Walking Tour-21 East Washington Street-Walking Tour
(North Side of Street)

Tax records for this property seem to indicate the existence of a building or buildings on the site as early as 1847 when the assessed value was $100 and there is the notation "occupied together". The owner then was Ebenezer Clark. By 1855 the assessed value had risen to $550 certainly indicating major construction. However, the value is only $250 three years later. At present there is no evidence about any early buildings or what happened to them.

The house which is seen on the property now was probably built for William Hammond circa 1870. The 1872 Map of the Village has the footprint of a rectangular building, with the short side facing the street, owner William Hammond. Architecturally this house was an Italian Revival style structure. The wide eaves typical of the style may still be seen on the two story section of the house, the west and east wings were added later. The brackets which would have supported the wide eaves are missing, the house having undergone several remodelings. As a typical Italian Revival villa the house would have originally had a wide wraparound porch. Decorative ironwork probably capped the hip roof which was also a hallmark of the style. The cedar shingles were probably applied over the wood clapboard circa 1940. The garage appears to date from that time also.

John T. P. Smith owned the house at the turn of the century. Smith was a successful livestock dealer. Many items in the newspapers of the time cite his dealings in the sheep trade.

Dr. Harry B. Yoh purchased the house in 1939. A doctor from Pontiac, Yoh used the house as his residence and office. The office had a separate entrance on the first floor of the west wing. A bay window was placed in the space of the office door when the house was again remodeled circa 1980.

Official Property Description:

• Lot 4, 7 & 8 Block 19 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township.
• Lot 41 & part of Lot 42 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.
• 1832 Butler Holcomb the Northeast 1/4, the Southeast 1/4 , the east 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4 and the east 1/2 of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township.
• 1833 Butler & Mary L. Holcomb to Roswell/Roosevelt. the west 1/2 of the Northeast 1/4 and the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 in Section 20.....
• 1835 Butler Holcomb to Jeremiah Clark, the south part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
• 1839 Jeremiah Clark to Nelson W. Clark, one equal undivided 1/2 of the south part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
• 1842 Nelson W. Clark's Plat of the Village.
• 1846 William S. Blake, Lot 4 Block 19, assessed value $15; Lot 7 Block 19, assessed value $15 and Lot 8 Block 19, assessed value $15.
• 1847 Ebenezer Jones, Lots 4, 7, & 8 Block 19, "occupied together", assessed value $100.
• 1848 Greenleaf and Briggs, Lots 4, 7, & 8 Block 19, assessed value $145.
• 1849 Warren N. Briggs and F. Greenleaf, Lots 4, 7, & 8 Block 19, assessed value $135.
• 1850 J. G. Briggs ? Lots 4, 7 & 8 Block 19, assessed value $145, "occupied together".
• 1855 George Perry, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $550.
• 1856 Jedediah Yager/Yeager Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed $550.
• 1858 Enos Church, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $250.
• 1860 Archibald Green, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $300.
• 1863 Archibald Green, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $400.
• 1870 William Hammond, assessed value $275.
• 1872 Map of the Village has a building footprint, owner William Hammond, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $300.
• 1877 as above.
• 1889 J. T. P.Smith, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $400.
  William V. B. Vliet, the east part of Lots 6, 7, 8 & 9, assessed value $500.
• 1900 John T. P. Smith, Lots 4, 7 & 8 , assessed value $1050.
  William V. B. Vliet, the east part of Lots 6 & 7 , assessed value $600.
• 1914 John T. P. Smith, Lots 4, 7 & 8, assessed value $2400.
• 1920 John T. P. Smith, Lots 7 & 8, assessed value $3000.
• 1925 Lottie Smith, Lots 7 & 8, assessed value $2800.
• 1931 Lottie Smith.
• 1940 Harry B. Yoh.