This was taken several years ago when I was driving through the South Dover area, and I'm glad I did since the barn and most of the trees are now gone. This is the old farm of Darwin Warren and his wife Ann Austin; later it was owned by Darwin and Ann's daughter Delia who married William Rhoads and later was the home of Darwin and Ann's granddaughter Ellen Rhoads Day. Ellen's son's family lived there many years and recently retired and moved from the farm.
This was also taken several years ago across Wheeler and to the south of of the Day farm; it was owned by Mrs. Jennie Gould in my lifetime and in the 19th century was probably built by a Mr. Hawkins. This farm was the first north of the place of Stillwell Palmer, grandfather of Medina historian Annis Darr. At the Warren/Day estate sale, Mrs. Day told me this house had burned down just a couple weeks prior. It had been vacant for quite a few decades--I recall when Mrs. Gould lived there it was decorated with many whirligigs and decorative things placed everywhere in the yard.
This is the grand farm home of the Darwin Warren family from Knapp and Bonner's 1903 Illustrated History and Biographical Record of Lenawee County, Michigan, pages 408-410. Darwin and wife Ann (Austin) are here with their three daughters Eva, Harriet and Delia (I am not sure in which order they appear). Note the clipped hedge around the front yard and the front porch. When Darwin Warren's father and grandparents came to Michigan, they settled on Section 24 Dover Twp. That is about 2 miles NE of Demings Lake on the border with Madison Twp. Darwin was born 1839 in Dover, served in the Civil War, married Ann Austin (whose parents owned this farm Section 31 Dover, that is at the Four Towns area of Hudson, Dover, Seneca and Medina (just to the east of Medina Village). The original Warren settlement at Section 24 Dover was the destination of the 9-mile road John Knapp of Medina Village cut through the wilderness in 1834, according to his son John I. Knapp (see tab "Eyewitness Accounts") That route was on the road to Adrian. Darwin's biography indicates attendance at Oak Grove Academy in Medina village. Darwin's parents lived 1 mile east of this grand house, where he apparently grew up--in Section 32. I can imagine Darwin staying with someone, perhaps with the sons of Moses Bennett--who also attended Oak Grove during the same years. Bennetts lived about a mile and a half from the village while Isaac Warren was about 4 miles out in Section 32 Dover.
Recently while browsing at Historic Aerials, I noticed that pictures from the 1950's showed the front yard hedges still in place and being trimmed!
This is a photo postcard of the house from Clements Library at University of Michigan. It appears that a photographer showed up, as they would, and snapped the photo with some children on the porch, an empty chair in the yard and a bucket by the driveway. I am guessing those might be grandchildren of the Warrens circa early 1900's. The family kept the front yard hedge neatly trimmed. Photo: David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography, Wm. L.Clements Library, University of Michigan
It appears that there was an orchard on the east side of the house as indicated by the 1893 Lenawee Atlas, Section 31, Dover Twp.
Warren neighborhood from the 1916 Lenawee County Atlas, showing the school, church, grange hall and cemetery.
During the estate sale Summer 2020, entry was at the main back porch. I recall visiting the house just once as a child and was impressed with the tall ceilings and large rooms. I once read that one of the Warren girls was US Postmaster of an office called Oneida that was located at this house I do not recall where I read that, but if I locate it again, I will post it here. This webpage for Michigan historic post offices seems to confirm the approximate location and says it was in operation 1897 through 1902. The Warren neighborhood included the South Dover School on Haley, a Church to the north on Wheeler, and Grange Hall and cemetery to the north on Tomer Rd.
Inside the back entry porch is a main entry room shown, with the dining room beyond. There was old furniture and hand-made clothing everywhere. The house was not overly remodeled in any way and the woodwork all looked original.
Between the kitchen and the dining room was this cabinet for passing through dishes and food back and forth. The drawers that once held silverware were removed and sold at the sale.
At the back of the kitchen area was a steep stair to a separate upstairs area that was where a hired hand purportedly stayed once. The owner's wife said a DeLine was reported to have lived up there while working on the farm; perhaps the Mr. DeLine who married one of the Warren girls. These steps were very steep and I would not want to have to climb them too often, and not even a railing was available.
The front entryway and main stairs to the second floor. That looks like Darwin's 70th birthday present from his Clayton GAR friends who threw him a surprise party here at his house--a gold-headed cane in case old age should ever descend upon him! Had I known at the time I would have been interested in buying it. See the story and Darwin's obit at the end of this post.
One of four bedrooms in the main upstairs. This room was probably the only one with an interior door that let into a dark space that I did not venture into, though it was larger than just a closet. Perhaps a stairwell to an attic, but I do not know as it was pitch black in there--except for several very small rays of light that appeared to be entering the black space between slits in the SW corner of the space. All the bedrooms were filled with chairs, wooden boxes and old clothing.
The basement, or cellar, was deluxe with what looked like stone blocks laid in a bricklayer's pattern on the floor of of the various rooms--not the typical dirt floor of a "Michigan basement." I did not ask but now wonder if the boxed-in area with the diagonal wooden piece could have been a dumbwaiter; in approximately the same location above, in the kitchen, there was another built-in cupboard that was unopened at the sale. So I did not even think of that possibility until viewing these photos later.
Additional photos mostly from 2020
Kitchen porch and great walk-out basement.
Kitchen porch and looking west across the fields. The birthday article following these photos says the farm was named "Butternut Knoll Farm"
It looks like there was a doorway to enter the dining room from the end of this porch--and inside the dining room it looks like there was work done on the wall in that corner.
Looks like the estate sale lunch wagon.
Looking off at the the farm's woodlot where there presumably are butternut trees. My grandparents lived in the distance at the old Moses Bennett farm and they used to gather butternuts there and I remember picking them out. I was not a tree nut fan when I was a child and preferred my baked goods to be nutless at the time. But now of course I really appreciate the abundance they enjoyed.
At the back of Warren house looking east. That door must lead to a small room, the purpose of which could have been a washing room as it's near the kitchen and near the windmill where there was certainly a water pump.
There was clothing hanging everywhere, historical hand-made items.
Between dining room and kitchen.
Back entry room looking to front room that I guess was the good parlor.
Looking toward the dining room from the back large entry room.
Kitchen looking into the dining room.
Main entry and stairs to the main upper bedrooms.
Upstairs looking down. The steps were very comfortable and safe for climbing here, not like the servant's stairs that were very treacherous.
Upstairs again, looking south.
Upstairs looking north.
Upstairs bedroom front east
Upstairs bedroom back east
Upstairs bedroom back west
Earlier in the 2010's when home of the Day family.
DARWIN WARREN'S SURPRISE 70TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
(Right click to open in new window to best increase size for reading.)
UPDATE: Warren House was demolished a few days ago June 2021. Looks like they will need another hole to bury the remains of what was a grand farm house, the pride and joy of Darwin Warren. It was burned out to bring it down.
