This Old House

In his 30 years as a senior official with the United Way, Rick David, a native of the Black Hills of South Dakota, saw a lot of the world.
 
"I served everywhere from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Ft. Worth Texas, to Budapest Hungary," he says. His final post was at the United Way of Oakland County, which merged with the United Way of Southeast Michigan.

He never left. Instead, he and his wife, Patricia Blackburn David, chose a new adventure after his retirement — transforming a turn-of-the-century residence in one of Pontiac's historic districts into the city's only bed-and-breakfast.

"When I approached retirement, we said, this is such a wonderful place, let's make a bed and breakfast and some other things out of it," David explains. "And we're on that journey right now. We've launched officially this year."

The Murphy House is more than a bed and breakfast. The Davids' pride and joy is also a venue for wedding showers, anniversary parties, corporate meetings and private dinners.

And it's one vehicle to assist in the turnaround of Pontiac, as the city nears its 150th anniversary.

"At one time, this was the home of the Pontiac automobile — so many different things occurred here," David says. "And now it's finding it's way, what it's going to be in the next time period."

"We wanted to give something back to Pontiac that it can be proud of, and we wanted to have our own private business. It's two sides of a coin."

The Boulevard of Roses

Franklin Boulevard, once known as "The Boulevard of Roses," stretches three blocks, connecting Orchard Lake Rd to M-59. The boulevard is wide, lined with graceful historic homes on both sides — remnants of Pontiac's historical significance as a center for the transition from "horseless carriages" to automobiles. The neighborhood was composed of Pontiac's elites: lawyers, bankers, industrialists and newspaper publishers.

On this boulevard sits The Murphy House, which David says was built from 1895 to 1902. "There's only been four owners. The first was a physician, Dr. J.J. Murphy, who worked at the first hospital in Oakland County."

The three-story mansion, created as a mix of Victorian Gothic Revival and Queen Ann Hybrid styles, offers four rooms for visitors to enjoy. A master bedroom, decorated with antique furniture and graced with a fireplace. The old nursery, transformed into the Belgium room, so named for the origin of its European furniture. The French Room offers a beautiful view of the homes' gardens, its white walls and blue trim well-lit by the afternoon sun, while the Deco Room is furnished with antiques from the 1920s.

"It's in pristine condition," David says. "Downstairs, the floors are cherry wood, and we have a wonderful parlor, an adjacent living room, and a dining room — and our table will seat 12 to 14 people. There's a kitchen and a butler's pantry, too. There are two staircases:  the formal staircase for the residents, and a second one for the help. we live on the third floor, which was the billiards room originally."

As stunning as the interiors are, visitors are usually taken aback by the exuberance of The Murphy House from the curb. "It's colorful, much like a Painted Lady," David says. "We have a wonderful lawn, a front porch in the summer — and my wife, with her love for gardening, has wonderful gardens from March to the end of October." With an adjacent lot, the home can accommodate outdoor tens for events and parking.

"We've always lived in contemporary homes, so this was an experience that we wanted to embrace. Something new for us, a historic home," he adds.  "It is a lot of work, it's continual work all the time to keep it going, but it's really special. It's unique, and when people look at it ... they're just blown away."

A Warm Welcome

When asked how he navigates his first entrepreneurial adventure at 65, David is quick to praise the business skills and know-how of his wife, Patricia Blackburn David. Once recognized as Woman of the Year for her work in Plymouth, Rick says with admiration, "She's owned several salons with 65 total employees, had spas, dress shops, and designed and developed condominiums in the Plymouth and Northville area."

Right now, their clientele is mostly regional, serving a range of guests, from business travelers to anniversary weekenders and church groups. David says the nearby hospitals have given The Murphy House a steady stream of visitors who prefer the warmth of a home to a hotel.

"At St. Joe's Hospital, they have some interesting doctors," David says. "People travel quite a distance to have surgery with them. They have a very nice reputation. So we had a professor from Kalamazoo, his wife was having foot or ankle surgery. He stayed two nights, she stayed one night, went into the hospital, and then they returned to Kalamazoo. And we enjoyed them so much. He sat by the fireplace and read his book in the evening after he had visited her in the hospital."

Patricia also serves as The Murphy House's chef-in-residence, plating up a full breakfast each day for guests. "I wash dishes quite nicely," David says. They're mindful of accommodating their visitors needs whenever possible. "For example, if one spouse has surgery at 7 a.m., the other partner might not want to eat that early; they'd want to make sure their spouse was okay," he explains. "So they'd return, and we'll serve them a second breakfast at 11 a.m." They are willing to work with clients who have allergies or special dietary restrictions. "Whatever their needs are, we want to make sure they're cared for."

The B&B's signature are its baked goods, courtesy of Patricia's light hand with sweets. "My wife is an excellent baker," he raves. "So many nights, our guests will relax in the living room with a slice of coconut cream pie or apple pie or cinnamon apples over ice cream."

Old City, New Chapter

Having spent fifteen years in Pontiac, Rick and Patricia define the role of good citizens in their community. Rick is a member of the Committee of 50 and the 150th anniversary committee. Patricia is the president of the Garden Club. Together, they serve as co-presidents of the Creative Arts Center. And they're currently revamping a second property, a cottage home in Pontiac's most desirable historic neighborhood, Seminole Hills, as a short-term residence for Mitten State travelers here on business.

"You can be a big fish in a small pond," David says of doing business in Pontiac. "We have a wonderful highway system all around us, so there's easy access to other communities. We are the county seat, and there's opportunity to be really involved in the community."

The Davids are proof that retirement can be fertile ground for new opportunities. David says he was inspired by a comment Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson made at this year's State of the County address. "I heard him saying something like, he's not going to ride a bicycle in Sarasota, Florida. It's the same way for us. We could have retired, but no. We have this wonderful place, and we want to maximize it. So we're here, in Pontiac, and we're ready to go for the foreseeable future."

His advice to other local entrepreneurs: consider becoming a change agent in a city that needs new blood. "There's opportunity for people who haven't been involved in other cities, to be part of Pontiac's turnaround," he argues. And as the city's 150th anniversary nears, there's no better time to define the next chapter of Pontiac's history. "You always have to ask the question, 'what do you want to be famous for?'," he says. "You can't be famous for everything. What I want this year is for Pontiac to define what it wants to be famous for."

With five historic districts located within the city's borders, Pontiac's architecture is one asset that entrepreneurs and future residents alike can enjoy. "There are wonderful historic buildings and homes that are very reasonably priced and haven't deteriorated hardly at all," he says. "So I say, go for it! It's going to take a couple of years. We're recreating something that we had long ago into something new."

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Find out more about The Murphy House of Pontiac here.

Photos courtesy of Rick and Patricia Blackburn David.

Ashley C. Woods is a freelance writer who hopes to stay in the French Room. Send your comments or questions here.