Welcome to 38 Grove Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan! This is oldest house I've researched and definitely the house with the most number of individuals and families that lived there.
General Facts about 38 Grove Street:
Year Built: approx. 1887
City, State: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Neighborhood: Creston
Size: 3 beds/2baths; approx. 1,300 sq. ft.
Style: Victorian / Duplex
# of Families from 1887 - 1942: Too many to accurately count but 3 families lived there for 5+ years from 1887-1942
Original Address: 30 Grove Street - until 1912
The city of Grand Rapids is very fortunate to have a City Archive Department that documented and preserved historic images of almost every house in the city starting in the 1930's. Because of this amazing city department, we can appreciate the beautiful detailed woodwork and siding materials from this house in 1936 - which is very unique.
Along with the historic photos, the Grand Rapids Archive Department also provides historical details about the actual build, structure, and plot information. The home at 38 Grove Street was originally part of the 'Coit and Curtis Partition Plat.'
The image above is from 1950 when the house was appraised by the city. The records indicate it was originally a single home, but was turned into a duplex. There was one apartment that had two rooms and the second apartment had five rooms. There are two dates to notice - first, the garage was built in 1929 (later burned down in 1959) and second, the house was built in 1900.
However, from researching Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and the Grand Rapids City Directories, I know the house was built by 1887 - 13 years earlier than the property records (this inaccuracy is a surprisingly common feature of old records).
Historic Maps of 38 Grove Street
In the above Sanborn Fire Map from 1888, it shows that the house was two floors in the front part of the house but only one floor in the back. There was also a one-story building in the backyard.
In the map from 1895, the exterior building was its own dwelling with an address of 30 1/2 Grove.
By 1912, there are some changes to the exterior of the house: the wrap around front porch had been built (as seen in the 1936 historic picture) and there was also another building in the back.
Not much changed from 1912 to 1950 in terms of the structure of the house but the second outbuilding is now classified as a garage (A = auto garage).
For more information on Sanborn Fire Maps, please read this from the Library of Congress.
Other historic maps of Grove Street from www.historicmapworks.com:
*It is important to note that the City of Grand Rapids went through a major renumbering of houses in 1912 and the original address of 38 Grove was 30 Grove from 1887-1911.
Families of 38 [30] Grove Street
As mentioned above, 38 Grove Street served as a rental house with at least two different apartments - one lower and one upper. Because of this, there were many individuals and families who lived at this house. There were three different families that lived at the home for longer lengths of time than others. Almost all the historic records of the individuals that lived in this home are highlighted below. Additional details of their life before and after living at 38 Grove Street are not included like previous house stories to keep it simple as possible to read.
Family #1
Henry & Effie Cultice
Years Lived at 38 [30] Grove: 1887-1891
The first known record of 38 [30] Grove Street is from the 1887 Grand Rapids City Directory:
Remember, 38 Grove Street was originally numbered 30 Grove until 1912. After researching Harry and Ettie Cultice, I'm confident they were married but other details of their life came up with conflicting dates and names.
Ettie Cultice was a 'Dressmaker' and Harry was an 'agent' in 1887 - the first year of the Grove Street house. But in 1888, Harry worked at a meat market on Broadway Ave. The last record of the Harry and Ettie living at 38 [30] Grove was in 1891. All of the 1890 US Census Records were destroyed in a fire so unfortunately we don't have more details.
Additional Residents in 1889:
William Bosse
Minnie Collins
Julius & Jane Smith and their three children - Laura, William, and Edith
Additional Resident of 38 [30] Grove in 1891:
1893-1895
Additional Residents of 38 [30] Grove in 1894 & 1895:
Family #2
David Downie & his children David Jr, Isabella, and Teanie.
Years Lived at 38 [30] Grove: 1896 - 1901
David Downie was born and raised in Scotland and immigrated to the US via Rhode Island in 1875. He met his wife, Margaret McKinnon in Rhode Island and they had six children all born there. Margaret passed away in 1892 and the family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan shortly after. From 1896-1900, David and three of his children lived at 38 [30] Grove Street, as listed on the 1900 US Census.
