Mansion May Be Ypsilanti's First On National Register

YPSILANTI - The Ladies' Literary Club house at 218 Washington may be the first house in Ypsilanti to be on the National Register of Historie Places. M r s . William 'Edmunds, who has done much of the research about the house, says the Michigan History División the state Historical Commission nominated the house. The club is waiting final approval by the U.S. Department of the Interior. "If the house has been maintained and there is an adequate historical record, houses such as this one are almost sure of being on the National Registry," M r s . Edmunds says. An example of the templedwelling type of Greek revival architecture - the mansion is listed in the American Historical Building Survey of the 1930s and the Library of Congress as a building worthy of preservation. Mrs. Edmunds says onequarter of the homes on the historical building survey in the 30s have been demolished. The house was built around 1845. Mrs. Ermunds says only minar alterations have been made on the original structure although a Victorian addition was built in 1937. While waiting for national registry approval the Ladies' Literary Club is beginning an extensive renovation program on the Victorian addition. The club plans to replace the addition with a simple structure which will blend in with the building and not destroy the charm of the Greek revival style. Mrs. Edmunds says plans for remodeling the ■ er's quarters, kitchen, restrooms and workshop area in the basement are complete. Mrs. Bradley Harris, chairman of the building committee, says bids for the renovation are out and the club hopes work wiE begin Aug. 1. Target date for the completed project is November. Architect Richard Frank of Johnson, Johnson and Roy, Inc., planned the renovation. He previously was involved in restoration of buildings on Mackinac Island. "We got the best preservation architect we could f i n d , ' ' Mrs. Edmunds says. Mrs. Harris estimates the renovation project will cost $45,240. "There is a growing group of people who understand and appreciate preservation and adaptive use of historie structures," Mrs. Edmunds says. While researching the histor y of the house Mrs. Edmunds found an intriguing heritage of wealthy owners, mystery about who built the house and old family stories. She used the Michigan Historie Collection in Rackham I School of Gradúate Studies I and old books and files in Ypsilanti. Mrs. Edmunds says first I mention of the site was made I in 1834 when it was part of ■ the Noris-Cross addition to I Ypsilanti. Jason Cross sold I the lot for $100 to Arden lard in 1836. "It has always been thought that Ballard built this house," Mrs. Edmunds says. But from a comparison of sale prices for the land, she believes it was built at a later date. Ballard sold the land in 1842 for $400 to William Davis. In 1845 Davis sold the property for $3,000 to Demmon Blackman. "We f e e 1 that it was between 1842 and 1845 that the house was built," Mis. Edmunds says. "We have tried to determmine who built the house," she says. Although she could find no records which indicated a local builder had constructed the house, Mrs. Edmunds says Davis could have started building the house himself . Blackman held the house only for a few weeks and sold it to Issac Conklin for $3,000. Conklin who had earned his fortune from selling ticut stamp brass clocks was known to have been interested in classical architecture. "The C o n k 1 i n s were wealthy. It is our feeling that they added Grecian features to the home," Mrs. Edmunds says. When Mr. Conklin died in 1884 he left $220,000 in his estáte. Conklin sold the house in 1851 to Mrs. Elijah Grant for $2,000. Her husband had died the day before the great Ypsilanti fire; and during the fire, their family home was destroyed. "She, too, was wealthy. She lived very elaborately," Mrs. Edmunds says. The Grants were the last family to own the house before the Ladies' Literary Club bought it in 1914 for $3,000. The Ladies' Literary Club is the second oldest federated women's club in Michigan. It was formed in 1878, Mrs. Harris says, and has continued to meet in the historie mansion since the purchase. Mrs. Edmunds says the reason the club is working on the nomination to the National Registry is because it will help insure preservation of the historie structure. Federal funds may not be used to demolish or replace a house on the National Registry. "Once a building is on the National Register it is very difficult to tear it down for public or private use of the land," Mrs. Edmunds says. The house also would be eligible for federal funds to maintain it as part of the government's preservat ion program. The state history department is investigating another area in Ypsilanti as a possible historie district for the National Register. Mrs. Edmunds says the area is bounded by Huron, Cross, River Streets and Michigan Avenue; the houses on Huron Street are of the greatest interest.