William Upton House

William Upton House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Michigan State Historic Site
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Location	40433 Utica Rd., Sterling Heights, Michigan
Coordinates	42°35′29″N83°0′42″W / 42.59139°N 83.01167°W / 42.59139; -83.01167 Coordinates: 42°35′29″N83°0′42″W / 42.59139°N 83.01167°W / 42.59139; -83.01167
Built	1867
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP reference No.	86002113 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 31, 1986
Designated MSHS	October 27, 1983 [2]

The William Upton House was built as a private residence located at 40433 Utica Road in Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States. It is the oldest house in the city, and now houses public offices. ^[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 ^[1] and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1983. ^[2]

History

William Upton was born in 1835 in Leicestershire, England, and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1841. ^[2] The Uptons first settled in Detroit, then moved to Sterling Township in 1845. In 1861, William Upton married Sarah Jeanette Aldrich, and in 1866-67 he built this house on his farm. Upton was a successful and prosperous farmer, and also sold fish caught in the Clinton River, and by 1891 the farm spread out over 138 acres. ^[2] William and Sarah Upton lived in this house until 1891, when they moved to Utica and purchased a three-story commercial building. ^[2]

William Upton ran a successful mercantile and real estate business in the Utica building until 1897, when he sold the business (but not the building). ^[2] In 1897, Upton became general manager of the local Salvation Army. ^[3] Upton's building was destroyed by fire in 1904, and he was seriously injured trying to protect it. ^[3] Soon afterward, the Uptons moved to Rochester, where William Upton died in 1923 ^[2] and Sarah Upton died in 1925. ^[3]

In 1891, the Uptons sold the house to Frederick Ahrens, who lived there until 1913. ^[3] In 1913, the farm was purchased by Fred and Augusta Heldt, who lived there from 1913 to 1927. ^[3] In 1922, Heldt conveyed part of the farm to the state of Michigan to create Dodge Park. ^[3] Stella Boylan purchased the house in 1927, and afterward a number of owners and renters lived there. Although the exterior of the house was originally natural brick, at some point in the 1940s or 50s it was painted. ^[4] In 1964, the house was purchased by the Macomb Child Guidance Center, and later the city of Sterling Heights bought the building for use by the Parks and Recreation Department. ^[3] The Upton House was restored in 1981–82, at which time the interior was converted to house public offices. ^[2]

Description

The Upton House is a two-story Italianate-style house constructed of brick with a hipped roof and tall cupola. ^[2] The brick construction indicates the relative affluence of the builder. The exterior is painted and heavy brackets support the eaves. Windows are tall, double-hung, four-over-four lights; the ones on the front facade feature ornate stone hoods while windows on the other sides have brick hoods. A 1+1⁄2-story, gable-roofed addition is located on one side, and a flat-roofed, single-story addition is on another. The cupola, porches, chimneys, and bay window balustrade were reconstructed during the 1981-82 renovation. ^[2]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "Upton, William, House". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
3. Sterling Township, 1875-1968, Arcadia Publishing, 2005, pp. 20, 22, 25, 58, ISBN   0-7385-3975-9
4. "STERLING HEIGHTS UPTON HOUSE". Sterling Heights Public Library. September 3, 2011.

External links

• Upton House - City of Sterling Heights