Walking Tour-80 North Main Street-Walking Tour
(East Side of Street)

This lot was originally a part of Nelson W. Clark's property until 1864 when it became C. S. Curl's land. The value of the property remained $200 until 1879 when Lee Bingham became the owner. The 1872 map shows all the properties, including this one, which Bingham owned at the time. That map shows the footprint of a building on this site then, a rectangle with the short side facing the street. It is unclear what the use of this building was at the time, since Bingham's residence was 75 S. Main and he had a foundry & woolen mill on Depot Rd., behind the building on the southwest corner of S. Main & Depot. The front one & 1/2 story section of the house was built with hand hewn beams and rough milled lumber indicating an early construction date.

Abram L. Craft became the property's owner by 1891 and the value doubled by 1896. Craft was the principal of the Clarkston High School beginning 1885. Perhaps he converted this building to residential use or improved it accounting for the increased value. (See 2/22/1967 Clarkston News article Re: A. L. Craft by Constance Lektzian.) The value again rose considerably in 1910 indicating more changes to the building. According to an item in a Community News of 1921, Willis Bellows moved permanently to Clarkston in that year. The Bellows family occupied this house and added a dining room, laundry room, bedroom, and the brick carriage house still seen behind the house. They also added the stone fireplace. A 1936 newspaper item mentioned the beautiful sight presented by the bossoming of Mrs. Bellows one hundred and fifty peony plants in June.

The original style of the building is undocumented. The front porch, which was restored in 1975, is a Classical Revival style, perhaps a part of the changes which took place in 1921. The round-top arched window beside the fireplace was probably added then too. (Note: on the interior, the mantel of the stone fireplace is finely detailed in a manner reminiscent of the Adam syle).

In 1994, the owner dramatically increased the size of the house adding a family room, a rear entry with mud hall, a master suite with sun porch and an extension to the dining room. The new family room mantel is a beam which came from a barn at Nelsey & Andersonville Rds.

Official Property Description:

• Part of lots 3 & 4 and Lots 5 & 6 Block 23 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township
• Part of Lot 27 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.
• 1858 N. W. Clark, assessed value $200.
• 1864 C. S. Curl
• 1865 Albert Thurston, assessed value $200.
• 1867, 68 & 69 William Shirts, north by the Union School, south by E. Stiff, assessed value $150.
• 1870 Lee Bingham, assessed value $175.
• 1872 Map of the Village has a rectangular building footprint with the short side facing the street, owner Lee Bingham.
• 1878 Lee Bingham, assessed value $200.
• 1880 R. Broomfield, assessed value $300.
• 1883 R. Broomfield, assessed value $300. (Note: at this time Broomfield's home was at 50 S. Main.)
• 1885 Lucy McCoy, assessed value $200.
• 1891 Abram L. Craft, assessed value $230.
• 1896 Map, Abram L. Craft, assessed value $500.
• 1899 Charlie Sly, assessed value $500.
• 1909 Julia Bellows (by reference)
• 1910 Julia Bellows, assessed value $900.
• 1914 Julia, Mrs. Charles Bellows, 42' north & south x 220' east & west, assessed value $750.
  Gertrude Church owns the piece at the back to the Lake.
• 1923 W. E. Bellows, (son of Mr.& Mrs. C. Bellows), assessed value $2600.
• 1941 W. E. Bellows, Lot 27.
• 1950 Lewis F. R. Bellow Lot 27.
• 1954 Andrew Krafeil, Lot 27, except the west 25' to Clara Kirby.