It was a weekend to stay indoors, so what better place than a mansion.
Many of the outdoor events planned at Scripps Days’classic cars, art, and metalworking’were difficult to enjoy because of the rain that showed up uninvited.
Orion Township Trustee Neal Porter said Saturday was a near-total washout, with only about 200 hundred people in attendance. Sunday, with a few breaks in the rain, fared a little better, though most attendants sought shelter under tents, umbrellas, and rain slickers, including Irene Ritter of Flat Rock.
‘We’re diehards, even with the rain. We came 52 miles,? said Ritter, with a beige umbrella propped above her as she sat on a patio watching performer Jason Milan strum his guitar inside a mansion porch.
‘I’m still enjoying the concert,? she said.
Ritter and her daughter, Lynette Langland, accompanied two 1960s Mustangs to the mansion even though most classic car folks had stayed home, according to Porter. He said of the 90 cars that had been registered to show, only 20 showed up.
‘When they saw the weather this morning, they just turned around and went back to bed,? Porter said.
The rain sent many flocking to the cozy comforts of the mansion to join tours of the house media mogul William Edmund Scripps built in 1927.
‘You can’t compare the craftsmanship of this house with anything they build now,? said Waterford resident Duane Ross.
Soon after husband William’s death, Nina Scripps sold the mansion in the 1950s to Guest House, who ran it as a home for members of the clergy recovering from substance abuse problems. With new facilities recently built on the grounds for those purposes, the mansion is more accessible to the public than ever before, according to Guest House President Daniel Kidd.
‘It’s a great community resource that was hidden for 50 years,? he said.
Kidd went on to say that the mansion is now available for weddings and other events, and that improvements to the grounds were ongoing.
Porter echoed Kidd’s enthusiasm about the future of the complex and hoped the rain would stay away for the next Scripps Days so more people could enjoy the estate.
‘It’s a real treasure, not just for Orion, but for Michigan. Definitely, it’s one of the finest homes in the state,? Porter said. ‘This is a super event to get Orion people involved. Hopefully the weather will cooperate next year.?