Finally! A real estate listing for true crime junkies, lovers of historic homes, and buyers who don't mind a property with some storied ties and possible paranormal activity.
Built in 1887, the 6,500 square foot Queen Anne-style Peck Mansion, which, according to the listing, once boasted the largest ballroom and living room in town, was also the scene of one of Michigan's most infamous murder tales. Oh, and it's only $699,900, which is kind of a total steal for history buffs and people that want a ton of living space.
OK — but first let's tell you a little bit about the three-story home. It's got 10 bedrooms, seven baths, and, over the years, has been converted into a 3-6 family home, offering an opportunity for additional income thanks to several in-home units and a carriage house. While the home has been lovingly maintained, the listing points out there is plenty of room for improvements and updates, without compromising the architectural features of the home, like the grand foyer with a towering staircase, and ornate wood flooring. We personally love the slightly creepy but totally #Aesthetic exposed brick room with concrete flooring that just screams “MORE PLANTS!” Or maybe just, uh, screams.
Anyway, the mansion made headlines back in 1916 when John and Hannah Peck were murdered by their son-in-law, Dr. Arthur Waite, who was a New York dentist and an adulterer. Apparently, his sinister motives were fueled by being dissatisfied with the dowry the Pecks offered up for marrying their daughter, Clara. While the murders did not occur in the home, John and Hannah did die there, and their deaths were slow and had been initiated after the pair visited Waite and daughter Clara in New York.
Waite, who died at Sing Sing Prison in 1917 via electric shock, confessed to having put glass in Hannah's marmalade. He also reportedly sprayed her throat with influenza, anthrax, diphtheria, and tuberculosis germs, because apparently eating glass wasn't enough? As for John, he was killed slowly with arsenic and chloroform during a dental visit and added a bit extra to John's food. C'mon!
But that's not all. Apparently, there's so much more to this gruesome story. So much, in fact, that there is a book on the subject, Poisoning the Pecks of Grand Rapids: The Scandalous 1916 Murder Plot, as well as a Facebook page dedicated to the Pecks set up by their great-grandchildren.
The home, of course, known as the Peck Mansion, is nothing if not majestic and full of potential for new buyers who want to honor the home's history while breathing new life into old bones. What is most surprising about this home, though, is just how much sunlight fills the space, which may as well serve as a comfort to the new home owners and a tribute to the lives cut short.
This home is listed by Peter J Bruinsma at Grand River Realty.
