Walking Tours

The South Ann Arbor Street Historic District is located one block south of Michigan Ave in the Downtown Area. It follows South Ann Arbor Street from Henry Street to just south of the light at Crestwood. The district was the 3rd and most recent Local Historic District to be approved in Saline in 2007. It is made up of 41 homes and 25 outbuildings; almost 90% of the structures are considered "contributing" as historic resources.

The neighborhood represents many building styles including Gothic Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Italianate, American Four Square, vernacular Victorian styles, Craftsman and some modern sub-styles reflected in the homes built post-World War II. Many of the homes in this district were built and/or owned by local merchants and community leaders who favored its proximity to the Downtown area. South Ann Arbor Street, then and now, is a major thoroughfare from Saline to Milan and other destinations to the south.

Please visit the home page of HDC for more information.

East Side		West Side
201	Style: Queen Anne ca. 1900 The lot was part of Orange Risdon’s original land grant in 1824. The first structure built here was a white wood frame Baptist Church with a tall steeple. In 1903-1905, a new church was built of hand-made cement blocks by Elwood Rogers using plans drawn up by J. H. Barr (we’ll talk more about him later). In 1919, the church members decided to unite with the Presbyterian Church and the building was remodeled into a residence by Alphonse Schmid – the bell tower and stained glass were removed and a 2nd floor was added. In 1931 was converted to a furniture (and casket!) store. In 1933, it became the Saline General Hospital. IN 1956, it was converted into a convalescent home. The exterior was brick veneered ca. 1969 and served as the Saline Public Library until 1993. It now is home to an engineering firm.	Style: Folk Queen Anne ca. 1906 Built by George Coe. Converted to duplex by Bessie Collins to help relieve the housing shortage after WWII. In 1980, it faced demolition but was purchased at auction and renovated by Gene DeRossett, a former State House Representative.	204
201		Style: Gable-front Folk Victorian ca. 1894 Built by Mrs. A. Davidson, owned by A. M. Hunt in 1915, and later in 1931 by Charles Carven. Carven’s daughter Bessie Collins and her son Max Collins owned it in 1934. It was converted to duplex in 1947, then back to single family in 1961, back to duplex in 1985 and back to single family in 2002. The full-width porch was reinstated in 2006 following shadow lines of the original porch.	206
203	Style: Folk Colonial Revival ca. 1942 This is, as the story goes, “the house the Henry Ford built”. Originally, there was a Greek Revival style home that served as the parsonage for the Baptist Church next door. That home was disassembled and moved to Greenfield Village in 1941 because of its association with George Matthew Adams, an influential religious writer whose column “Today’s Talk” appeared in newspapers across the country.	Style: Vernacular Queen Anne ca. 1899 Built by either John Burg or A. M. Hunt, owned by Charles Carven in 1931 and then by his daughter Bessie Collins until at least 1947. Carven/Collins also owned 206 and 204 S. Ann Arbor.	208
203		Style: Dutch Colonial Revival ca. 1900 Built by Alfred Humphrey, who was the postmaster, with a gambrel roof and shingles.	210
205	Style: Gothic Revival ca. 1858 VanDuzer house is on the National Register of Historic Places. Samuel VanDuzer held a number of Saline Village posts including serving on the Village. The home was sold to Mr. & Mrs. George Cook 1911. Cook ran a livery business that expanded into the Saline Garage. He also opened a Chevy dealership and served several terms as Village President. The Cooks added the stucco veneer in 1912 but retained original decorative verge boards and half-timbering trim on the gable. In 1983, the house was divided into 2 rental units but returned to a single-family dwelling in 1997.	Style: Shingle-style ca. 1912. Built by Carl Curtiss, who became president of Citizen’s Bank and then moved into the Davenport Mansion on Michigan Ave. His son, Bliss, and his wife continued to live in the home until 1966.This 3-story home is late in the Queen Anne period and styles are beginning to transition to Colonial Revival (note the Palladian windows in the gable peak), Craftsman and NeoColonial styles.	212
205		Style: Folk Victorian ca. 1899	214
