Joseph Reimer House

This house was built by Rochester hardware merchant Joseph Reimer as his family residence in the summer of 1878. Reimer was born in Pennsylvania in 1826, served in the Civil War with a Pennsylvania regiment, and moved to Rochester with his wife and four children in 1868. He established a hardware store on Main Street which was later bought out by his son, Cyrus, then sold to Harvey J. Taylor, and after Taylor to Charles W. Case.

Joseph Reimer was also active in civic life, serving as Avon Township clerk, justice of the peace for Avon Township, county surveyor, and as a director of the school board. Upon Reimer's death in July 1896, the Rochester Era published an obituary which read, in part, as follows:

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Joseph Reimer was born in Upper Mt. Bethel, Northampton Co., Penn., March 23, 1825, and departed this life at his late residence in Rochester, Mich., July 24, 1896.

Mr. Reimer grew to manhood in the village of his birth. When a young man, he taught district schools; some who now reside in Rochester attended the same and speak of him as a very kind teacher. Later on he engaged in keeping a general store, which occupation he loved and followed most of his life.

Mr. Reimer was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Eyer, a young lady of Upper Mt. Bethel, Oct. 28, 1848, and together they trod life's journey, rejoicing in their common joy, and sorrowing in their common sorrows, until the 21st day of Sept., 1891, when Mrs. Reimer was called to her long resting place.

. . .

When the call came for blood to defend this country of freedom, Mr. Reimer was not unmindful of the same, and went at the all as captain of Co. G 153 Penn. Vol. For several months he was engaged in the terrors of war, but ill health compelled him to resign his command.

In 1868 the family sought a different locality and with so many from their immediate vicinity came to Michigan, and settled in our beautiful village, one of God's choice spots in Michigan, where they chose to live the remaining days of their time, to died and there be buried.

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After Reimer's death, the house remained in family hands, occupied by his children, until 1917, when the heirs sold it to Julia Bromley Butts and her daughter, Elizabeth M. Casey. Sometime between 1919 and 1926, the two women partitioned the house into apartments and lived in one section while renting the rest of the house for income. Elizabeth Butts Casey married hardware merchant Charles W. Case in 1939. (Case owned the hardware firm that had originally been founded by Joseph Reimer in the 1870s).

Elizabeth Case owned the property until her death in 1973, at which time it passed to the control of her daughter, Della L. Casey Wilson. The Wilson family trust sold the property in 1995 after 78 years of ownership by the Butts/Casey/Case family members.

An 1889 newspaper article noted the addition of a well to the property, to be located on the south property line and used in common by neighbor Arthur E. Collins, who owned the house next door:

"Reimer and Collins are having a well dug in company on or near the line dividing their respective lots on Walnut st."

Additions on the rear (west) side of the house were demolished in October 2012 and replaced with new construction when the building was renovated.

"Joseph Reimer has purchased a village lot of J.B. Martz on Walnut street and has already commenced hauling stone preparatory to building the foundation for a fine family residence...," Rochester Era, February 7, 1878, p.3.

"Reimer and Collins are having a well dug...," Rochester Era, April 19, 1889, p.1.

"The Late Joseph Reimer," Rochester Era, July 31, 1896, p.1.

Sanborn Map Company. Rochester, Michigan [map]. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1900, 1908, 1916, 1919, 1926, 1939.

Mary Ann Martz and John B. Martz to Joseph Reimer, December 20, 1877, Oakland County, Michigan Record of Deeds, liber 127, p.256.

Cyrus Reimer and Laura C. Reimer, et al., survivors of Joseph Reimer, to Julia E. Butts and Elizabeth M. Casey, tenants in common, June 19,1917, Oakland County, Michigan Record of Deeds, liber 292, p.620.

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW3Q-4Y7 : 13 November 2020), Joseph Reimer, Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 248, sheet 28D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,598.

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS9K-67W : accessed 25 November 2020), Frank Reimer, Avon township Rochester village, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 81, sheet 5A, family 107, 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:MLRV-Z53 : accessed 25 November 2020), Lilly Bliss, Avon, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 117, sheet 9A, family 212, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 668; FHL microfilm 1,374,681. 

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQ1V-FNC : accessed 25 November 2020), Elizabeth B Casey, Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 4, sheet 9B, line 88, family 213, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1016; FHL microfilm 2,340,751. 

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4GB-QL4 : 29 February 2020), Elizabeth Casey, Rochester, Avon Township, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 63-4, sheet 11A, line 4, family 248, 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.