Walking Tour-22 East Church Street-Walking Tour
(South Side of Street)

This small building was here at least by 1872 when its footprint is shown on a map of the Village. This house and the one to the west were both a part of Lot 1 Block 8. The lot was sold to Washington L. Clark by his father Jeremiah in 1845 for $1600.00. This was just one of the lots W. L. Clark owned. By 1850 he also owned Lot 10 Block 1, the northeast corner of S. Main and E. Church Streets. Clark died in 1854, when he was 36 years old.

The assessed value for this site, Lot 1 Block 8, was $75 in 1850. The value is low, but it is high enough to suggest that there may have been a small building on the lot then. Taylor H. Stewart probably built this building or added to the earlier one between 1864 and 1869.

Architecturally, this was probably a simple Greek Revival style building originally. It has the low pitched roof typical of that style. The brick chimney is probably a later addition. Asbestos siding which simulates wood shingles covers the original wood clapboard. Recently the house underwent renovation.

Official Property Description:

• The east 54' of Lot 1 Block 8 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township
• Lot 39 of the Assessor's Plat.

Significant Property History:

[A Synopsis Of Property Transfers Derived From Abstracts
(when available) And Periodic Changes In Ownership Or
Assessed Value Derived From Township Tax Records]

• 1831 United States to Butler Holcomb.
• 1833 Butler Holcomb & wife, Mary To Roswell/Roosevelt Holcomb, the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
• 1833 Butler Holcomb & wife, Mary To Roswell/Roosevelt Holcomb, and wife, Elvine Holcomb, and Daniel B. Holcomb and wife, Alimira to Jeremiah Clark, the south part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
• 1839 Jeremiah Clark to Nelson Washington Clark, the undivided 1/2 of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 commencing.......
• 1842 Jeremiah Clark & wife, Polly to Nelson W. Clark, the south part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20. Also other land.
• 1842 Jeremiah Clark & Nelson W. Clark to Village of Clarkston (Original plat of the Village).
• Butler Holcomb to Jeremiah and Polly Clark. Jeremiah and Polly to Nelson W. Clark-S. part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
• 1844 Nelson W. Clark, Lot 1 Block 8, assessed value $5.
• 1845 Jeremiah to Washington L. Clark, Lot 1 Block 8, sold for $1600.
• 1846 Washington Clark, Lot 1 Block 8, assessed value $25.
• 1848 Nelson W. Clark, Lot 2 Block 8, assessed value $25.
• 1849 Washington L. Clark, Lot 1 Block 8, assessed value $78.
• 1850 Washington Clark, Lot 2, assessed value $75, & Lot 1, assessed value $75. Clark died 1854.
• 1854 W. L. Clark's heirs, N. W. & Phidelia Clark, and Ebenezer & Sarah Ann Clark to Evens Buzzell, Lot 1 & the east 1/2 of Lot 2, assessed value $700.
• 1857 Evens (and Nelly Jane) Buzzell, Lot 1, assessed value $60, & the east 1/2 of Lot 2, assessed value $360.
  Buzzell sold Lot 1 & the east 1/2 of Lot 2, to Robert & Fanny Perry for $950.
  Tax records: Robert & Fanny Perry, the west 1/2 of Lot 2, & the north 1/2 of Lot 3, assessed value $550 (they also owned the property on E. Washington, east of Charlotte Pratt .)
  E. Buzzell, the east 1/2 of Lot 2, and Lot 1, assessed value $400.
• 1860 Robert Perry,-3 entries-3 buildings?
• 1862 Perry sold Lot 2, Lot 1 & the north 1/2 of Lot 3. (the south 1/2 of the north 1/2 of Lot 3 R. Broomfield) to Taylor H. & Melinda Stewart, for $1850.00.
• 1864 T. H. Stewart, Lot 1 the east 1/2 of Lot 2, assessed value $400.
• 1869 T. H. Stewart sold Lot 1, except 20' off the west side to Mary Howe for $1200.00.
• 1870 Mary Howe, the tax records said Block 14 but this was corrected in 1875.
• 1872 Map of the Village has the footprints of two buildings, owner, Mrs. Howe, assessed value $450
• 1873 Mary Howe, Lot 1, assessed value $500.
• 1893 Mary D. Howe sold the east 54' of Lot 1 to Catherine(Kate)Vliet for $200.00.
• 1914 Kate Vliet, part of Lot 1 Block 8. She died in 1928/29.
• 1929 sold to John A. & Lillian M. Morley for $850.00.
• 1935 John Morley ,estate, the east 54' of Lot 1 Block 8, assessed value $850. the property was sold to Augusta Dennis for $1. (the tax rolls said "Anizi" Dennis). She was Mrs. Amzie Dennis. She died in 1933. The Dennises also owned the piece across the street at 15 E. Church. Their daughter was Mrs. Casper (Irene)Warden.
• 1937 Augusta died.
• 1943 Dennis Estate.
• 1948 Don Beach, Independence Township Fire Chief.