Arthur Silliman House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Arthur Silliman House
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 116 S. Main St., Three Rivers, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1868 |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002662 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1979 |
The Arthur Silliman House is a special old house located in Three Rivers, Michigan. It's more than just a home; it also used to be a blacksmith and wagon-building shop! Today, it's known as The Historic Silliman Home and Blacksmith Shop and is a museum where you can learn about its past. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 because of its important history.
A Look Back: The History of the Silliman House
Arthur Silliman was born in 1831 in Pennsylvania. In 1845, his brother, Samuel Silliman, moved to St. Joseph County. Samuel sent exciting news back home about the area.
Inspired by his son's reports, Arthur's father, Alexander Silliman, moved his family to Michigan in 1847. Arthur Silliman became a blacksmith in the 1850s. He first rented a building in Three Rivers.
In 1864, Arthur bought some land near Michigan and Main streets. He then built his own blacksmith shop there. A few years later, in 1867, Silliman sold his shop. He bought a new piece of land right next to the St. Joseph River.
He likely built this house around 1868. This building was unique because it served two purposes. It was both the Silliman family home and Arthur Silliman's blacksmith and wagon-building shop.
Arthur used the house for many years. In 1903, he gave the house to his daughter, Sue I. Silliman. Sue Silliman loved history. She was a librarian and a state historian for the Michigan Daughters of the American Revolution.
Because of her love for history, Sue decided to donate the house to the city of Three Rivers. She did this just before she passed away in 1945.
However, the city later sold the house. It was bought by the Three Rivers World War Veterans Home Association. They fixed it up to be a home for the local American Legion post.
In 1976, the house was sold again, this time to the General Telephone Company of Michigan. The company offered to give the house to the local Daughters of the American Revolution group. But there was a condition: funds had to be raised to restore the house.
People worked hard to raise the money. In 1980, the restoration work began. The house was fully restored the next year. It was then officially given to the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The house was opened to the public as a museum. It continues to operate today as The Historic Silliman Home and Blacksmith Shop.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Arthur Silliman House sits on a narrow, sloped piece of land. It is very close to the St. Joseph River. The house is a three-story building made of brick. It has a rectangular shape and a special roof style called a "flank-gable."
The house sits on a strong foundation made of fieldstone. It measures about 40 feet long and 24 feet wide. Because the land slopes, the lowest story of the house is visible on the river side. But on the other side, that same story is underground.
The windows have six small panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom. They have brick arches above them.
When the house was first built, it had a blacksmith's shop on the first floor. The second floor was where the family lived. It had a hall, kitchen, dining room, living room, and two bedrooms. The third floor was open space used for storage.
Interestingly, there were no stairs inside the house connecting the floors. To go from one floor to another, you had to use stairs on the outside of the building!
