door trim

Greek Revival front door surround with transom.

Traditional/Greek Revival Style, c. 1870

The other day I was riding my bike down the gravel farm roads of Michigan’s thumb area, when I found this elegant front door surround in the charming town of Lexington.

Lexington sits on the shore of Lake Huron, and has been a popular summer vacation destination for a very long time, even as far back as when this home was built.

Note how this surround compares to the last one I posted, DOOR TRIM-117.

greek revival historic home

Greek Revival historic home in Lexington, Michigan.

Greek Revival moldings can be highly ornate or simple like this one. To build one like this would be a very easy thing to do, which makes me scratch my head and wonder why more people don’t replicate them.

In its understated simplicity, this door surround sends the powerful message that the visitors who enter by way of the front door are important.

2016 Molding Safaris

This year I want to take you inside a series of historic homes that I find on my travels, either by car or by bicycle, hence the molding safaris. I’ll cover the major period styles I highlight here on TJOM: Traditional, Victorian and Arts & Crafts.

But this being mid-winter in Michigan, I could not find a soul to take me inside any of the homes I found this weekend. But at least I was lucky enough to find one open pub in Lexington where I was served a tasty hot lunch. But not a single motel was open, so I had to zoom north to Port Sanilac to snag the one available motel room in the area.

surly pugsley

Port Sanilac, another historic town that deserves its own molding safari!

Such is the nature of moldings safaris; I never know what I’m going to find or who I’m going to meet!

My preferred mode of transportation is pictured below, my beloved Surly Pugsley. Bicycle is the perfect way to explore small towns because I can cover a lot of ground and stop when and where I like, without causing a hazard. And best of all, it’s so much easier to meet people when I’m riding my bike!

surly pugsley

Me and Pugsley just down the street from the above historic home.