The Davis estate on 1326 East Michigan Ave. in Lansing.
Courtesy photo
A mansion that once stood on East Michigan Avenue in Lansing was the residence of two-term mayor Charles J. Davis. Davis had made his fortune in the gravel business. That was lucky since mayors during his tenure were paid a dollar a year!
Built in 1883 for a cost of $7,900, the red brick house boasted 14 main rooms, eight more in the basement, and a spacious attic. This opulent home became a social hub and gathering place for Lansing’s growing industrial aristocracy. At the same time, it was place for Davis to indulge his interest in nature. The grounds included a menagerie consisting of a herd of deer, otter, beaver, albino raccoons and other unnamed Michigan fauna. Along with many gardens and ponds there were fruit orchards planted to attract birds. Newspaper accounts point to this private zoo as a destination for Sunday afternoon carriage rides in the 1890s.
The inside of the house was no less interesting. Davis kept a large collection of precious gems, antiques and rare books. His library contained a full set of elephant folio and a first edition Audubon’s Birds of America. Later and smaller editions currently sell for nearly $2 million.
But it was Davis’ taxidermy collection that brought him notoriety. At one point he was recognized as one of the finest taxidermists in the nation. Most of the animals were preserved and stuffed by him personally, although he did once purchase a mounted bison head from Buffalo Bill Cody.
After his death, Davis’ daughter Morelle returned to the home she was born in and lived there until her own death in 1948. She was probably what we would call a “hoarder” today. One assessment of the estate uncovered nearly 60 years’ worth of magazines and newspapers.
Years of neglect undercut the infrastructure of the once magnificent home. Eventually Davis’ son Samuel sold both it and its contents. Most of the treasurers were auctioned and the home razed. Today it’s hard to imagine a mansion standing just east of Sparrow Hospital, with visitors in for
A mansion that once stood on East Michigan Avenue in Lansing was the residence of two-term mayor Charles J. Davis. Davis had made his fortune in the gravel business. That was lucky since mayors during his tenure were paid a dollar a year!
Built in 1883 for a cost of $7,900, the red brick house boasted 14 main rooms, eight more in the basement, and a spacious attic. This opulent home became a social hub and gathering place for Lansing’s growing industrial aristocracy. At the same time, it was place for Davis to indulge his interest in nature. The grounds included a menagerie consisting of a herd of deer, otter, beaver, albino raccoons and other unnamed Michigan fauna. Along with many gardens and ponds there were fruit orchards planted to attract birds. Newspaper accounts point to this private zoo as a destination for Sunday afternoon carriage rides in the 1890s.
The inside of the house was no less interesting. Davis kept a large collection of precious gems, antiques and rare books. His library contained a full set of elephant folio and a first edition Audubon’s Birds of America. Later and smaller editions currently sell for nearly $2 million.
But it was Davis’ taxidermy collection that brought him notoriety. At one point he was recognized as one of the finest taxidermists in the nation. Most of the animals were preserved and stuffed by him personally, although he did once purchase a mounted bison head from Buffalo Bill Cody.
After his death, Davis’ daughter Morelle returned to the home she was born in and lived there until her own death in 1948. She was probably what we would call a “hoarder” today. One assessment of the estate uncovered nearly 60 years’ worth of magazines and newspapers.
Years of neglect undercut the infrastructure of the once magnificent home. Eventually Davis’ son Samuel sold both it and its contents. Most of the treasurers were auctioned and the home razed. Today it’s hard to imagine a mansion standing just east of Sparrow Hospital, with visitors in formal attire walking up a winding path to the gracious front porch.
Anyone interested in Lansing history should check out the Forest Parke Library & Archives, housed in the Downtown Lansing Library. This dedicated area serves a repository for historical books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, ephemera, film and 3D objects. The FPL&A is open to the public on Tuesdays from 5-7 pm. For more information, contact David Votta at (517) 334-1521 or vottad@cadl.org.
The Capital Area District Library Reference Department is located at 401 S. Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI. Contact them at 517-367-6346 or by e-mail at reference@cadl.org.
This was printed in the November 6, 2011 – November 19, 2011 Edition
