Historical Homes on North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan

<h3>LOCATION</h3>The James Quick House (also known as the Charles Saunders House) at 120 North Center Avenue is located on the southeast corner of Center Avenue and Huron Street in Gaylord, Michigan. It is located in a split residential and commercial community. In the first block from Main Street, it is mixed residential.  <h3>OWNERS OF THE HOUSE</h3><ul><li>1901 - James Quick built the house and lived there with his wife, Lottie Quick</li><li>1909 - James Quick died and Lottie Quick continued to live there</li><li>1912 - Lottie Quick sold the house to move to Detroit, MI, and the house was vacant for one year</li><li>1913 - Dr. Harry Knapp bought the house to use for his medical practice</li><li>1919 - Dr. Knapp sold the house to Dr. William Housen, who used it as his dentist office</li><li>1921 - Dr. Housen sold the house to Dr. Charles Saunders, who used it as his dentist office</li><li>1970 - Dr. Charles Saunders died and his wife continued to live there</li><li>1999 - Dr. Charles Saunders' wife died and the house was bought by Tamara Reeme but the house remained vacant</li><li>2010 - Tamara Reeme sold the house to JGLA Investments</li><li>2013 - Applegate Builders bought the house</li></ul><h3>ARCHITECTURE</h3>This home is a pristine example of a free class Queen Anne architecture. Queen Anne is a Victorian style architecture that was popular around 1880 - 1910. The wraparound porch was supported with classical Tuscan columns. Although the classical Tuscan columns have been removed and replaced with brick supports, this home still has a very high value of historical integrity, and could easily be restored to perfection. The roof-shaped material is hipped with lower crossed gables/octagonal asphalt shingle, like fish scales. The rooftop was even decorated with ornate finials. The house has two-story wooden frames. The first story is about 1,790 sq ft and the second story is about 1,226 sq ft. It was determined to be constructed in 1901 by James Quick (that was learned from tax records). The first floor work is mostly maple wood and was never painted. The wood flooring is in the entire house, but mostly for the kitchen and bathrooms. The dining room, entry, and parlor have wood floors, alternating with maple wood and oak wood. The second story trim is pine. The house also has a cast iron floor and plaster on wood walls.Sometime between 1907 and 1916, the garage was added. In 1913, Dr. Knapp added a door on the south side of the house for his patients to enter. In 1950, according to tax records, Dr. Saunders added the southeast corner of the house.<h3>NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES</h3>The James Quick and Lottie J. (Congdon) Quick house at 120 North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 as it was significant from 1901 to 1909 when James A. Quick lived there with his wife, Lottie J. (Congdon) Quick.<h3>INFORMATION ON JAMES QUICK</h3>James Quick was a successful businessman from late 19th to early 20th century in Gaylord, Michigan. He owned multiple businesses, including a livery stable business, general stores, a bank, real estate, a hotel, and a carriage store.<ul><li>The livery stable business was located at 117 North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan. The business operated from 1883-1891 and he kept ownership of the barn after disposed of business. It was a partnership with his brother, Charles Quick.</li><li>The general stores were called The Quick Brothers and there were three of them. All three stores were in partnership with his brother, Charles Quick. One was located in Gould City, Michigan, from 1891 to 1895. James Quick had moved there from Gaylord in 1891 and then returned back to Gaylord in 1895. Then, the second general store was started in downtown Gaylord in 1896 and James Quick owned it until his death in 1909. The third general store was in New Toledo, Michigan, which was located seven miles east and one mile south of Gaylord, was started in 1896 and owned by James Quick until his death in 1909.</li><li>The bank was called Otsego County Bank and it was the first major bank in Gaylord. It was a partnership with his brother, Charles Quick, and Almon Comstock since 1892. Although the bank was sound financially, it was sold to Gaylord State Savings Bank in 1919.</li><li>One group of real estate he owned was called the Comstock &amp; Quick addition to Gaylord, which consisted of sixteen lots that was bounded by Petoskey Avenue, Chestnut Street (no longer exists), Sheldon Street, and Center Avenue. These were added to Gaylord in 1905 and he owned them in partnership with his brother, Charles Quick, and Almon Comstock. James Quick purchased and sold over 1,300 acres of land along with numerous city lots in Gaylord, Vanderbilt, Wolverine, and the Wah Wah Soo Pleasure Resort (all in Michigan).</li><li>The hotel he owned in Gaylord was called the Delmont Hotel. It is unknown when it was built, but he made improvements to the hotel in 1906 and 1907 after a fire destroyed part of the hotel. James Quick owned the building, but he hired others to do the daily operations. The hotel was in operation until the 1920s.</li><li>The carriage store he owned in Gaylord was started in 1906. He purchased the stock of the Brodie and Qua Company. In 1907, he moved the business from the Cook Brothers building on Main Street to the old location of the livery barn on Center Avenue that he owned that was across from his residence.</li></ul>James Quick was involved in the local government and held different positions, including postmaster, township treasurer, and being on the village council.<ul><li>In 1899, the federal government brought a post office to New Toledo, and it was located in The Quick Brothers store. The name of the town had to be changed as there was already a New Toledo, Michigan, with a post office. So, the name of the town was changed to Quick after the Quick brothers. James Quick was named the Postmaster, a position which he held until his death in 1909.</li><li>It is unknown what date he became the Livingston Township Treasurer, but it was before 1903, when he was elected to a three-year term on the Village Council of Gaylord. In 1906, he was re-elected to a two-year term. He served on both the Water &amp; Light Committee and the License Committee all five years that he was on the council. While he was on the council, he also served on the Fire Department, Rules, and Street Committees. His time on the council was noted for its upgrading of the village’s infrastructure. In 1903, there was construction of a gas pipe to each lot in the village. In 1905, a resolution was passed that all new sidewalks have to be constructed of cement. In 1906, the council discontinued the village directly constructions sidewalks. Instead, they gave rebates to the village citizens who chose to replace or make a new cement sidewalk. In 1906 to 1907, there was a major upgrade of the village’s water system. There was a replacement of the water storage tank. The original tank was on the lot immediately east of James Quick’s residence. After it was removed, he bought the lot it had been on. The new tank was at Gaylord Water Works &amp; Electric Light Plant that was located where South Center Avenue ended at Fourth Street. New water pumps were connected in January 1907 and the new engine was working in November 1907. On the 1916 Sanborn Map, the same engine was still in operation. On the 1927 Sanborn Map, the engine was still located in the plant, but not in use. James Quick was influential in writing the first village ordinance restricting the sale of alcohol within the village limits. This ordinance raised the fee necessary to obtain a liquor license in the village by $500. The State of Michigan already required a $500 fee, so there was a total fee of $1,000 in the village. In order to raise the fee, permission was required from the state legislation, which was easily granted. There were a limited number of liquor licenses issued to businesses within the village, which was six.</li></ul>Throughout his life, James Quick was involved with farming. <ul><li>He was born October 7, 1857, in Oakland County, Michigan, and his family owned a farm. In 1881, he moved to Gaylord, Michigan. In 1882, he bought an 80-acre farm just outside of Gaylord. He was not always actively involved with the day-to-day activities, but he was involved with the overall operation. By the time of his death in 1909, the farm had expanded to 160 acres. From 1906 to 1907, he was President of the Otsego County Agricultural Society. The purpose of the society was to plan the Otsego County Fair. His success with the fair resulted in him being named to head the committee which prepared the Otsego County exhibit for the State Fair, which is a position he held from 1907 to 1908.</li></ul>

