Noted Lansing architect Darius B. Moon built this Queen Anne style house in 1894 for realtor Herbert M. Rogers (1850-1920). Rogers had numerous real estate investments in the area. He purchased the lot, on which the home was built, in 1892 from Julia Lang. He went on to commission the home’s design from Moon. H.M. Rogers along with his sister Carrie and brother-in-law Quincy Smith resided in the home from its completion until 1901. Rogers sold the home to Dr. Thomas M. Winters (1866-1904) in 1901. Dr. Winters was a native of Dansville, Michigan, and got his medicine degree from the University of Michigan in 1897. Following Winters’ death in 1904, his widow Agnes sold the home to M. Ralph Carrier (1866-1944) in 1905 for $6,450.

History of the Rogers-Carrier House

Carrier was a Lansing merchant, considered a pioneer in commercial and industrial life in Lansing. His family came to the city in 1881. By 1884, when he turned 18 years old, he took over his father’s dry good store. At age 29 in 1895, Carrier was elected alderman for the fourth ward, and served one year as Mayor Pro-tem of the City of Lansing. Over his career he was president of Carrier-Stephens Chemical Co. and of Citizens Loan and Investment Corp. Lastly, he was president of Federal Drop Forge Co. He served on the committee to build the old Romanesque Lansing City Hall in the 1890s. Carrier later served as a Police and Fire Commissioner. He was a member of the Municipal board, always maintaining an interest in the success and function of the police and fire departments in Lansing. Carrier was also past president of the Michigan Wholesale Grocers Association and of the Lansing Chamber of Commerce. Ralph Carrier died in 1944. His widow Jane died in 1956. The Carrier family owned and occupied the home until 1964.

In 1966, Lansing Community College bought the home for extra space on its growing campus. It was used for various purposes over the years, including as a bookstore, office space, and departmental offices. By 1982, students in the architectural studies center began restoring the home, including a redesign and reconstruction of the turret that had previously been removed.