Louisiana Swift House

This house is an example of a pre-Civil War dwelling built during Rochester's settlement era by Morrison and Louisiana Swift. The Swifts came to Rochester in 1857 and purchased a substantial block of village land bounded by Third, Oak, Fifth, and Pine streets, and built this residence facing Third street soon thereafter. In 1893, the house became the home of prominent local businessman Lewis H. Bitters, who lived in the house until his death in 1936.

This house is an example of pre-Civil War domestic architecture in Rochester. It was likely built between 1857 and 1860 as the family home of Morrison and Louisiana Swift, who came to Rochester in 1857 after farming for two decades in Nankin Township in Wayne County. Louisiana Swift purchased to large outlots on the village plat of Rochester for $1000 in 1857 - the property was bounded by Fifth Street on the north, Third Street on the south, Pine Street on the east, and Oak Street on the west. The house was apparently built on the property by 1860, because the 1860 census enumerates the Swifts as living in the village. According to Louisiana Swift's obituary, the couple lived on one of the lots; Morrison Swift died in 1868. An 1872 plat map of the village of Rochester shows Louisiana Swift's residence as facing Third Street, mid-way along the block between Pine and Oak streets.

Louisiana Swift died in 1883, and her obituary in the Rochester Era described her life, in part, as follows:

[begin quote]

Mrs. Louisiana Woodhull Swift, who departed this life June 13th, was born at Phelps, N.Y., April 12, 1809; was the fifth daughter in a family of nine, of whom one sister age 85, and two brothers, one of whom is 81 years old, survive her. Married to Morrison Swift in 1831, they very soon thereafter followed the side of western immigration, and settled in the township of Nankin, Wayne co. Providence smiled upon their efforts and blessed the labors of their hands, until the wilderness became a fruitful field, and was made to 'blossom as the rose.' Thus swiftly passed 22 years—the happiest of their lives. Then the farm was sold, and the goodly sum realized was invested in an iron manufacturing partnership in the rapidly growing City of the Straits—an enterprise which proved disastrous, however, through the misrepresentations and impecunious condition of his partner, and after two or three years' struggle to carry on the concern, gathered up the fragments and moved to Rochester, where he purchased two village plots, on one of which the worthy pair have been permitted to end their days.

Mr. Swift died in 1868, since which time the subject of this sketch has lived in widowhood.

. . .

During her life the deceased adopted three children in their infancy. A bright boy who died at the age of four, and two girls. The elder, now Mrs. "Nat" Corwin, resides in Valparaiso, Ind.; the younger, Mrs. Jesse Lawrence, lives in this village.

[end quote]

According to a further newspaper account published in the same issue as Louisiana Swift's obituary, it was Swift's dying wish that her youngest daughter, Lizzie Otto, be married to her fiancé, Jesse Lawrence, before Louisiana died. Lawrence was out of town as Swift lay dying, so the marriage was performed before the assembled mourners and the corpse in the family home immediately prior to the funeral service. The Rochester Era described the event as follows:

[begin quote]

The late Mrs. Swift was buried from her residence last Friday morning, the Rev. J. M. Lyon conducting the funeral service.

After the people had assembled, and just before the time for commencing the services, the pastor stated that it had been the desire of the deceased, a few hours previous to her death, that her adopted daughter Lizzie and Mr. Jesse Lawrence, to whom she (Lizzie) was betrothed, should be married before she (the mother) closed her eyes in death, but as Mr. Lawrence was out of town at the time, her request could not, of course, be granted. In view, therefore, of this circumstance it was thought best and eminently proper that the young couple should then and there be united in marriage. In this connection it might be observed that Lizzie, by the death of Mrs. Swift, would be left alone in the world. The ceremony was therefore performed in the presence of the dead and the friends assembled, and was an occasion of more than ordinary impressiveness and solemnity.

By will Lizzie takes the residence all furnished, and land connected, besides, we understand, about $2,500 in money invested, and the young couple commenced housekeeping at once in the old homestead, under favorable, though peculiar circumstances.

[end quote]

The Lawrences resided in the old Swift family home for only a short time. In 1886, newspaper accounts record that they had apparently moved to Cass City and had rented the house to another family. They then sold the property to Rochester merchant Burnett A. Horvitz, who sold it to local barber Lewis Bitters in April 1892. In June 1893, the Rochester Era announced that Bitters was moving his family into the Swift/Lawrence house: "L. H. Bitters and family are now nicely settled in their new house – the Lawrence house on West Third st.” A few weeks later, the newspaper noted that “L. H. Bitters is making many improvements to his new house on West Third st.”

