102 West Henry Street

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

Photo by Lori Swick
February 2013

Architectural Description: This is a two-story, gable-front folk house with a one-story addition on the rear (north) elevation of the house. There is a full-width front porch with wood column supports and a wood balustrade. The front porch is enclosed on the east side, in the same form today as it was on the 1893 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. The windows are one light over one light (double hung). There have been several changes to this house since the 1994 survey, including porch support and balustrade replacement, the removal of two windows on the west elevation, removal of all awnings and a remodel of the addition, which was widened and has a gable roof in place of the previous shed roof. The house is currently clad in vinyl siding; it had been clad in aluminum siding sometime before 1994 and probably had clapboard siding originally. There is a two-and-one-half car garage in the rear of the property.

History: This house dates to pre-1870, making it one of the oldest houses on West Henry Street. According to the Kosky & Glynn Survey, the house appears to be on the 1872 Bird’s Eye View of Saline. The house may have been built earlier; further deed research will be necessary to add to the history of this home. 102 West Henry is known historically as the Charles Carven House. Charles and Julia Carven lived in this house from the time of their marriage until Charles’ death in 1934. Charles had served as Marshall and Street Commissioner in Saline for twenty-three years. His wife, Julia, was originally from Virginia. Her great-aunt, Mrs. Jane Wheeler Drake, had invited Julia to live with her in Saline after the Civil War. Charles and Julia’s only child was the late Bessie Carver Collins, a local historian who wrote many articles about Saline.

Sources: "Historic District Study Committee Report of West Henry/South Lewis Local Historic District." 2001.

Kosky & Glynn Associates. "Historical and Architectural Survey." Saline, Michigan. 1994.

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