Elias Comstock Cabin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elias Comstock Cabin
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| Location | Curwood Castle Dr., and John St., Owosso, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1836 |
| MPS | Owosso MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001894 |
| Added to NRHP | November 4, 1980 |
The Elias Comstock Cabin is a historic house in Owosso, Michigan. You can find it at the corner of Curwood Castle Drive and John Street. This cabin is super old! It was built in 1836 and is the oldest house still standing in Owosso. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Contents
History of the Cabin
Who Was Elias Comstock?
Elias Comstock was born in New London, Connecticut, in 1799. When he was about 25, he moved with his family to Pontiac, Michigan. In 1827, Elias married Lucy Lamson. He worked as a teacher in Detroit and Pontiac. For a short time, he was also a merchant in Stony Creek, Michigan.
Building a New Life in Owosso
In 1835, the Comstock family moved to a brand new town called Owosso. Elias built their home there in 1836. This made him the very first true settler of the city! Elias also started a successful business selling goods. He became an important person in the community. In 1837, the governor, Lewis Cass, made him the area's Justice of the Peace. This meant he helped keep order and solve small legal problems.
Elias also served as the Township's Supervisor from 1838 to 1840. Later, he became a judge in different courts. He was a Judge of Probate, a County Judge, and an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court.
Changes to the Cabin Over Time
The Comstocks lived in their cabin for many years. As time went on, they added more rooms to the house. They also built a long front porch. Eventually, the original log cabin became the living room of the larger house. It was even covered up by a wooden frame on the outside.
Elias Comstock passed away in 1886, and Lucy Comstock died in 1890. After them, the house was owned by the Leitch family, and then the Corey family.
Saving the Historic Cabin
In 1920, the Standard Oil Company bought the Comstock property. They started to tear down the house. But guess what? They found the original log cabin hidden inside! It was mostly still in good shape.
A local group, the Shiawassee County chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, worked hard to save the cabin. They moved it to the back of the lot. It was then turned into a museum. Later, the cabin was moved again to Bentley Park. In 1969, it was moved one last time to where it stands today. The Elias Comstock Cabin is still a museum. It opens for special events so people can learn about its history.
What Does the Cabin Look Like?
The Comstock cabin is a single room made of logs. It measures about twenty feet by thirty feet. The door and window frames were carefully made by hand. The floor is a "puncheon" floor, which means it's made from split logs laid flat. The city has worked hard to restore the cabin. They want it to look just like it did when Elias Comstock first built it.