209	Style: Greek Revival ca. 1850 This house may have been built as a spec house by Saline founder Orange Risdon! It appears (and then doesn’t appear) on a variety of historical maps but was probably part of Orange Risdon’s lands in 1850. It may originally have had knee-wall windows under the eaves.	Style: Craftsman Bungalow ca. 1910 Built by Jacob Fuoss with a fieldstone foundation and exposed rafters under the eaves. The Fuoss family owned several lots on S. Ann Arbor St. and probably tore down an older house to build this.	216
211	Style: Folk Queen Anne ca. 1892 One of several homes built by the Barr Family. George Barr built it and lived here until moving to his father’s home down the street at 275 S. Ann Arbor. It was made into apartments in 1954 and aluminum-sided in 1965. In 2005, the siding was removed, exposing gable shingles and clapboard siding.	Style: American Foursquare ca. 1911 Built by Martin Fuoss. The wide eaves and foursquare shape reflect the Prairie and Craftsman styles, but the Colonial Revival style is depicted in the Ionic columns and dentil moldings.	218
213 215	Style: Craftsman ca. 1922 Sam Lambarth, lumber manager at the Saline Mercantile, built and lived at 213. It was even in a movie! Cobblestone porch details and low-hanging roof. Lambarth built 215 for resale, and also helped build many other homes in Saline.	220 – 222 – 224 – 250 – 494 Style: Minimal Traditional ca. 1946-1951 These modest mid-century homes were all built around the same time but reflect slightly different takes on the Minimal Traditional style.	*
217	Style: Art Moderne/Modernistic ca. 1954 Some may think of this home as the Ugly Duckling of the district but, it is actually a wonderful example of the style with steel casement windows and simplified, almost sleek, facade. The small, one-story structure to the north was originally a garage and NO, it isn’t missing the roof!	Style: Front Gable & Wing “Folk” ca. 1878 Built by Charles Burkhart, general store owner.	232
217		238 – 242 - 474 Style: Colonial Revival Cape Cod ca. 1933-1951	*
223	Style: American Foursquare ca. 1926 Built by Sim Wilson, publisher of the Saline Observer. The hipped roof and paired windows reference the emerging Prairie Style of architecture.	Style: Side-Gable Folk ca. 1870 Known as the John Gough House, this originally was of the Greek Revival style home but was significantly remodeled.	523
227	Style: Folk Victorian ca. 1909 Built by veterinarian Frank Wells, later owned by the First Presbyterian Church 1947-1965.	Style: Queen Anne ca. 1894 Built by William and Maude Barr with a round tower, wrap-around front porch with a fieldstone foundation and a small sleeping porch on the north elevation which was built for Maude Barr who suffered from Tuberculosis. A cistern is still located under the driveway! The Barr’s moved into the house with only two finished rooms when they married in 1896 and lived there until about 1958. William Barr also helped design the Baptist Church at 201 S. Ann Arbor.	*550*
231	Style: Minimal Traditional ca. 1946 This home closely resembles a kit called “Marleen” offered by Sterling Homes of Bay City, Michigan (sort of like the Sears kit homes). It is the precursor to ranch-style homes with garage attached by a breezeway.
237	Style: Folk ca. 1922 Built by Merritt and Genevieve Barr Martin. It previously had many Craftsman-style details but has been significantly modified.
257	Style: Vernacular Queen Anne ca. 1920 Built on the property of John Henry Barr where he had his cider/sorghum mill. The small home behind it was built 1910.	The Saline Historic District Commission (HDC) establishes and oversees the local historic districts to ensure the preservation of important historic resources, safeguard our heritage, foster, civic beauty, and strengthen the local economy. The HDC serves as a resource and provides guidance for the maintenance, restoration, and preservation of historic structures, sites, surroundings and context within the local historic districts and in the City of Saline.
275	Style: Italianate-Victorian ca. 1873 Built by John Henry Barr with a tall tower and cupola where the wings of the home meet. This home stayed in the Barr family for over 100 years! John and his sons George and William ran the apple orchard along with sorghum, apple jelly and cider mills.
283	Style: Folk Victorian ca. 1880 Built by Albert and Samantha Harris.

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S Ann Arbor Walking Tour