Walking Tour-27 South Main Street-Walking Tour
(West Side of Street)

This large two story rusticated block building was constructed in 1910/11 for Henry L.("Hank") Garter who operated a hardware store here until his death in 1938. His wife, Grace I. Garter, then continued to own the building. In the 1950s Kelley's Hardware, then, by 1960, Bob's Hardware did business here. Auten Furniture, then the Clarkston Shoe Service, occupied the building in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By 1976 the building was vacant and in need of much repair and restoration.

Historically a part of the Clarkston Mills property, Henry Brown was listed in the 1867 tax rolls for 20' on Main, north of Church St., " running west to the foundry property " which by 1869 belonged to Lee Bingham. In 1869 the assessed value of Henry Brown's property had risen from $60 to $100, then to $200 when J. W. Howe owned it in 1870. These assessed value increases seem to indicate the construction of a building or the improvement of an existing one. The 1872 Map of the Village has J. W. Howe as owner of a building with a rectangular footprint on the corner of the site at the time.

In 1873, tax records listed the foundry, hardware and tinware store of Oliver A. ("C. O. D."- cash on delivery) Smith, at the back of this lot while the Howe Brothers had a store fronting Main St. Photos, circa 1900, show the wooden building on the site then. The Howes built the Italianate brick building, 5 S. Main, as their new location beginning 1878/79, but continued to own this property until 1911 when they sold to Henry Garter.

Official Property Description:

• The south part of Lot 3 Block 25 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southwest 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township.
• Lot 74 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]

• 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 Jeremiah & Nelson W. Clark, Mill property, assessed value $2000.
• 1846 as above.
• 1847 as above.
• 1849 Nelson W. Clark & Abraham Houghtelin, Lots 2 & 3 Block 25, "last description 'Known as the Mill' property".
• 1860 E. S. Hirst , Lots 2 and 3 Block 25.
• 1867 Henry Brown, 20' on Main St. & north of Church St. running west to the foundry property, assessed value $60.
• 1869 Henry Brown, 20' and running the same width to Lee Bingham property used as a foundry, assessed value $100.
• 1870 G. W. Howe, assessed value $200.
• 1872 Map of the Village has a building footprint, owner J. W. Howe
• 1973 Oliver A. Smith, a.k.a., "C.O.D. Smith", foundry, hardware store and tinware
• 1877 Howe Bros. , west by L. Bingham, assessed value $100 .1889 Howe Bros., west by O. S. Smith, assessed value $100.
• 1891 H. H. Howe, west by J. Linabury.
• 1910 H. H. Howe, assessed value $100.
• 1911 Hank Garter, 16' on Main, assessed value $400. An Oct.2 Bldg. Permit was granted by the Village. Also the south 30' Lot 3 Block 25 and a triangle east by the Township Hall; E. Jossman, Est.; Clarence Drake and self, south by Depot, west by mill property, assessed value $3800.
• 1917 Hank Garter, assessed value $3000.
• 1920 Garter, east by town hall, Davis, W. O., Clark and self, west by Ford, assessed value $200.
• 1921 Garter, 30' front on Main, assessed value $3800.
• 1933 Henry L. Garter, south 30' of Lot 3 Block 25.
• 1938 Henry L. Garter.
• 1954 Grace I. Garter.