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308 North Ann Arbor Street
308 North Ann Arbor Street
Date of Construction: ca. 1892
Photo by Cynthia Christensen
April 2013
This house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the North Ann Arbor Street District.
Architectural Description: This is a two-and-and-one-half story Queen Anne Style house with cross gables. The paint scheme accentuates the details of the house. Aside from paint color changes, this exterior of the house has maintained its architectural integrity since it was documented and described in the 1985 National Register Nomination. The Eastlake detailing on this late-Victorian residence was noted as being "among the finest in the city." The T-shaped frame house is distinguished by sunbursts in the gable ends, a projecting bay window on the main façade, decorated with carved panels, and two fine Eastlake porches, one extending from the building's south side and the other shielding the front entrance. The porches rest on a lattice-like base and contain spool-and-spindle-like balusters, spindles along the porch frieze and turned supporting posts (Sommers).
History: Peter and Katherine Weiennett built this house in 1892. Peter was the son of Swiss Pioneer and farmer, Benedict Weiennett. Peter lived in this house until his death in July of 1912. His obituary, which appeared in the Saline Observer (July 13, 1912), read: "During his lifetime he had been engaged in farming, machine work, and at one time ran a furniture store and undertaking business here." The newspaper includes reports of Weiennett's shipping of baled hay and of opening the Weiennett Fence and Post Company (Sommers). Peter Weiennett was an inventor as well, as he obtained at least two separate patents for wire fences. After Peter’s death, his wife Katherine lived in this house through at least 1926. Katherine was the president of the Saline Library Association from 1920-1926.
Sources:
"Historic District Study Committee Report of North Ann Arbor Street Local Historic District." 2004.
Kosky & Glynn Associates. "Historical and Architectural Survey." Saline, Michigan. 1994.
National Register of Historic Places, North Ann Arbor Street Historic District, Saline, Washtenaw County, Michigan, National Register #85002958
Sommers, Laurie. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Historic Resources of Saline, Michigan--Partial Inventory: Historic and Architectural Properties." National Park Service.
Suggested Reading: McAlester, Virginia and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1984.
Prepared by Lori Swick
April 17, 2013