The Elijah B. Allen House

The Elijah B. Allen House. . Though unpretentious, the Elijah B. Allen House at 126 Water Street has nonetheless been significant in Sault and regional history. Built around 1822, it is probably the second oldest house in Sault Ste. Marie after the Johnston House. It was here that Henry and Jane Schoolcraft lived for two years before their home was built in 1827. The pioneer Baptist missionary Abel Bingham and his wife, Hannah, also lived in the home briefly. Here, as well, the papers were drawn up to create Chippewa County, and court convened while Schoolcraft was present as the first judge of Chippewa County., The house has changed hands relatively infrequently. Allen, an early independent fur trader, sold it to the American Fur Company in 1827. Part of the home was used as the fur company's retail store during the 1830s and 1840s. The company built a large warehouse and dock on the water in front of the home in 1834; the structure is prominent in many images of the Sault waterfront. The fur company sold the home to forwarding agent Thomas McKnight in 1866. Subsequent owners were lumberman Guy Carleton (1875), and tugboat Captain Jay Hursley (1906). There have been only about half a dozen owners since. , The house is built into the hillside, with stone underground and wood at the front. The wood used is extremely varied in character, apparently obtained wherever it could be found nearby. Twelve-inch square pine beams support the building's upper floors. Several fires have damaged the structure; it was one of the few to survive the big Water Street fire of 1896., The house was named to the State Register of Historic Sites in 1971. It is one of the oldest continuously occupied residences in Michigan and is a private home today. Please respect the privacy of the current residents.