sold the farm to the city of Holland, which preserved it as a park. The Van Raalte Farm is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Hear stories like this as you drive
ExploreHere reads historical markers out loud as you pass them: over 325,000 stories across the US. No account needed.
4.7 · 800+ ratings · Free
FIND IT
Holland, Michigan · United States