According to the 1900 US Census, the household of 38 [30] Grove consisted of David Downie and his two daughters, Belle and Teanie.
David was white, 53 years old, widowed, and was 33 years old at the time of his first marriage. He was born in Scotland and immigrated in 1875 at 25 years old. His occupation in 1900 was as a Dry Goods Salesman.
Belle and Teanie were 22 and 19 years old respectively, both were born in Rhode Island and worked as servants in private households.
The Downie family only lived at 38 [30] Grove for those five years until they moved around to different rental houses for the next couple of years. Most of the family moved to Buffalo, NY by the early 1900's. David passed away in 1922 - only two of his children were still living at that time.
Other Residents of 38 [30] Grove Street during 1896 - 1897:
1902 - 1909
1908 - 1911
Mahala Snider & her daughters - Emma and Sadie Patterson; & Various 'Boarders'
The 1910 US Census is very difficult to read but from what I can transcribe: the household consisted of Mahelia Snider and her daughters, Emma and Sadie Patterson, and one boarder, Arthur Lardie. Mahalia was 75 years old, white, widowed and had 5 children, though only 4 were still alive. She was born in Pennsylvania but her parents were born in Germany; Mahelia also rented the house. Emma Snider was 29 years old, white, single, and was born in Ohio. Her sister, Sadie Patterson, was 37 years old, white, widowed with two children, and was also born in Ohio. The boarder, Arthur Lardie, was 24 years old, white, single, born in Michigan and was a carver for a furniture factory.
Mahelia Snider and her daughters moved into the home sometime in 1908 and the daughters lived in the home until 1911. However, Mahelia passed away in the home in 1910. Emma Snider married a couple of years later and records of Sadie Patterson were sparse.
1912-1914
1915-1916
1917
1918 - 1919: House Vacant
1920
For one year, Charles E. Adams and his family rented the home at 38 Grove. According to the 1920 US Census the household consisted of Charles, his wife Minnie, and their two children - Clinton and Russell. From what I can make out in the record, Charles was 52 years old, white, and was born in Michigan. Minnie was 52 years old, white, and was born in Indiana. Clinton was 29 years old, white, single, and was born in Michigan; Russell was 23 years old, white, single, and also born in Michigan.
1922 - 1942
The last family of focus in this story of 38 Grove is the Green Family- the Greens lived in the home for 20+ years from 1922 until 1942.
According to the 1930 US Census, Levi C. Green owned 38 Grove Street. He was 60 years old, white, and was 25 years old when he first married. He was born in Michigan and worked as a Foreman for the city gas company.
Maggie Green was Levi's wife, she was also 60 years old, white, and was born in Northern Ireland. She immigrated in 1893 and was a naturalized citizen.
Ruth Green was the daughter of Levi and step-daughter of Maggie. She was 31 years old, single, white, born in Michigan and had no occupation.
Edward Green was listed as the son of Levi and Maggie. He was 9 years old and also born in Michigan. (According to an Ancestry.com record/story, Edward was adopted by Levi and Maggie, his grandparents. His biological mother was actually Ruth.)
From various other historical records, Levi was first married to Cora DeLano. They had four children from 1895 - 1902 but Cora passed away in 1906. A year later, Levi married Maggie.
Not much changed in the household from the 1930 to the 1940 US Censuses. In 1940, Levi and Maggie were both 70 years old and Levi was no longer working at the gas company. Ruth was 42 years old and still single while Edward was 19 years old, single and worked as a driver for a furniture retail shop.
There was only one other record and newspaper article about the Green family during their twenty years at 38 Grove Street - Levi Green passed away in the home in July 1942 due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Maggie, Ruth, and Edward moved out of the house by the following year. Ruth married and moved to Battle Creek; Edward married and continued to live in Grand Rapids. I couldn't find a conclusive record on the whereabouts of Maggie after 1942.
This concludes the story of 38 Grove Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This house, from the time it was built in 1887, held so many memories and stories of all the people that called it home. It may have only been a home to some for a year or less or even 20 years...but no matter what, those walls hold a place in each person's heart.
IF ONLY THOSE WALLS COULD TALK...