Walking Tour-62 North Main Street-Walking Tour
(East Side of Street)

This house was built by 1855 for Milton H. Clark, son of Jeremiah & Pheobe Clark, and his wife, Hannah. Milton had one of the first stores in Clarkston, a general merchandise and hardware store in a two story wooden building on the southwest corner of W. Washington & S. Main Sts. (In 1855 the tax records listed the business as Clark & Stearns, but the name Stearns disappeared in the succeeding years). Clark maintained the store for about forty years. He died in 1892.

The house is another example of a Midwestern adaptation of the Greek Revival style. It has the low-pitched roof with broken pediment facing the street and a one & 1/2 with single story wing (to the south) typical of the style. There was a door between the 2 windows under the front recessed porch at the time the house was used as a two family residence. Inside the door between the entry hall and the library was walled up. In 1937, during the remodeling which returned the house to single family use, the door was removed and a window was installed in its place. There were exterior alterations also at that time. A Pontiac Press article of that year said of the M. O. Clark homestead "while modernized, the simplicity & homelike spirit of its original colonial lines has been preserved." While the original house was not "colonial" at all, colonial style details were added. The front door was given a broken pediment with a pineapple finial, the colonial symbol of welcome. At this time an addition was constructed to the east wall of the one & 1/2 story section and a kitchen, utility & maid's room were added to the rear of the single story wing.

Official Property Description:

• Lot 9 & 10 Block 23 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township.
• Lot 30 of the Supervisor's Replat of the Northwestern Addition & part of the Original 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]

• Note: All the properties currently located in the Historic District were originally part of a tract registered by Butler Holcomb with the federal government on October 22, 1831. Thus, abstracts for these properties, when they exist, show the original transfer to be from the United States to Butler Holcomb and may also include references to then President Andrew Jackson.
• 1844 Nelson W. Clark, Block 23, assessed value $60.
• 1846 Nelson W. Clark, Blocks 23 & 24, assessed value $250.
• 1847 Nelson W. Clark, Block 23, assessed value $50.
• 1848 Nelson W. Clark, Block 23, assessed value $15.
• 1849 Nelson W. Clark, Block 23, assessed value $50.
• 1850 N. W. Clark
• 1855 Milton H. Clark.
• 1872 Map of the Village shows a building footprint on this site, owner M.H. Clark.
• 1892 Milton Henry Clark died.
• 1893"H. M."/M. H. Clark, estate
• 1896 M. H. Clark, estate.
• 1898 Josephine Clark, assessed value $700.
• 1910 Josephine Clark, assessed value $1100.
• 1931 Josephine Clark died.
• 1933 Mrs. M. Clark
• 1935 Mrs. Milton Clark
• 1940 E. V. Squier.
• 1950 Ronald E. Spohn, Lot 30.