In 1827, Gamaliel Simmons of New York purchased 160 acres from the federal government in what was then Farmington Township. In 1830, the first Novi town meeting was held in the Simmons residence, a Greek Revival structure that stood on this site until the current house was built in 1931. The basement of the present house contains the cellar of the Simmons house and incorporates salvaged doors and trim in the interior. The farm passed through several owners until Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst of Greenfield Township bought it in 1918. The north barn was built by the Dennis family, which owned the farm from 1836 to 1898. Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst and their six children expanded the existing orchards to cover most of their 160 acres and, with the Erwin and Simmons families and others, helped establish Novi as a major fruit grower. Their products included apples, peaches, plums, pears, butter, and eggs. The large east and south barns, built during the 1920s, and the 1931 Craftsman style house reflect the growth of the Fuerst enterprise. In 1973, the Fuersts’ daughters Ruby and Iva sold the property to Novi Schools, stipulating that it be held for public use. The sisters lived in the house until their deaths in 1991. The farmstead was purchased by the city of Novi in 1997 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as one of Novi’s last farm complexes.