Thomas Ludwell Lee Brent house - Flushing, MI This home was built by Thomas Ludwell Lee Brent, the son of Daniel Carroll Brent of Stafford Co., Virginia, north of Flushing, in the northwest corner of Michigan's Genesee County.  Thomas Brent brought his Spanish wife and two children to the frontier of Michigan in the 1830's, intending to establish a lumber empire.  Though possessing a considerable fortune, he overextended himself in the purchase of land, and his business skills then proved inadequate to rescue himself.  While Thomas' money lasted, the Brents lived in the grand style of the Virginia planter-aristocracy in what was then still a rough frontier.  Thomas died about 1847, with the house still unfinished.  His wife and children finished the home, but possessing no business knowledge of their own, spent the remainder of the fortune with great recklessness.  Finally, as Mrs. Brent lay dying, creditors were stripping the grand house of its furnishings.  The last of the property was sold off in the 1860's and Thomas Brent's son and daughter moved to Buffalo, NY.  The house passed through several different owners, Thomas Brent's original 70,000 acres or so reduced to about 300.  In 1966, a new owner split off part of the land for a subdivision, keeping the rest to build a new home and to raise Arabian horses. At that time, the Brent mansion was torn down.  Thomas Brent had originally named the house 'Rosemont', but by the time of demolition it was generally known as 'Brentwood Manor'.  The above photo appeared in the June 1, 1966 edition of The Flint Journal.   DOCUMENTS     HOME