This historic Queen Anne-style home was completed in 1901 and home to the influential business and political leader James Quick from 1901 until his death in 1909. The house has had several owners after James Quick, including Lottie Quick, Harry Knapp, William Housen, and Charles Saunders, who also owned businesses in Gaylord. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

James A. Quick House (also known as Charles Saunders House)

Earl Bolton, also known as E.B. Bolton, lived at 135 North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan. He moved to Gaylord from southern Michigan in 1882. He married Olivia Puryear four years later and they had one daughter, Hazel.Earl Bolton owned a lot of property in Gaylord, including the E.B. Bolton Hardware Company. He owned two brick stores in one block and a brick store in another block in Gaylord. With Sanford Buck, another resident of Gaylord, he was a member of the firm Buck &amp; Bolton, which was a company of potato buyers. Also with Sanford Buck and Frank Kramer, he helped organize Gaylord State Savings Bank. He was also a part owner in banks in Vanderbilt and Wolverine.In 1900, E.B. Bolton was elected representative in the legislature from the Presque Isle district. This district comprised of the counties of Otsego, Crawford, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle. He was re-elected to this position in 1902.Earl Bolton secured the Civil War cannon to be put on the lawn of the Otsego County Building and it was a yearlong effort. The cannon was put there on July 4, 1905. The Otsego County Building was formerly called the "Court House."Earl Bolton died in 1913.Drs. Elmer and Ruey Ford lived in the house from 1922-1928 and had their medical offices within their residence for a couple of years.Years later, the house was owned by Fred and Ella Cook, who owned the Cook Department Store.The Cooks sold the house to Howard C. Walker, who owned a furniture store and a funeral home on Main Street. He moved the funeral home to 135 North Center Avenue and then added the brick chapel on the front of the building in 1962.Clark Bates purchased the funeral home in 1966 and it was re-named Walker-Bates Funeral Home.In 1974, the funeral home was purchased by Harry Charles "Chuck" Nelson and Patricia Nelson. It is now known as the Nelson Funeral Home.

The Earl B. Bolton House is located at 135 North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan. Earl Bolton was a businessman and prominent citizen in Gaylord. He also brought a piece of history from the Civil War to Gaylord. Today, the house built by Earl Bolton is known as Nelson Funeral Home.

