Our clients and visitors frequently comment on the cozy atmosphere of our beautiful and unique historic home. We provide a sense of comfort not found in most other counseling centers. We hope you find our home a beneficial place in your journey toward healing and recovery.

The Marriage and Family Center changed its name to The Fountain Hill Center for Counseling and Consultation. Over the years we have had a variety of wonderful staff join. Some have stayed for decades, while others have come and gone within years. Each diversifying the services available to our community.

With the help of a generous and supportive donor, The Marriage and Family Center purchased the entire house from Central Reformed Church.

The Marriage and Family Center (now The Fountain Hill Center) was established by Central Reformed Church. A group of people from Central believed that the Church should create a counseling center if it was to take “caring” seriously. The counseling center would serve both the congregation of Central, as well as the greater Grand Rapids community.

Andy Atwood, then working at Central as a part-time Minister to Singles, became the Center’s first staff member and our founder. The Center began leasing the first floor for office space in 1975. By 1986 it had expanded to the second floor, while the third floor remained an apartment.

Central Reformed Church purchased the house from the Irwin family with the intention of demolishing it to expand their parking lot. The federally protected Heritage Hill Historic District was formed shortly after the purchase, making the house a permanent piece of Grand Rapids history. The house became a rental property with several apartments.

The balcony above the front desk was the location for the original staircase. When the house was converted to apartments, the original staircase was removed—creating our “balcony to nowhere.” A new staircase was built to accommodate a multi-unit floor plan.

The Blair family sold the house to Mr. and Mrs. Earle S. Irwin of Irwin Seating Company, the world leader in public seating. Earle Irwin was also director of Michigan National Bank and a trustee of Butterworth Hospital. In 1924, the Irwin family converted the third floor to a ping pong and billiards recreation room so that the then-current city tennis champion (Earle’s son, William) and the former champion (Earle) could keep their skills fresh during the winter months.

The Bundy family sold the house to the Blair family.

McGeorge Bundy’s fiancée was given this house by her father as a wedding gift. The same year, McGeorge returned from France after serving as a U.S. Diplomatic Corps member. Bundy’s grandsons, McGeorge and William, notably served in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.