43 South Holcomb St.

This house, a Midwestern adaptation of the Greek Revival style, was built before 1857. John Campbell, the owner then, ran the inn/tavern at 20 S. Main Street for a time. The owner of this house about 1914-1920, Thomas L. Parker, had a business on the first floor of the old Greek Revival building which stood on the northeast corner of North Main & East Washington Sts. In 1904 Parker worked as a harness maker for John A. Mills. He was apparently instrumental in the building of the new brick building on that site. The plaque on that building, the Masonic Temple, built in 1916, has his name as well as that of Milan M. Vliet. Parker built the small building at 3 East Washington where he conducted business in the 1920s. This house, by 1928, was part of the property of Lida Weighell, owner/operator of Green Acres, an inn, formerly Vliet's-on-the-Hill. The inn stood on the hill to the west of this house. A Clarkston News article of 12/8 /1949 said that Mrs. Weighell, and Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Megee, "have offered the use of the property directly back of their home ... for a transplanting and holding garden for the Clarkston Community". The purpose of the garden was to provide growing space for plant donations from area residents. "In having a reserve garden or nursery, shrubs and flowers can be given for public and private use in beautifying the Village. Everyone is urged to cooperate and plan to give something nice for the community garden in the spring so that all may benefit later." The house passed to Lida's daughter, Jean Looker Megee & her husband Lloyd "Slip" Megee. Jean had an antique shop at 21 N. Main until her death. The one & 1/2 story with single story wing configuration of the house is typical of small Greek Revival farmhouses in the Midwest. While there were changes made to the structure, circa 1920 & again recently, the hallmark of the original style is still seen in the wide entablature of the broken pediment in the street facing gable under the low pitched roof . The window in the street facing gable probably also dates from the 20s. The fireplace is also an addition as is the screened porch which was added to the west facade of the single story. This porch was added to the interior space in the 1990s. The recessed front porch supports were built in the early 1990s to replace badly deteriorated supports which were not original. Those supports were like those seen on wood bungalow style houses. That is, the area below the bannister was closed in with clapboard. The roof supports then rose from the bannister to the roof. They were wide at the bottom tapering as they rose. The new square pilasters are similar to others typically used on Midwestern Greek Revival style house porches. A new garage replaced two small outbuildings, one of which was a single car garage.