Walking Tour-104 North Main Street-Walking Tour
(East Side of Street)

While the 1976 research done for the Historic Building/Structure Inventory Form cites 1856 for the construction date of this house, that date seems unlikely. There is no building footprint shown on this site on the 1872 Map of the Village. The tax records listed J. R. Vliet for this property from 1826 to 1872 when G. W. Vliet was listed. The value was high, $800 for J. R. Vliet's piece, but it was a large piece extending from the north boundary of the School (90 N. Main) property to Clarkston - Orion Rd. When G. W. Vliet acquireed this lot only, the value was $70, a reasonable value for a vacant property. The value rose to $300 by 1873 & to $700 in 1880. The house was more likely built between 1872 and 1880.

The Victorian vernacular farmhouse style of the building also supports the later construction date. Photos of the original house are not available at this time. Perhaps there were more stylistic details, originally, which were removed at some time. The porch with simple round column supports has a Classical Revival look. It was remodeled in the 1970s. The oldest, two story part of the house, has tall slender windows with pointed arch window hoods. There was a second entry door, on the south side of the two story section, under the porch roof at right angles to the existing front door. This was not unusual before the turn of the century. One door went into the front parlor while the other was for family use. Some houses in Clarkston had two front doors because the original single family use was converted to multiple use.

In the 1980s an aluminum awning on the south side over a door was replaced with a roof matching the pitch of the roof above. The roof is supported by columns like those of the front porch. Interior & exterior remodeling/restoration were a part of the 1980 project.

Official Property Description:

• A piece in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township, not a part of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village.
• Lot 54 of the Supervisor's Plat No. 1

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.
• 1831 Butler Holcomb.
• 1837 Jeremiah Clark.
• 1949 Nelson W. Clark, the west part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20, assessed value $150.
• 1859 Joel Griffith, the north part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20, assessed value $175.
• 1856 Joseph Harris
• 1861 Mary Ann Harris, north & west by the highway, east by Morrison, south by Cochran, assessed value $800.
• 1862 J. R. Vliet, assessed value $800.
• 1872 Map of the building shows no building footprint on this site, owner George W. Vliet.
• 1873 G. W. Vliet, assessed value $300.
• 1880 G. W. Vliet, assessed value $700.
• 1896 Map, owner G.W. Vliet.
• 1904 Joseph Reese, north & east by Robertson, south by the Union School, assessed value $900.
• 1911 as above, assessed value $1100.
• 1914 Chelson A. Gibson.
• 1918 David Teggerdine.
• 1923 Eugene Vliet. The residence of Mr. & Mrs. George Harris.