Sibley House (Detroit)

The Sibley House is a private residence located at 976 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It currently is used as the Rectory of Christ Church Detroit. The house was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1]

Sibley House
Location976 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates42°19′58″N 83°02′05″W / 42.332806°N 83.034793°W / 42.332806; -83.034793
Built1848
NRHP reference No.71000432[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 16, 1971
Designated MSHSFebruary 19, 1958[2]
Solomon Sibley

History

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Sibley House in 1934

Solomon Sibley moved to Detroit in the late 1790s; he was one of the first lawyers to live in what was then a small village.[3] He served in a number of political positions while living in Detroit. In 1799, he began service in the territorial legislature; in 1806 he became mayor of Detroit; from 1815 to 1824 he was US District Attorney for Michigan.[3] Sibley served as Michigan's representative in Congress from 1820 to 1823, and from 1824 to 1827, he served on the territorial Supreme Court.[3]

Sibley died in 1846. Shortly thereafter, his widow, Sarah Sproat Sibley, built this home for herself and their two daughters.[3]

Description

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The Sibley house is a clapboard, side-gabled Greek Revival-style home.[3] The symmetrical front façade faces Jefferson Avenue, and is divided into five-bays separated by trabeated windows.[2] A central, columned portico entrance fronts the building.

Later use

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The home was occupied by descendants of Solomon Sibley from its construction until 1925, when it was sold to the next-door church Christ Church Detroit.[3] Christ Church used the home for a variety of purposes until 1946, when it became the parish rectory.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c Sibley House Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine from the state of Michigan
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Sibley House from Detroit1701.org