Walking Tour-51 East Washington Street-Walking Tour
(North Side of Street)

The house now on this site was constructed in 1986 when the original building was demolished. The original simple early Greek Revival style house may be seen in a turn of the century photo, right, from the Habbin / Tiffany family. ( Mrs. Walter C. Habbin was Elizabeth Tiffany, the widow of Louis LePrelete Tiffany. Her son, Wm. Curtis Noyes Tiffany & wife, Bertha, built and resided in the house to the west at 43 East Washington at the time. The Tiffanys bought this house also, repaired it and rented it for a time. The Oakland Post, 1/23/1902, "Elizabeth S. Habbin to Bertha, et al., Lot north side of Washington street and south of Park Lake in the village of Clarkston, $450. The Oakland Post 6/09/1902, "W. N. Tiffany is making some needed repairs on the Habbin place, which will be occupied by Rev. D. A. Albert and family.") The porch seen in this photo is probably a later Victorian addition. Front porches became extremely popular as the turn of the twentieth century thanks to the proliferation of the Italian and Queen Anne styles. Porches were important elements of both styles so they were added to many houses in an attempt to update them.

The original house was apparently built 1850/1855 as the home of one of Clarkston's early settlers, John Davis. John was one of four brothers who came to the America from Ireland, settling in Clarkston not long after 1833. According to the 1877 Oakland County Atlas, John was a county legislator for two terms. He operated an iron foundry on his property purchasing it from his brother Arthur in 1850. The property extended west from this site to the extension of Buffalo Street which at the time ran north of Washington Street to the shore of Park Lake.

The 1872 Map of the Village shows the footprint of the building on this site then, owner Jesse Millard, a cooper and wagon maker. Millard had a shop on Main Street just north of the stream from the Mill Pond to Park Lake on the east side of North Main Street.

Official Property Description:

• The east 100' of Lot 3 Block 20 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 10 in Independence Township.
• Lot 4 of the Assessor's Plat.
• 1844 Nelson W. Clark, Block 20, assessed value $10.
• 1847 Arthur Davis, Lots 2, 3, 4 & 5 Block "2" (20), "occupied together", assessed value $100.
• 1848 Arthur Davis, Lots 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 feet off the west side of Lot 1 Block "26" (20), assessed value $395.
• 1849 Arthur Davis, Lot 2 and the east 1/2 of Lot 3 & 6 feet off the west side of Lot 1 & all of Block 20 (?), "occupied together", assessed value $155.
• 1850 John Davis.
• 1863 J. Millard, north by Park Lake, west by "buffalo" Street, south by J. M. Clark, N.Vliet and Washington Street, assessed value $650.
• 1870 J. Millard, north by Park Lake, west by Buffalo and the lands of D. Scadding and W. Smith and south by Washington Street, assessed value $500.
• 1872 Map of the Village has a building footprint on this site, owner, J. Millard.
• 1880 O. L. Knapp, north by Lake, west by the Street and D. Scadding, east by C. Jackson, south by the Street, assesed value $800.
• 1883 Walter C. Habbin, north by Park Lake, west by D. Scading, east by C. Jackson, south by Street, assessed value $500. (O. L. Knapp has a strip of property along the shore of Park Lake.)
• 1883 as above.
• 1891 Walter C. Habbin, assessed value $250.
• 1896 E. Habbin, as above.
• 1900 Elizabeth Habbin.
• 1902 According to a 1/16/1902 Pontiac Post item, "W. N. Tiffany has purchased the property known as the Habbin place." A legal listing in the January 23, 1902 Post, Elizabeth S. Habbin to Bertha Tiffany, et al, Lot on north side of Washington Street and south of Park Lake in the village of Clarkston, $450.
• 1904 Mrs. R. F. White, Estate.
• 1909 as above.
• 1914 E. White.
• 1919 E. White, Land bound north by Park lake, east by C. Jackson Estate, south by Street, west by Chamberlain, assessed value $500.
• 1920 E. White. James Van Horn, assessed value $1040.
• 1923 James Van Horn, assessed value $900.
• 1928 Jennie Van Horn, assesed value $1100.
• 1931 J. Van Horn, Estate.
• 1933 Wm. Gundry. Van Horn.
• 1935 Wm. Gundry, the west 19' of Lot 1 and the east 61' of Lot 2 Block 20, assessed value $700. J. Van Horn, 5' of Lot 2 Block 20 ? H. Loomis, 96' west from the southeast corner of Lot 9 Block21, assessed value $600.
• 1936 Wm. Gundry, the west 5' of Lot 2 and the west 19' of Lot 1 and the east 61' of Lot 2. H. Loomis, Lot 1 Block 20 and the east 61' of Lot 2 and all of Frank Street, assessed value $600.
• 1937 Loomis, the east 46.5' of Lot 1 Block 20 and Frank Street. Wm. Gundry, the west 19.5' of Lot 1 and all of Lot 2.
• 1941 Hibner, Lot 4, assessed value $800.

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.
• 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 half of the south part of west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
• 1842 Nelson W. Clark's Plat of the Village.
• 1850 John Davis.
• 1863 J. Millard.
• 1872 Map of the Village, owner J. Millard.
• 1880 O.L. Knapp.
• 1881 Walter C. Habbin. [O.L. Knapp has a piece on Park Lake's shore], assessed value $300.
• 1891 Walter C. Habbin, assessed value $250.
• 1896 E. Habbin, assessed value $250.
• 1900 Elizabeth Habbin.
• 1904 Mrs. R.F. White, estate.
• 1909 as above.
• 1914 E. White, assessed value $500.