fe . ▁ ▁The ▁Steph ens ▁Collection ' s ▁museum ▁and ▁arte fact s ▁are ▁now ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁visitor ▁centre . ▁ ▁S pi ke ▁Mill igan ▁Stat ue ▁ ▁S pi ke ▁Mill igan ▁lived ▁locally ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁up ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Fin ch ley ▁Society . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁de cade ▁after ▁his ▁death ▁the ▁Society , ▁led ▁by ▁Barbara ▁Warren , ▁raised ▁funds ▁- ▁the ▁S pi ke ▁Mill igan ▁Stat ue ▁Fund ▁- ▁to ▁commission ▁a ▁statue ▁of ▁S pi ke . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁cast ▁in ▁bronze ▁to ▁a ▁design ▁of ▁local ▁sculpt or ▁John ▁Som er ville ▁and ▁ere cted ▁by ▁the ▁st ables ▁block ▁in ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁Avenue ▁House . ▁▁ ▁The ▁statue ▁of ▁S pi ke ▁sitting ▁on ▁a ▁ben ch ▁was ▁un ve iled ▁on ▁ 4 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁at ▁a ▁ceremony ▁attended ▁by ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁local ▁dign itar ies ▁and ▁show bus iness ▁cele brit ies ▁including ▁Roy ▁Hud d , ▁Michael ▁Park inson , ▁Ma ure en ▁Lip man , ▁Terry ▁Gill iam , ▁Kath y ▁L ette , ▁Den is ▁Norden ▁and ▁Lyn sey ▁de ▁Paul . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁house ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁by ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Edward ▁Cooper , ▁a ▁relative ▁of ▁the ▁Allen ▁family ▁( L ords ▁of ▁the ▁man or ▁of