Kerrytown in Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
A Former Bank and Estate on Ann Street
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 30, 2020
1. A Former Bank and Estate on Ann Street Marker
On the northeast corner of Ann St. and Fourth Ave. is the structure built in 1836 to house the short-lived Bank of Washtenaw. A stuccoed Greek Revival building, it was remodeled as a residence in 1847 for local businessman Volney Chapin, whose family lived there for almost thirty years.
It continued to play a role in the life of Courthouse Square as it was adapted for a sequence of businesses, including the Catalpa Hotel, Joe Parker's Saloon, the Chamber of Commerce, many service and welfare organizations, the local bus station, and the Peters Hotel.
Upper image caption:
2 — The Chapin House surrounded by large catalpa trees and gardens, ca. 1870
Lower image caption:
Joe Parker's Saloon (shown in drawing at left with the bald Parker tending bar) was located in the Catalpa Hotel from 1913 to 1920. It was one of the Courthouse Square saloons earlier immortalized in the college song "I want to go back to Michigan" ("Back to Joe's and the Orient, Back to some of the money I spent").
The song was written a few years earlier, when the Orient Saloon was on North Main St. opposite the courthouse and Joe's was a block south. A tile mosaic with the name "Joe" in script can still be seen on the floor inside the former corner entrance to the saloon at Ann St. and Fourth
this page online
Sponsored by Cappy Bilakos
Photos courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library
Erected by Ann Arbor Historical Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1836.
Location. 42° 16.936′ N, 83° 44.895′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in Kerrytown. Marker is at the intersection of East Ann Street and North Main Street, on the right when traveling east on East Ann Street. Marker is on the northwest corner of the Washtenaw County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 East Huron 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. Commerce on the "Ann Street Block" (here, next to this marker); A Meeting Place for Ann Arbor's Black Community (here, next to this marker); The Changing Face of North Fourth Avenue (here, next to this marker); The Streets Around Courthouse Square (here, next to this marker); A Corner Landmark on Huron and North Fourth (here, next to this marker); Shopping on East Huron Street (here, next to this marker); Main Street in the 1890s (here, next to this marker); Centers for Communications on Courthouse Square (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ann Arbor.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 30, 2020
2. A Former Bank and Estate on Ann Street Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 130 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 19, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
