Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
At Home in the 19th Century
Civic leader Silas Douglas, dean of the UM medical faculty and twice mayor of Ann Arbor, lived in this home at 502 East Huron Street from 1848 until 1902. His three daughters, Kate, Marie, and Louise, shown here around 1890, enjoyed the luxuries of privileged America. Kate wrote in her reminiscenses, "Ann Arbor society was unusually good for a small place.... There were many tea parties where both gentlemen and ladies were invited. They sat around little tables enjoying the good supper and pleasant talk.... They often had dances in private homes.... There were many tableaux too, which we had in our bay window." In contrast, Harriet Noble recalled that when she arrived from New York State in late 1824, "there were six or seven log huts occupied by as many inmates as could crawl into them."
Publisher, school board member, and later UM regent Junius Beal lived with his family in this fifteen-room mansion, built by his father in the 1860s on the northeast corner of South Fifth Avenue and William Street. Beal was an avid bicycle enthusiast. His many civic and business connections brought a wide variety of people to his home, described as "the center of true social life and hospitality."
A guest in Beal's home in the 1890s would have been surrounded by books, pictures, bric-a-brac, tasseled draperies, ornate furniture, and one of the first home telephones in town. Large rooms were illuminated by floor-to-ceiling lace-curtained windows during the day or kerosene lamps and overhead chandeliers in the evening. The house was demolished in 1957 to make way for the public library.
Sponsored by McKinley
Photos courtesy of Betts Chisholm and the Bentley Historical Library
Erected by Ann Arbor Historical Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Education • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.
Location. 42° 16.774′ N, 83° 44.636′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. Marker is at the intersection of South Division Street and East Liberty Street, on the right when traveling north on South Division Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 East Liberty Street, Ann Arbor MI 48104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The 19th-Century Neighborhood (here, next to this marker); Residential Life in Mid-19th Century Ann Arbor (within shouting distance of this marker); Kempf House (within shouting distance of this marker); From Liveries to Taxis (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Uptown Theaters (about 500 feet away); Michigan Theatre (about 600 feet away); Antislavery Society (about 600 feet away); Central Title Service Building (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ann Arbor.
Also see . . . Site 1: Wall Display: At Home in the 19th Century. Marker on the Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit website. (Submitted on May 28, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 202 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 19, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.