City of Saline Takes Next Steps in Davenport-Curtiss Acquisition

Photo: The Davenport-Curtiss Mansion in Saline, MI, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Credit: Andrew Jameson, 2010, Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons License.

City Council approved a preliminary agreement with the Curtiss family regarding the city’s potential purchase of the Davenport-Curtiss mansion, located on E. Michigan Ave., Saline, at the council’s Sept. 2 meeting. While this begins the process of the city’s acquisition, it is not a final decision nor a formal purchase.

“Tonight, we record a good will agreement between the city of Saline and the Curtiss family that initiates a formal due diligence process to evaluate the possible acquisition of the historic Davenport-Curtiss mansion and its surrounding grounds,” Mayor Pro-Tem Janet Dillon said. “Over the past few months, city leadership has worked in close coordination with the Curtiss family and our legal team to outline the terms of this agreement.”

The house, which dates back to the 1870s, is “an emblem of Saline character,” according to Mayor Brian Marl. 

“It is timeless, a unique and special asset truly distinct to the Saline community,” he said. “It is not often that a city is given the opportunity to reclaim a landmark of this magnitude and purpose it for the public good. When a moment like this arrives, it demands our full attention and imaginations, for the consequences of losing an asset like this or seeing the property redeveloped would reverberate for generations to come.”

Jon Richards, a member of the Curtiss family, agreed with Marl about the importance of this agreement and its potential future impact.

“For nearly a century, three generations of our family have lived in and five generations have helped preserve the Davenport-Curtiss House,” Richards said. “Our hope is this historic, one-of-a-kind landmark in the heart of town becomes accessible and vibrant, serving the people of Saline for generations to come.”

The city of Saline has committed a refundable $50,000 to this purchase and plans to continue moving forward with ADA compliance inspections and evaluations of the property.