Walking Tour-99 North Main Street-Walking Tour
(West Side of Street)
In 1872, there was a small square building on this site. There is no information available which describes this building or its use. In 1902/1903, Norman Ellis built a home here, reportedly because Mrs. Ellis wanted a home in town. The Ellises owned a large farm, Ingomar Farms, on Dixie Highway in Springfield Township. According to an item in the 9/25/1902 edition of the Pontiac Post newspaper, "The dwelling house on Main street being erected for N. J. Ellis by F. D. Beardsley is being pushed to competion, and judging from the plan, will be one of the handsomest homes in Clarkston. No work lags under Mr. Bearksley's supervision. The stone work done by Jerome Vliet is a model of its kind."
This late Victorian style house disappeared under later modernizations.
In 1935-1937, according to a newspaper article, Clifford J. Waterbury " transformed a large home of Victorian architecture into a splendid example of Georgian, modified to modern need." In 1941, the owners added a screened porch to the rear of the house which became a year round room in 1947. The garage was lengthened and the breezeway was changed in 1965. Architecturally, the house now has a psuedo Federal style appearance.
Official Property Description:
- Part of the east 1/2 of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township, not a part of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village.
- Lot 36 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.
- 1832 Butler Holcomb.
- 1844 Gamaliel Truesdell, the northeast 1/4 of the Southwest 1/4, assessed value $215.
- 1846 Joseph "Chatman", one acre on the northwest corner of the northeast 1/4 of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 20, assessed value $10.
- 1848 Joseph "Chapman", the northeast corner of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 20, assessed value $100.
- 1847 David Lewis.
- 1849 D. S. Lewis, the northeast corner of the Southwest 1/4, assessed value $103.
- 1872 Map of the Village has the footprint of a very small building on this site, owner, Mrs. Thurston.
- 1876 Mary E. Lewis Thurston. (Mrs. David Lewis became Mrs. Eleazer Thurston).
- 1877 Abram Thurston, assessed value $700.
- 1882 Mrs. Mary Powelson, 64' off the north side of land of H. H. Howe, assessed value $200.
- 1889 John Roberts, assessed value $200.
- 1896 Map of the Village, owner, John Roberts.
- 1902 Ellis, assessed value $400.
- 1903 Ellis, assessed value $1500.
- 1925 Ben Miller.
- 1935 Clifford J. Waterbury.
- 1954 Edwin Maytag.
Site Conceived By
And Grant Funding Obtained By
Mollie Lynch, Library Director 1991-2005
Researched And Written By Susan K. Basinger
Web Pages Designed And Built By Bill And Susan
Basinger
Contents ©2000 Independence Township Library
All Rights Reserved