An 1897 promotional booklet entitled Beautiful Rochester featured a paragraph on Lewis Bitters, along with his portrait and a photograph of his home on West Third Street. The entry read: "Lewis H. Bitters is a native of Rochester and for the past ten years has run one of the leading barber shops of the village, receiving a large share of public patronage. He occupies a pleasant home on West Third street, an engraving of which is given herewith."

Members of the Bitters family owned 308 West Third Street for the next seven decades. Lillian Bitters died in her home in 1930, and Lewis Bitters died in the house on October 10, 1936. At some point following Lewis Bitters' death, his daughter, Norma Bitters Cross, and her husband, Harry G. Cross, who had been married in the house in 1913, made it their home. The property remained in the Bitters family until the heirs of Norma Bitters Cross Ferguson sold it following her death in 1966.

UPDATE: The Louisiana Swift house was demolished in October 2022.

Henry H. LeRoy to Louisiana Swift, 19 August 1857, consideration $1000, blocks 3 and 4 in the village of Rochester lying between Pine and Oak streets and between Third street and the Saginaw and Pontiac road (as it was formerly called), Oakland County Record of Deeds, liber 62, pp.443-444.

"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWDK-GHG : 19 March 2020), Morrison Swift, 1860.

"Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3DL-5Z1 : 2 April 2020), Morrison Swift, 25 May 1868; citing p 97 rn 332, Avon, Oakland, Michigan, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,363,448.

"United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHCC-HHK : 19 March 2020), Louisa Swift, 1870.

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW3Q-3LV : 22 August 2017), Louisa Swift, Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 248, sheet 26C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,598.

"Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3J1-N8Q : 2 April 2020), Laura Swift, 13 Jun 1883; citing p 350 rn 383, Avon, Oakland, Michigan, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,363,672.

"Passed Away [obituary of Louisiana Swift]," Rochester Era, June 21, 1883, p.8.

"An Impressive Ceremony," Rochester Era, June 21, 1883, p.1.

“The Pollack family have removed to the Lizzie Lawrence house...," Rochester Era, May 14, 1886, p.1.

Burnett A. Horvitz to Louis Bitters, 19 April 1892, land in the village of Rochester commencing 145 feet east of the southwest corner of outlot 3 of the Original Plat of the Village of Rochester, thence running east 45 feet, thence north 150 feet, thence west 45 feet, thence south 150 feet to place of beginning, Oakland County Record of Deeds, liber 145, p.263.

“L. H. Bitters and family are now nicely settled in their new house...,” Rochester Era, June 23, 1893, p.1.

“L. H. Bitters is making many improvements to his new house...,” Rochester, Era, July 14, 1893, p.1.

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS9K-PMF : accessed 29 September 2020), Lewis H Butens [i.e. Bitters], Avon township Rochester village, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 81, sheet 3A, family 56, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,735. 

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLRK-ZZW : accessed 29 September 2020), Louis H Bitter, Avon, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 117, sheet 8B, family 199, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 668; FHL microfilm 1,374,681. 

"Bitters-Cross," Rochester Era, August 2, 1913, p.5.

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZQ5-4YS : accessed 29 September 2020), Lewis H Bitters, Avon, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing ED 159, sheet 17B, line 95, family 420, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 789; FHL microfilm 1,820,789.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQ1V-GQX : accessed 29 September 2020), Lewis H Bitters, Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 4, sheet 14A, line 27, family 321, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1016; FHL microfilm 2,340,751. 

"Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFQB-WXQ : 13 March 2018), Lewis H Bitters, 10 Oct 1936; citing Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,973,061.

"Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFQB-72L : 13 March 2018), Lillian A Bitters, 13 Sep 1930; citing Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,973,060.

"Death of Mrs. L.H. Bitters," Rochester Era, September 19, 1930, p.1.

"Lewis Bitters Rites Held Here Monday," Rochester Clarion, October 16, 1936.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4GB-9YQ : 29 February 2020), Earnest J Reddaway, Rochester, Avon Township, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 63-4, sheet 13A, line 16, family 305, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1798.

Sanborn Map Company. Rochester, Michigan, fire insurance map, February 1919, plate 2.

Fox, William A. Beautiful Rochester. Rochester, Mich.: W. A. Fox, 1897, p.19.