LG Energy Solution officially acquires historic Old Wing Mission
HOLLAND — According to property records and officials from the Allegan County Clerk’s Office, LG Energy Solution has purchased the historic Old Wing Mission.
The house at 5298 147th Ave. is the oldest surviving house in Holland, built in 1844.
According to the Historical Marker Database, the home was built by Isaac Fairbanks, a government agricultural agent to Native Americans. The first Dutch settlers in 1846-1847 lodged in the home and in the Fairbanks Cabin located to the southeast.
The home is located just north of LG Energy Solution's complex in Holland, a valuable piece of property given the company's interest in continuing to expand.
More: LG announces 170 layoffs in Holland, cites expansion transition
On Friday, LG communications manager Val Gent issued the following statement to The Sentinel:
“As we continue our expansion and growth plans in Holland, we have purchased the Old Wing Mission. We recognize the significance of the neighboring home and are presently working on the details related to its preservation. We look forward to continuing to serve as a contributing member of the community.”
According to property records, LG purchased the property on Oct. 27 for $1.9 million. Previous owners purchased the home in 2012 for $240,000. LG has also purchased the homes at 5304, 5320, 5266 and 5252 147th Ave.
Records show the house at 5320 147th Ave. also sold Oct. 27, but the terms of the sale aren't yet listed. The house at 5304 147th Ave. was purchased in February for $325,000.
The other two, 5266 and 5252, were purchased in November.
LG’s current plant, located off 146th Avenue near I-196, opened in 2010. In early 2022, the company announced a $1.7 billion expansion meant to create 1,000 skilled, well-paying jobs by 2025 over 1 million square feet of new construction.
A deadline to meet that hiring target from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in exchange for two $10 million grants has already pushed back by one year. The company blamed a limited labor force.
Two months ago, LG announced a $3 billion partnership with Toyota, marking a “third phase.” Officials said the additional expansion, if approved, will mean another building for LG, but not more positions.
Then, less than a month ago, the company made headlines again after an email acquired by The Sentinel showed the company plans to lay off approximately 170 workers.
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The company attributed the layoffs to the retooling of production lines and "automakers realigning the speed of the EV transition."
The Sentinel stopped at Old Wing Mission last month, but the home's then-owners said they had no comment on a possible sale. LG has yet to confirm whether it has plans to demolish the home.
Old Wing Mission was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, but the listing of a property on the register "places no restrictions on what a non-federal owner may do with their property up to and including destruction, unless the property is involved in a project that receives federal assistance," according to guidelines.
The property is not located in the city's historic district.
Old Wing Mission is also part of the State Register of Historic Sites, which lists properties approved for the Michigan Historical Marker Program. Property owners are expected to show a commitment to preserving the resource, according to state documentation, and must follow national preservation standards for any exterior modifications.
Substantial changes, the documentation says, could lead to the site's removal from the state register and repossession of the historical marker. No legal ramifications were listed.
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: LG Energy Solution officially acquires historic Old Wing Mission
