Green Oak Township officials have approved a proposal for a historical study to be done on a home built and lived in by early settlers.

The Clark-Munzel home on the 12000 block of 9-Mile Road in Green Oak Township is one of the oldest in the township, built sometime around the 1850s. It was originally home to early Green Oak settler and farmer Linus Clark, and then later to environmental activist and local lawmaker, Herbert Munzel. At Wednesday’s meeting of the Green Oak Township Board of Trustees, officials approved a study to be done on the home and property, which will evaluate its historical significance and eligibility for consideration as a Green Oak Charter Township Local Historic District.

Cheryl Chidester of the Historic District Commission will perform the study with the cooperation of its current homeowner, Ruth Munzel, who also sits on the commission. The study will attempt to determine the historic narrative of the site, the settlement history and how it relates to the property, and the significance of both the Clark and Munzel families to Green Oak Township.

The cost of the study is $2,400, and leaves $3,900 in the Historic District Commission’s budget. In a timeline submitted to the Board of Trustees, the study is expected to be completed by next May. (MK)