This historic site is about 1.5 miles west of  "downtown" Grape on North Custer Road. It was constructed in 1856 as the home of German immigrant, Peter Seitz, who used it both as his home and as a place for stage coaches to stop on their trip between Monroe and Dundee. At that time, what is now North Custer Road was an unpaved highway which was covered with wooden planks. A few miles from here as it turns north toward Milan, it becomes Plank Road.

In 1860, a local group of German immigrants met here to make plans for the founding of St Matthew Lutheran Church. The first recorded date in the history of the St Matthew congregation was June 3, 1860 when thirty Lutherans met in the Bridge School on that Sunday, and Pastor F.A. Herzberger of Monroe, Michigan, preached to them. At their request he came every three weeks, and continued preaching.

A church constitution was adopted on the 21st of October, 1860, and on November 12, 1860, at the home of Peter Seitz, the congregation was organized. This later became the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Cominess, 8941 North Custer Road, who were also members of the congregation.

This meeting lasted from 9 a.m. until noon and twelve men were present, besides Pastor Herzberger. These were the original members, the fact being recorded twice in the church books. They were: Friedrich Rath, Carl Rath, John Strass, Henry Burwitz, Carl Burwitz, Frederick Rehberg, Ludwig Schulz, John Schulz, Joachim Baas, Adolph Meier, John Goetz and Peter Seitz. These men and their wives had all been born, baptized and confirmed in Germany, and most of them had been in America less than five years. Peter Seitz was the oldest of the company.

Adolph Meier was then the owner of 8861 Dixon Road which would be purchased by William Carl Heiden in 1909. This meeting occurred 13 years before the arrival of August and Rika Heiden into Monroe County.

By the time I was around in the 1950s and 60s, it was the home of William "Bill" Cominess who was a close friend of my grandfather, William Carl Heiden. They were the same age and were probably life-long friends.

Behind this house is the River Raisin. Directly across to the south is part of the farm owned by Wm Carl at 8861 Dixon Road. When the river was frozen in the winter, they could simply walk across the ice to play cribbage (card game) together.

In the early 1960s, I would mow Mr. Cominess' lawn. Often I would drive a tractor or ride my bike across the bridge near Bridge School to get here although at the time, I was living at 8864 Dixon Road, also directly across the river.

It was a large yard and took over two hours to mow for which I received $3.00. Believe it or not, that was good money back then.