209 South Ann Arbor Street

Architectural Description: This house is one-and-one-half stories, side-gabled, and rests on a stone foundation. The west-facing façade has narrow painted shutters on either side of the windows; the shutters are currently painted in the same pale yellow color as the asbestos shingle siding on the house. There is a front wood porch with wood balustrade and railings and multiple addtions to the rear of the house. The style has been described as being a Folk house (Kosky and Glynn, 1994) and Greek Revival style house (2007 Study Committee Report). The 1854 Bechler Map of Washtenaw County indicated a house in this approximate location (Kosky & Glynn). Upon studying the sketch of this house on the 1872 Bird’s Eye View Map of Saline, the house style may have also once resembled a traditional British folk form: the Hall and Parlor house. The Hall and Parlor house was relatively common in early colonial period houses.
Hall and Parlor houses are generally two rooms wide and one room deep, with a central door. However, due to the cornice returns on the side gable ends, Greek Revival seems to be the most appropriate style description of the house.

History: This is one of the oldest structures in Saline; it is believed to have been built in prior to 1850. The 1872 Bird’s Eye View of Saline shows what appears to be this house as one-and one-half stories, side-gabled, with a center door flanked by a narrow rectangular window on either side. The chimney placement on the image appears to be somewhat off center, but close to the center of the roof ridge. As reported in the 1994 Kosky & Glynn Survey, the 1870 tax roll shows Erastus LaBaron as owning one lot, and his name appeared on the 1874 Combination Atlas Map of Washtenaw County. John Dunn was then listed on both the 1892 tax roll and the 1895 Atlas. German immigrant Catherine Henzler (widow of Fred) appeared on the 1899 Saline Directory on Adrian Street, followed by James House, who appeared on the 1926 city directory (Kosky & Glynn). The 1912 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map was the first Sanborn Map to show this section of South Ann Arbor Street. The footprint indicates the dwelling with a front porch on the north side of the front façade, much the same as is seen today. The address on the 1912 Sanborn Map for this house was 367. Addresses changed sometime between 1912 and 1921, as the 1921 Sanborn shows indicates both the old address (367) and new (209).

 
* Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Images: 1912 (L) and 1921 (R)

Sources: Glover, Eli S. "Bird’s Eye View of Saline, Washtenaw County, Michigan." Cincinnati: Stobridge and Company, Lithograph. 1872.

"Historic District Study Committee Report for the South Ann Arbor Street Local Historic District." 2007.

Kosky & Glynn Associates. "Intensive Survey, South Ann Arbor Street, Saline, Michigan." 1994.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Saline, Washtenaw County, Michigan. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1912. Sheet #2.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Saline, Washtenaw County, Michigan. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1921. Sheet #6.

* Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Saline, Michigan, Washtenaw County (1888,1893, 1899, 1912, 1921 and 1929) are owned by the City of Saline and located at the Saline City Hall.

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

 

Prepared by Lori Swick
April 17, 2013

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