Our Historic Homes: 211 N. Huron

First in a series of profiles of area homes, as requested by their owners. Click a photo for a larger image.

This profile is in 3 parts:
1. History of owners
2. Longest-running owner, U-M violin professor Anthony J. Whitmire
3. Photo tour of interior

On first glimpsing this stately white Georgian Colonial home (map and streetview), here seen in a late-1980s photo, the viewer wonders, "Hmm...why is the front door facing north, and not on the street?"

Owned by the Dreamland Theater's Naia Venturi, 211 N. Huron is known as "the house that was turned 90 degrees." No one knows when. Not even local historian James Mann, who says, "It's just an oral tradition...but I think it was sometime early in the 20th century." You'd think that a little thing like, oh, I don't know, jacking up a huge home and rotating it, with early 20th century technology, might have made a paper or two. If it has, no one remembers.

One of the oldest buildings in Ypsilanti, this 1848 home has had a dizzying string of owners and renters for the first half of its history, but only one for much of the 20th century. The nineteenth-century owners listed in old directories include:

1873-4 Jerome Stephenson
1883 Charles H. Travis, Laborer
1888-9 Charles H. Travis, Teamster
1892 Charles H. Travis, Teamster
1894 C. H. Travis, Teamster
1895 G. J. Geis
1896-7 W. P. Olcott, Insurance, Scales & Windmills
1899 M. Burrows (Melissa, widow of Leonard)
1901 Robert J. Cooley
1905 Everett W. Wheeler, Insurance (also wife May)
1907 Oliver H. Westfall
1912-14 Rev. William H. Gardam
1916 Vacant
1917 Ralph D. Goodrich (renter)
1918 Oliver J. Purnell

In 1920, the house was occupied by well-known U-M violin professor Anthony Whitmire, who with his wife would remain there for the rest of their lives. Left photo shows Mr. Whitmire in 1966.

This undated clipping, likely from the 60s, reveals that Mr. Whitmire owned a 240-year-old violin (later stolen from him in his old age) and was the first musician to play the very first musical note in Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium.
When Mrs. Whitmire became bedridden late in life, Anthony nursed her until her death in 1957.

DD stresses that she intends no disrespect by posting her death certificate here. It is posted only because it shows some interesting family connections to some of Ypsilanti's oldest families, the Deubels and the Cornwells. Mrs. Whitmire's father and his two brothers owned the two Deubel Flour Mills in Ypsilanti.


At the time of her death, Mrs. Whitmire was the last living charter member of the Washtenaw Country Club, which she helped found in 1897. At left are checks for club expenses. She loved to golf and was active in tournaments. Mrs. Whitmire devoted so much time to the Red Cross during WWI that she was given a special citation by the Governor of Michigan and the Mayor and City Council of Ypsilanti. She met Anthony in 1901, and married him in 1919.

After her death, 91 years old and blind, Anthony was listening to a Detroit Tigers game on the radio when his cigarette caused a fire that ended his own life in 1975.

After Anthony's death, the house stood vacant in 1976.

1977 Darrell Scaggs (renter)
1980 Vacant
1981 Listed as "vacant" but also lists as renter one Don Wardell
1983-5 Vacant

During the 80s the home's neglect became obvious as in this 1985 photo. The wraparound half-porch sagged and it had a forlorn air. Luckily the home escaped demolition. The porch was removed in the late 80s and the home is now neat and charming.

Care to take a tour?

The home's floor plan consists of two halves joined by a central stairway and hall to the rear pantry. To the left, there's a spacious living room.

At right is a charming parlor with a fireplace.








Black-bordered tan linoleum, old and in excellent condition, covers the parlor floor.







Naia's unique and artistic taste in decorating offers an enchanting contrast between the austerity of the original home's architecture and its eclectic contents. Some of the items were made by Naia, such as this beautiful twinkly DIY chandelier in the parlor.





South of the parlor, the pantry offers a range of old cupboards and a huge counterspace. Leading west off the pantry is a pretty green kitchen. West off the kitchen is an addition, uninsulated, that owner Naia notes is freezing cold in winter.





On the way upstairs, an interesting array of art lines the wall, ranging from a photograph of Frida Kahlo to original outsider art. Throughout the house, massive and beautiful woodwork lines each doorway and is also found at the top of the stairs.



On the east side of the upstairs are two bedrooms about equal in size. On the west side there's a small bathroom and a larger bedroom. The bedroom features a cozy reading nook that instantly evokes an image of snuggling on the cushions on a rainy day with a cup of tea and a book.


In the bedroom floor is a feature Naia particularly enjoys and plans to restore: a tiny door originally connected to a laundry chute. The downstairs kitchen cabinets currently block the chute-space.





One of the home's quirks is that many corners are not square, but rounded, as seen at left. Another is that every doorway in the home has a closeable door, unlike modern homes with doorless interior doorways. This may have been to retain heat in the home's early history before a central heating system was installed.

And now it's time to close the door on this beautiful and venerable home. Many thanks to Naia Venturi who graciously allowed us to peek inside! Hope you enjoyed your visit.