There was plenty of activity at the Old Magnolia Farm in Addison Township Sunday afternoon.
Folks of all ages wandered through the spacious barn, petted the gentle horses and walked the lush grounds as part of the Metamora Hunt Club’s annual stable tour.
Six area horse farms were part of this self-guided tour that gave people a unique opportunity to get a closer look at these picturesque places, learn more about what goes on at each of them and get a real sense of their beauty.
Approximately 350 people paid $25 each to go on the tour.
Located at 5465 Hosner Rd., the Old Magnolia Farm is the home of Ken and Diane Matheis, members of the Metamora Hunt Club, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. They’ve owned it for about six years and are big fans of the hunt country and its culture.
“Once we got out here, we realized how great this area is in terms of its people and the heritage and the equestrian-type activities. It’s just a phenomenal place to live,” said Ken, who’s been one of the Hunt Club’s joint Masters of Foxhounds since 2013.
Old Magnolia Farm has been around for a long time as it was originally established around 1860 by Henry and Margaretta Purse. Henry lived from 1818-77 and Margaretta from 1818-79. They had eight children, three of whom died as infants. The couple is buried in Kingsbury Cemetery.
When the Matheises purchased the farm, only the two-story, 3,500-square foot house was there. According to Ken, “it was in decent shape,” but “it was in need of some renovation.”
“We’ve tried to put the farm back to its original look and feel – the porch, the railing around the top (of the house), even the bell in the backyard,” he said.

In addition to restoring the historic farmhouse, the couple had outbuildings constructed, including the stunning 9,000-square-foot horse barn/carriage house that’s connected to the house by a new breezeway.
In 2016, William J. Thomas Studios, the Rochester-based residential design and construction company that handled the project, received five design awards for it from Detroit Home Magazine, published by Hour Media.
The project won first place in the categories of overall home, historic renovation/restoration, deck/patio/porch and large remodel (more than 1,000 square feet). It also placed second in the traditional architecture (up to 4,000 square feet) category.
With 100 acres, there’s no shortage of room for the couple and their five horses to roam on this slice of rural heaven.
“The original farm that we bought was 20 (acres) and then, we bought 80 acres around it,” Ken said.
According to Ken, this was his farm’s third time on the tour. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with visitors, exchanging ideas and helping others “get a feel for what they want in a barn or a farm.”
“I don’t mind people learning from what we’ve done,” he said. “I didn’t do it all right, but I did a lot that worked out pretty well.”

For more photos of this historic estate, pick up a copy of the Oxford Leader for just $1.