Author’s Note: As Saline embarks on a new chapter with the recent city council decision to purchase the Davenport-Curtiss Mansion and green space it sits on, the Mansion’s legacy as a symbol of community growth and architectural grandeur is poised to evolve further.
In the coming weeks City Council will approve the formation of a working group to explore future uses and potential partnerships, signaling a commitment to both preserving the Mansion’s storied past, and fostering its role as a hub for civic engagement and cultural enrichment.
The year is 1876. The country is nearing the end of Reconstruction after surviving the Civil War and transitioning to the Industrial Revolution era. It was also the year of America’s centennial celebration, and when William H. Davenport built the famous Davenport-Curtiss home on Chicago Road – now known as Michigan Avenue or U.S. 12.
Today, 150 years later, the home still stands tall and elegant on six acres – an entire city block. The estate welcomes all who enter Saline with its unmatched mystique and charm. It is no wonder Saline residents fondly refer to the Davenport-Curtiss home as ‘the Mansion in Saline.’ Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it helps shape the architectural rhythm of an entire corridor.
Davenport-Curtiss Mansion Unique Second Empire Style
In 1875 William Davenport hired Detroit architect William Scott to design his home, reportedly costing $8,500 to build. The ‘Second Empire’ style was chosen – a unique style developed in France and popular in the U.S. after the Civil War. Second Empire architectural features typically display dormers, tall and narrow windows, iron cresting, central towers, heavy cornices, and decorative elements.
The craftsmanship of the home is truly a marvel, from the cut stone foundation to the slate-covered mansard roof. Jim Peters, Saline local historian, states, “The Industrial Revolution produced power tools like scroll and jigsaws that made fancy work like the gingerbread detail more affordable for everyone. Before that, it was all handwork, very slow, labor-intensive, and expensive.”
Completing the grounds of the estate are two carriage houses in the back, featuring the same slate mansard roofs and painted trim style matching the main house; even the horses lived in elegance.
The interior of the Mansion is just as decorative and enchanting as it draws you in with the warm walnut trim, the parlor chandelier which Mrs. Davenport insisted on cleaning herself, patterned floors, fine carpets, delicately crocheted bedspreads, and whimsical wallpaper. There are calling card trays by the entrance, and you can almost picture a knock at the door, the rustle of the ladies’ petticoats to greet them and the gentleman’s polite removal of their hats. Remarkably, much of the original furniture remains in the home today, purchased in 1876 by the Davenports at the first World’s Fair in Philadelphia, and completing the museum-level ambience of the home.
How the Mansion Serves as a Landmark of Saline’s Ambition
Throughout the late 1800s and into the early 1900s both William Davenport and his wife Zylpha brought modernization to Saline, with the mansion serving as a landmark for culture and connection. Ideas were discussed and turned into plans as guests and businesspeople alike were entertained there. These plans subsequently brought commercial and economic transformation to Saline.
At the age of 12, William Davenport embarked on his humble beginnings working in what was the early Saline village store. By the age of 27, he bought the store and expanded into a town supply and commerce center offering dry goods, farm implements, credit, news, and shipping coordination. In late 1851, William and Zylpha P. Parsons were married and had three children. Only one son, Beverly, survived at the time of William’s death.
By the 1860s, Davenport was no longer just a merchant. He was Saline’s financial advisor, informal insurance agent, loan arranger, and community connector. Davenport built community trust, and even before Saline had a formal bank, residents stored money in Davenport’s personal safe. This trust led to the creation of the Citizens Bank in 1885, the forerunner of the bank still standing in downtown Saline today.
Ultimately, both William and Zylpha Davenport were pivotal in ensuring that Saline would become a commercial, economic, and cultural success.
How the Davenports Helped Modernize Saline
In the late 1860s, Davenport lobbied and raised investment pledges along with other town leaders to bring the Detroit-Hillsdale & Indiana Railroad line to pass through Saline rather than 2 miles south, where land was cheaper. In 1881, he connected the Davenport home with a telephone to the downtown store, making it easier to conduct business, and long before most rural Michigan communities even dreamed of telephone lines. That same year, after downtown Saline suffered a devastating fire, both William and son, Beverly, led the effort to acquire the city’s first fire engine, and Beverly Davenport became Saline’s first fire chief.
Zylpha Davenport was an active supporter of Saline in her own right. She contributed to Saline’s growth and culture and organized the very first library effort in 1900. Although husband William passed away in 1909 at age 82, Zylpha continued with her philanthropy and later personally funded the new library building, completed in April of 1918. She passed away in 1921, at age 93.
The Curtiss Family Provides Intergenerational Care to the Mansion
When the W.H. Davenport line ended with Beverly Davenport’s passing in 1930, the home didn’t pass to relatives but instead was willed to Carl Alward Curtiss, Davenport’s partner at the Citizens Bank of Saline. After finding the home in disrepair, Curtiss considered demolishing the home.
Jon Richards, a great-grandson of Curtiss, describes how the mansion was saved. “Curtiss was willed the house from the Davenport estate,” and notes that the house has never been sold in its 150-year history. “The house had been vacant for approximately a decade and had not been updated to current standards.”
Jon explains, “Henry Ford, who had a factory in Saline, heard about this and talked my great-grandfather into saving the house and used some of the craftsmen who were helping build Greenfield Village at the time.”
Saline’s Mansion Looks for Another Century of Life… and Beyond
The Davenport-Curtiss Mansion has served as a majestic landmark for a century and a half, a witness to 150 years of history. It also stands as an emblem of Saline’s transformation from a rural village to a modern city – thanks to the economic and cultural influence of the Davenports and stewardship of the Curtiss family.
Brent Richards, a history teacher and also great-grandson of Curtiss, expresses his affection for the home by concluding, “It’s amazing to connect to history through a structure like this. We are so hopeful that, with new ownership, the house will witness another century of life and beyond.”
Sources: https://www.salinehistory.org/davenport-curtis-house
Second Empire Homes https://www.architecturecourses.org/learn/second-empire-architecture#google_vignette
Photos Courtesy of Amanda Barnes Photography and the Curtiss Family
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
