Volunteers, helping hands needed for childhood home of Saginaw's Pulitzer Prize-winning poet

The greenhouses that used to sit behind an unassuming white, two-story house on Gratiot Avenue in Saginaw inspired the imagery that fired the imagination of a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.

And six years ago, the childhood home of Theodore Roethke -- located at 1805 Gratiot Avenue -- finally was listed as a National Literary Landmark along with other historical literary sites, including the homes of William Faulkner, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway and other famous writers around the country.

But despite the historical significance of the site, the nonprofit that operates the museum still is in the process of upgrading the home and educating the community about the city's famous poet and his legacy, says Annie Ransford, president of the Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation and director of the Theodore Roethke Home Museum.

The organization, which offers tours of the house by appointment, regularly hosts writers groups, poetry workshops, poetry readings, school programs, picnics, lectures, and other events throughout the year. The house itself includes original artifacts from the writer's life, including the piano Roethke played when he was growing up, the home's original dining room table and chairs, and a mahogany rocking chair.

"We're still, in essence, teaching the community about Theodore Roethke," Ransford says.

Despite making headway, the foundation can always use more volunteers who are able to help with everything from painting to fundraising, she says. The organization also is still paying the mortgage on the house, so donations and annual memberships -- which cost $30 for individuals and $45 for couples -- also help keep the museum in operation.

Eventually, the foundation wants to create a cultural/education outreach center with classrooms, along with a greenhouse pavilion for arts events.

For more information, or for a tour of the Roethke Home Museum, call 989-280-6499.

Writer: Jenny Cromie
Source: Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation, Annie Ransford