History

In the early 1990s, Eastbrook Homes CEO Mick McGraw took a stroll through the 300+ acres of cornfields and wetlands between 52nd and 60th streets that is now Baileys Grove and envisioned a community that consisted of single family homes and condominiums along with parks, walking trails that were nestled in amongst the trees and with close proximity to some of the finest schools in the area.

By 1997, the very first Bailey’s Grove house had been built, in a project that was the first of its kind of West Michigan – a residential subdivision designed around the values of neighborliness and community as well as the quality of the homes themselves. Subdivisions had already been growing in popularity for years, of course, but while they were well known for the comfort and security they afforded, they seemed lacking when it came to a sense of community. Bailey’s Grove designers, developers and builders collaborated to rise above that shortcoming and spent the next ten years outfitting the development with a variety of housing options, including single family homes ranging from 1,500 all the way up to 2,800 square feet, to standalone condominiums and townhouses. A community park, clubhouse and pool were implemented, while thousands of trees were either preserved, replanted or newly planted to give the development a sense of establishment. In 2007, Eastbrook sold its three final Bailey’s Grove properties, capping off a project ten years in the making from cornfields to community hub.

Today, Bailey’s Grove continues to be a vibrant and much-sought-after neighborhood for everyone from growing families to retirees to young professionals. Built around a main thoroughfare that sprawls in a somewhat circular fashion, the development branches off on both sides of the thoroughfare into smaller "clusters" of roundabout drives and cul de sacs to offer residents even greater quiet and seclusion while fostering a strong sense of solidarity among the residents – the thinking being that people will have a better odds of getting to know their neighbors if they’re sharing a quiet drive or cul de sac with just a few other houses versus a row of 50 homes set side-by-side along a busy avenue.

Baileys Grove is a community in the truest sense.

Historical Information

Paris Township was founded in the early 1830's by a small group of residents who believed in the areas potential. As an early chronicler regional of history put it: "As a grain-growing and stock-raising township, Paris in unexcelled in the country, and it is also noted for it's heavy yield of fine grass."

In 1839 the township was formally created by the state legislature, and the first town meeting was held. Soon after, a farmer named Sluman Bailey made Paris his home. He went off to become sheriff of Kent county, and became famouse for his dedication to his family and his community.

Bailey spent his later years campaigning for equal property rights for women and the improvement of area roads. It is Sluman Bailey whom Baileys Grove is named.

Today Paris Township is part of the city of Kentwood, and stories of its origin are recalled only by historians and by descendants of founding families. Yet, even after 150 years of growth and expansion, the legacy of the pioneers - their determination to build a good life for themselves and their families - still remains. It is this legacy that is honored in the unique community of Baileys grove.