Oakland County, Michigan
Healthy Home Assessments in Brandon Township
Rural hill-country township at the top of Oakland County along the M-15 Pure Michigan Byway, centered on the historic village of Ortonville. Dr. Jadan walks the whole house and reports plainly.
Inside a Brandon Township home
A local distinction: Gateway to the roughly 5,400-acre Ortonville State Recreation Area of high wooded hills.
The housing stock
By the 2023 five-year American Community Survey, 87.0% of units are detached single-family homes and 95.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied. Some 33.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The building record here reaches back to 1856, and an older envelope moves air and holds moisture on its own terms.
Owner-occupancy of 95.6% means the envelope and the equipment inside it normally sit with one decision maker, so findings are ordered by what to do first.
Ground that fixes Brandon Township on the map:
- Old Mill Museum. Grist mill built in 1856 by Ortonville founder Amos Orton, now a museum with a military display, country store, and working rug loom.
- Mann One-Room Schoolhouse. Historic schoolhouse relocated to the Old Mill grounds and open for tours.
- Old Mill Blacksmith Shop. Working blacksmith shop added in 2020 with monthly classes and event demonstrations.
- Ortonville State Recreation Area. About 5,400 acres of high wooded hills spanning north Oakland and southern Lapeer counties at the village's edge.
- Brandon Township Community Park. 47-acre former Vantine farm on Seymour Lake Road with soccer and baseball fields, a 40-foot sledding hill, boundless playground, and a natural fen.
Streets and settlements
Brandon Township also contains one named district, Ortonville. Ortonville: Incorporated village founded by Amos Orton, the township's historic center.