The Historic Newton House, built by Colonel James Newton in 1844 and occupied continuously by his descendants until 1930, is emblematic of almost a century of the early history of Volina Township and Cass County.  It is a fine example of nineteenth century Italianate architecture and is listed on both the Michigan State Register of Historical Sites (1974) and the National Register of Historic Places (1982).  The original section of the house is a two-story structure built in 1844.  In 1868, George Newton, Colonel Newton’s son, commissioned the architect Christian Haefner to design and build an addition to be integrated with the existing structure.  The house currently serves as a museum with permanent displays and temporary exhibitions that depict daily life during the roughly 100-year period (1844-1930) that the home was occupied by the Newton family.  In addition, several rooms are devoted to reading and research.  These rooms house information on the Newton family, the woods, and local history of the surrounding area.  They also serve as a repository for documents, family histories, and artifacts of significance.