10 Buffalo St.

The first building on this lot was probably built by 1855, when tax assessment values were high enough to indicate a building. However, the style of the original section of this house, the Gothic Revival style, seems early for that style in this area. Perhaps there was a small early Greek Revival style building here which was remodeled in succeeding years. The value changed little from 1855 until 1880 when it tripled indicating major improvements. The 1872 Map of the Village shows a building footprint on this site. This footprint does not correspond to the footprint of the building before a 1992 remodeling, further indicating a major change. It seems likely that in 1878/79, owner, Jonas Edmonson constructed the Gothic Revival style house on the foundations of an earlier building. The barge board treatment in the steeply pitched, pointed-arch gable is original to the construction of this house, and typical of the style. The front porch detail, which used the gable detail for inspiration was designed by Ruth E. Basinger, (Mrs. Lysle Basinger), who lived at 8 E. Washington. She purchased the 10 Buffalo property in 1985. She began restoration of the home by removing a cement block, enclosed front porch and the asbestos siding which covered the original wood clapboard. The new porch design was based on other Michigan Gothic Revival porches. A delapidated garage, circa 1940, on the north side of the property behind the house was demolished. The interior of the house was gutted and reconstruction began. Upon Mrs. Basinger's death, in 1991, the house was sold to the owners of another Village home. The new owners completed the reconstruction and added a 20' addition to the west end of house, removing the single story kitchen. Windows in this section are all either new or reclaimed.