20 North Main St.

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East side of street

This brick ranch style house was built in the late 1960s on the site of earlier commercial buildings. In 1860 the tax records cited Jedediah Yager/Yeager & Van Winkle for a part of the property. Yager/Yeager was one of Clarkston's first blacksmiths. By 1872 Yeager had moved his shop to a site on W. Washington St. The Map of the Village of that year has a building footprint on this property with the label H. Lewis & Crosby, blacksmith. They were at this location operating a blacksmith shop and livery at least until 1900 when Lewis moved to a home at 114 Oakland Ave. in Pontiac. According to an article in the 5/15/1902 Pontiac Post, William H. Lewis died of consumption in 1902. Mrs. Lewis continued to own the property for a time renting it to other blacksmiths. Successive blacksmiths, owners/proprietors, were Charlie Sly, William Jickells & by 1914 Floyd Andrews. Reportedly Andrews moved the Greek Revival style building which was on the northeast corner of N. Main & E. Washington St. to this site about 1916.

Official Property Description: 
  • Part of Lots 3, 4 & 5 Block 19 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township.
  • Lot 35, 42 & of the Supervisor's Replat of the Northwestern Addition & part of the Original Plat.
Significant Property History: 
  • 1844 Nelson W. Clark, Lot 3 Block 19, assessed value $4.
  • 1846 Nelson W. Clark, Lots 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Block 19, assessed value $8.
  • 1847 Nelson W. Clark, Lot 3 Block 19, assessed value $5.
  • 1855 Jeremiah Brown, the west 1/2 of Lots 5, 6 & 9 except...
  • 1859 as above.
  • 1860 Jedediah Yager/Yeager & VanWinkle, west by the highway, north by Millard, east by Park Lake, south by Jeremiah Brown."blacksmith", assessed value $100. [See J. Millard, blacksmith, who 1855-1862 was at 25 Buffalo St., Lot 3 Block 7 until 1860 when he moved to north of the stream/out lot, east side of Main St.
  • 1870 Jeremiah Brown, Lots 3, 5, 6 & 9, assessed value $570. 
Lewis & Crosby, west by the highway, north by J. Millard, east by Park Lake, south by J. Brown, assessed value $150.
  • 1872 Map of the Village shows a building footprint on the north labeled H. Lewis Blacksmith Shop. There is also a building footprint south of this labeled J. Brown Meat Market.
  • 1875 E. Stiff, Administrator for J. Millard, north by N. B. Smith, south & east by Park Lake, assessed value $350.
  • 1900 Emma Brown, Lots 3, 5 & 6, assessed value $600.
  • 1904 Lewis & Crosby, north by the Holcomb Brothers, south by J. Brown, assessed value $500.
  • 1914 Floyd Andrews, north by J. F. Deacon, assessed value $550.
  • 1915 Floyd Andrews, north by Oakland Power. as above.
  • 1916 as above.
  • 1917 as above.
  • 1920 Floyd Andrews, north by E. Denby, east 100', south by Lottie/Lettie Bradly, west by Main, assessed value $1000.
  • 1924 Floyd Andrews, as above, assessed value $800.
  • 1925 Floyd Andrews, 56' on Main by 100' east in the northwest corner of Lot 3, assessed value $700.
  • 1926 Guy Brown, as above, assessed value $700.
  • 1930 Guy Brown the north 56' of Lot 3, assessed value $900.
  • 1950 Harry B. Yoh, Lot 36 except the south 116.71' & Lot 35.
  • 1954 as above. (note: in 1920 Lettie Bradley still had part of this property).
Architecture Style: 
Historic District Commission Documents: