Henry Whitney House

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Civil War veteran Henry Whitney built this house on West Fifth Street (now West University Drive) in 1874. Whitney had served in Michigan's Tenth Volunteer Infantry from 1862-1865, and came to Rochester from Shiawassee County in 1871. Whitney's dwelling, originally a rectangular, two-story, gable front building on a fieldstone foundation, is an example of a typical working-class village home of the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Images

Henry Whitney House, north elevation, 2020

Henry Whitney House, east and north elevations, 2020

Henry Whitney House, west and north elevations, 2020

Window, Residential area, House, Property

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Henry Whitney purchased a double lot on village outlot 5 for $250 in November 1873. In September 1874, the Rochester Era reported that Whitney was in the process of building a new residence: "Several new residences are the process of erection in this village, among which are those of C. S. Goodison, Joseph Holman, H. Whitney, A. Bennett, and Mr. Campbell."

Whitney was a veteran of the Civil War and served with the Tenth Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He came to Rochester about 1871 and worked as a drayman.

Whitney died in his home in January 1885, and his widow sold the property to William J. Lomason in 1891. In the early twentieth century, Rochester businessman Robert Wilcox purchased the property, and lived there until his death in 1932. Wilcox was the co-proprietor of the Wilcox & LeBlond café and pool room on Main Street in Rochester for many years.

The Whitney house was originally a rectangular, gable front building. A wing to the east was added later, and a one-story, multi-bay garage addition was connected to the house on the south side.

In 1985, the house became the location of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. In recent years it has housed an insurance agency.

Sources

Adon S. Taft and Sarah Taft his wife to Henry Whitney, November 17, 1873, consideration $250, a part of outlot 5 of the original plat of the village of Rochester, commencing 120 feet west of the southeast corner of outlot 5, thence west 120 feet, thence north 150 feet, thence east 120 feet, thence south 150 feet to place of beginning, Oakland County Record of Deeds, liber 111, p.330.

"Several new residences are in process of erection...," Rochester Era, September 10, 1874, p.3.

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW3Q-QQN : 13 November 2020), Henry Whitney, Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 248, sheet 35A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,598.

"Died at his late residence in this village...," Rochester Era, January 30, 1885, p.1.

Abbie M. Whitney and William J. Whitney to William J. Lomason, Oakland County Record of Deeds, liber 165, p.321.

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZQ5-JM7 : accessed 21 December 2020), Robert Wilcox, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing ED 159, sheet 15A, line 49, family 353, 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-QBJ : accessed 21 December 2020), Robert Wilcox, Rochester, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 4, sheet 18B, line 86, family 456, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1016; FHL microfilm 2,340,751.

"Death of Robert Wilcox," Rochester Era, July 15, 1932, p.1.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Deborah Larsen