Criffield-Whiteley House / Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley - Dowagiac, MI - Michigan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The house can be found at 601 Main St, Dowagiac MI 49047. This house was built in 1897 by Fred Corber for Charles and Cora Criffield. Criffield was a farmer in Silver Creek Township and wished to move to town so they would be close to their son Loyld’s school. In April 1896 the Criffield’s and Corber traveled to Grand Rapids to review modern house plans and they picked this Queen-Anne's style house.

It was suspected that the design was copied from a 1893 pattern book of houses and cottages designed by D.F. Hopkins, a Grand Rapids architect. The design is very similar. The estimated cost to build the house was $2,400 - $2,900 (present day estimate = $102,000) If no plumbing was to be included $250 could be deducted ($9k today) an if no hard wood was to be used for the woodwork you could deduct $100 ($4k today).

The cut Michigan fieldstone for the foundation was brought from the Criffield’s farm. The masonry work was done under the supervision of Mr. Genung and Mr. Doolittle. The Crittield’s lived here for 23 years until 1920. They wanted a smaller house so they built the cute bungalow next to the hospital, 519 Main Street.-Criffield-Whiteley House

Historical Date: 01/01/1897 Historical Name: Charles M. Criffield, Harry H. Whiteley Description: Criffield-Whiteley House Businessman and farmer Charles M. Criffield (1867-1929) and his wife, Cora, (1865-1945) built this Queen Anne-style house in 1897. Fred Corber managed the construction. In 1920 the Criffields sold the house to Ethel and Harry H. Whiteley. Elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1914, Mr. Whiteley moved his family from the northeastern Lower Peninsula to Dowagiac in 1915 in order to buy into and manage the Dowagiac Daily News. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley Harry H. Whiteley (1882-1957) used his successful Dowagiac newspaper and his position as member of the Michigan Senate (1923-26) and the Michigan Conservation Commission (1927-48) to shape Michigan’s public land policy. He advocated for Warren Dunes and many other state parks. Sara Ethel (1882-1975), a founding member of the Captain Samuel Felt Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, led the chapter’s efforts to honor veterans of World War II with a memorial highway and park. Parking nearby?: yes D/T ratings: website: [Web Link] Registered Site #: L2309

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