Earl B. Bolton House/Fred & Ella Cook House/Nelson Funeral Home

1903 - Buck house was built and owned by Sanford buck1933 - William and Jennie Wilson purchased the home from the Sisson's1958 - house was sold againThe Architecture:The house had a Spindle work style Queen Anne, with a wraparound porch with turned columns and spindle work. It also has turrets that have been replaced to match with today's features, that is not keeping the old ones. Also the S.W. Buck house is Gaylord’s most intact example of what a Spindle work Queen Anne would be.The house was originally owned and built by Sanford Buck in 1903, then sold on to Floyd Sisson. On April 5th 1933, William and Jennie Wilson bought it and turned it into a partnership. After that the house was sold a few more times, once to Wayne Brown, and once to Tom and Sandy Koch. The home has been renovated 5 times between 1903 and 2015.More about Sanford Buck:1855 - Birth of Sanford W Buck1878 - Birth of Lena Mae Mead (daughter)1882 - Birth of Louis Buck (daughter)1888 - Birth of Carlton S Buck (son)1892 - Birth of Warren W Buck (son)1923 - Death of Sanford BuckSanford Buck had 4 kids and a wife named May Elizabeth Buck. His parents were Nancy M. Buck and Horace M. Buck. Mr. Buck's occupation was a banker. He died on July 16th, 1923.

The Buck House at 206 North Center Avenue was built in 1903 and has been sold seven times since it was first inhabited by the family of Sanford Buck. The historic home has been remodeled to include both modern conveniences as well as the needs of commercial tenants. The company Alpine Cardiology is now located in the recently-renovated Buck House.

Sanford Buck House

J. M. Brodie was a leading businessman. He relocated to Gaylord in 1881 from Seaforth, Ontario, to manufacture wagons and vehicles. Due to failing health, he had to change his occupation and became a salesman and manager for a carriage house store located in Chicago in 1893 and continued that for six years.. After spending six more years traveling all over the United States as a Sales Manager, he returned to Gaylord to settle down.J. M. Brodie saw the potential of Gaylord and purchased a lot on Main Street and built a storefront in 1904. .His store consisted of clothing, gent's furnishings, shoes, hats, and other items. He purchased the property from R. B. Qua &amp; Son.He also was elected to be the city treasurer in Gaylord.Today, the home has been remodeled. It is still considered a Queen Anne style home but most of the spindlework is now gone from the remodel.

The J. M. Brodie house is located at 207 North Center Avenue. It was built in 1880. The home is a Spindlework Queen Anne style home. It is a two-story home with a wraparound porch and wide plank wood siding. The roof has a gable front and wings along with asphalt shingles.

J. M. Brodie House

Location:The Frank Kramer house is located at 221 North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan on the southwest corner of Sheldon Street.Architecture:The Kramer house has 3 stories, with a wrap around porch. The house also has multiple paired windows, diamond windows, and a fish scale gable. This house is a half-timbered Queen Anne, The style of this house is quite unique. Only about 5% of all Queen Anne homes are half-timbered.Important Dates:<ul><li>1896 - Frank and Rae Kramer built the house</li><li>1928 - Frank Kramer died at 72 years old (born ~ 1856)</li><li>1960 - Rae Kramer died at 92 years old (born ~ 1868)</li><li>? - Sheriff Ralph Holewinski and his wife Edith owned the house</li><li>1987 - Jerry and Margaret Albert moved to Gaylord and bought the house and restored it</li><li>2/18/1993 - Listed on State Register</li><li>3/31/1994 - Marker erected showing it's historical home</li><li>12/12/2002 - Listed on National Register</li><li>? - there is now a new owner</li></ul>Information on Frank Kramer:Frank Kramer was a banker, starting Gaylord State Savings Bank in 1893 in combination with Earl Bolton and Sanford Buck.Frank Kramer was a businessman and he owned Kramer's Busy Big Store starting in 1882. It was located on the south side of Main Street and moved in 1883. There was a substantial addition to the store in 1887. In 1900, the store was completed at a total of 10,000 square feet. The store started as a clothing and dry goods store and a carpet and rug department was added later. One room had clothing, shoes, hats, and gents' furnishings. Another room had dry goods and fancy goods. A third room had carpets, rugs, mattings, curtains, linoleums, and ladies' ready-to-wear garments.Frank Kramer was a member of the school board for 21 years. He was an active member in the Masonic Lodge and Knights of Pythias.Frank Kramer was a Russian Jewish immigrant who settled in Gaylord and owned a farm northwest of town.Information on Rae Kramer:Rae Kramer was a businesswoman.Rae Kramer was an active member of the Red Cross, the Otsego County Board, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Wah Wah Soo Association. She organized the Rainbow Girls and the Otsego County Health Committee.

The Frank A. Kramer house at 221 North Center Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan is historically significant for its architecture and its connection to Frank Kramer and his wife, Rae E. (Harris) Kramer, who lived in the home from 1896 to 1960. Frank Kramer was a locally prominent banker, businessman, and civic leader. Rae Kramer was a locally prominent businesswoman and civic leader. The house has been owned by Jerry and Margaret Albert since in 1987.

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Historical Homes on North Center Avenue

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