The Mayor, The Maestro, and The Mansion by Carol Dodge

What is The Mayor, The Maestro, and The Mansion?

The Mayor, The Maestro, and The Manson is the story of the Sweet House, the elegant. historic house at 254 Fulton East on the southwest corner of Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Not only is the house a superb example of a fine Victorian Italianate home built in the 1860's but it was occupied by 2 very prominent men who contributed greatly to the development and the culture of our the. There are no books or collection of information these men, Martin Luther Sweet and Ottokar Malek,  nor of the house. These men deserve to be recognized for their contributions as does the house which is a unique treasure - filled with fine art, elaborate woodwork craftsmanship, antiques, imported fire place, magnificent wall covering made from 1800 blocks, designed in France in the 1800's, and there are many other artifacts.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have been in love with the Sweet House for almost 80 years. As a young girl on my way to choir practice at First (Park) Congregational Church every Wednesday after school, I would walk down Fulton Street Hill past the Sweet House, which then was the clubhouse of the Women's City Club,and I would see women coming out of the House, always wearing lovely hats, I remember thinking, "Wouldn't it be grand to have lunch there someday?" Then, when I was a senior at Central High School, I received the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award and, along with girls from other high schools, we were honored with a special tea at the Sweet House. (The very formal invitation from the DAR included instructions to wear a hat and gloves!) The tea was lovely, and I was so impressed with the welcoming ambiance of the house, the beautiful tea table, and the warm hospitality of the members. I remember going home and telling my mother that I would like to belong to that Club someday. Many years later, In 1985, I joined the Women's City Club and have enjoyed the many benefits of membership, particularly attending events and meetings at the Sweet House. When I became a Board member in 1990, the president assigned the chairmanship of the history committee to me.   The WCC president could not have given me a more appropriate assignment. I have always been interested in early GR history, and I eagerly dove into researching the history of the house and found the story of the two prominent men who lived there very intriging.   I wanted to share this information with the Club members – to make them aware of the important part these men made in the development and the culture of early Grand Rapids so for 12 years I presented a history program. And I began to think, “What’ going happen to this information when I’m not around – what can be done to bring awareness to the community of the importance of this house, and I decided to write a book.

Why is preserving the Sweet House and the legacy of Martin Sweet and Ottokar Malek so important?

Both Martin Sweet and Ottokar Malek contributed greatly to the early development of and the culture of Grand Rapids, and neither are recognized for their contributions.  There are no books or collection of information about them.  Martin Sweet was a leader in the community from the time he arrived in 1846.  He was an entrepreneur, owning and managing 19 business, and he was the richest man in Grand Rapids for many years.  In 1860 he was the first Republican mayor in the city.  In the newspaper obituary it states that "no one did more for the development of early Grand Rapids than Martin Sweet."  Ottokar Malek was an internationally famous concert pianist who came to Grand Rapids in 1914 to established his acclaimed Malek School of Music which was in the Sweet House and the Malek family also lived in the house.  His school was know throughout the state for its

superb professional faculty and outstanding artistic surroundings.  In 1919 he was offered the position as director of the St, Cecilia Orchestra which had 25 members.  He enlarged the orchestra to 60 outstanding musicians.  They had four very successful seasons (always with rave reviews) until his sudden death in 1923 at his age 47.  One year later, it was Malek's orchestra that became the Grand Rapids Symphony.  A quote from Ernest Fisher in 1918:  "When the history of music in Michigan shall be properly written, few men will be found who have more indelibly stamped their individuality and genius upon their period and their community than has Ottokar Malek ."  There is a gap in the Grand Rapids history and for an unknown reason, these two remarkable men have not been recognized.  The community should be aware of their many contributions. 

What part of the writing process did you find the most enjoyable with this book?

I loved all parts of the writing.  The research was exciting.  The writing was satisfying (to know that the lives of Sweet and Malek and the treasures of the Sweet House would become known.  I worked with two outstanding editors who were inspiring and supportive and invaluable to me.  The encouragement from family and friends was heartwarming.