409 North Ann Arbor Street

1994 Survey Photo by Kosky & Glynn Associates
Copyright held by the City of Saline

2004 Survey Photo
Copyright held by the City of Saline

Photo by Lori Swick
February 2013

Architectural Description: This is a one-and-one-half story, side-gabled, Craftsman style house, with a two-story gabled addition on the south side of the house. The front porch is full-width, with massive support piers resting on a solid balustrade. There is a brick chimney on the north elevation. In 2004, the side addition was added in 2004 and the house was renovated on the exterior, with new windows and shutters, siding and roof. The shed roof bay that had been on the original house was repeated on the south side of the addition.

History: The 1994 Kosky & Glynn Survey indicates that Orrin Briggs probably built this house in ca.1914. The 1912 Sanborn Map shows the planing mill, owned by Briggs, just to the south of this property.
Orrin Parsons had owned the planing mill before Briggs, as early as 1872; the mill is visible on the 1872 Bird's Eye View of Saline – labeled as "Plaining Mill, Eddy & Parsons Prop."
Orrin Briggs lived in this house until his death in 1935. His wife, Francis continued to live here until 1947 (Kosky & Glynn).

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

Suggested Reading:
McAlester, Virginia & Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1984.

Prepared by Lori Swick
April 17, 2013