1 Hoard House
The actual date the Hoard House was built remains a mystery. An excerpt from Metamora Among the Hills states, “The first store built in the village was erected before 1850, first managed, then owned by Daniel Ammerman. It was said that he carried on an extensive general store business for some time. Several owners followed Mr. Ammerman before it was purchased by Lorenzo Hoard in 1850. It became the Hoard House and the east wing was added to the north-south structure.” Other sources of information indicate the Hoard House was built in 1850.
Frank Peters owned the Inn during Prohibition and was credited with changing the name to the White Horse Inn in 1929.
When the railroad came through, Mr. Hoard received a franchise to feed and house overnight passengers and the Hoard House is listed in the 1874 Atlas of Lapeer County as “having good accommodations for traveler, feed and stabling for horses.”
Over the decades, the ownership has passed through more than a dozen hands. Gilbert Olds owned the Hoard House around 1917-1923 and was known for going around in the summer without shoes. Frank Peters owned the Inn during Prohibition and was credited with changing the name to the White Horse Inn in 1929. The name reportedly came from a club Mr. Peters belonged to in Detroit. The first Halloween after the sign’s installation, mischief-makers “borrowed” a white horse from a local farm and tied it to the front door of the inn as a surprise for Mr. Peters in the morning.
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