Bartlett-Travis House

• Original owner was Darius Blackman and the home and property may have been given as a gift to his daughter Maria when she married Thomas Bartlett.
• In 1867 George Bartlett bought the property from his parents.
• William and Martha Travis purchased the Bartlett farm in 1908, their daughter Ella Rowe, inherited the house (and adjoining property) about 1924. She continued ownership until at least 1954.
• By 1959, Thomas Myers owned the house. In 1961 Mrs. Thomas Myers owned it and operated an antique shop in the home.
• John Darakijan bought the house in 1975.
• In 1988, Kev Dividock, a local realtor, donated the house to Canton Township.
• The home was moved to its present site in 1989, where it was placed on a new foundation, a new roof and chimneys added.
• Rex Harvey, a local carpenter who specializes in the restoration of historic houses, was hired to restore the house. Restoration began in 1994 and was completed in the Fall of 2002.

When the Bartlett-Travis house was first built, it was only one and a half stories tall. The upper story, as typical, was a loft-type room where the children slept. People usually didn't have private bedrooms during early settlement periods.

As areas became more settled, modern, private bedrooms became popular. George Bartlett in the 1870's raised the roof on the house to build a full two stories, and created separate bedrooms. The original configuration of bedrooms has changed over the years due to later remodelings and the introduction of indoor plumbing.

This bedroom suite is a cherry Eastlake style antique bed, dating to the 1870's. This set is unique as it has the two banks of drawers. The top drawers are lined with blue velvet, and the tops are pink marble. A Cheval-type beveled glass mirror is mounted between them for a full vanity view.

The light fixture is an antique Eastlake gas light fixture dating to the 1870's. This fixture and the one in the parlor have been carefully restored, rewired and feature authentic glass period shades.

The bed features a quilt, which was a common household item in the 1800's. Quilts were made from bits of old clothes and left over scraps from sewing projects to keep the family warm throughout the winters. They were also an opportunity for women to express themselves artistically through their needlework, their color arrangements and design of the quilt blocks. Often, quilting provided a chance for neighbor women to get together to visit and quilt a top together.

Nineteenth Century dining rooms varied from the most elegant, lavish, sparkling, chambers, to the most simple, and even crude rooms.

Typically, on 19 th century farms, they needed to be big enough to host large family gatherings for holidays, and special events. Day to day meals were taken in the kitchen, and during harvests, meals were usually taken outside on the lawn when farm wives would cook for maybe 15 or more thrash hands.

The furnishings in this room are typical from the 1860-1870 time period. The chairs are Eastlake walnut side chairs with caned bottoms. The table is a walnut dining table from the 1870's.

In the Bartlett-Travis house dining room, we call your attention to the wall paper, and the custom designed ceiling paper. The paper is hand printed and screened just as they did it over 100 years ago, using colors and designs originating in the late 19 th century.

The elaborate ceiling features gilded butterflies, moths, dragonflies and mica spider webs designs adapted by the Victorians from Japanese decoration.

The Frieze is what we today call the border paper, and illustrates the Victorian's love for nature and the outdoors with the iris and cat tail motifs adapted from a Wallace Crane original; the body paper is below the frieze and supports the outdoorsy elements from above, with an adaptation of William Morris Willow Boughs.

Over the front door is revealed one of the timbers that frame this house. This house is a post and beam house, which means it was built sort of like a barn. You can see the marks in the beam the peg that joined the posts with the beams with a brace and in the corners you can see the protruding corners of the corner posts, and in the center of the room, the large support posts protrude from the wall.

The light fixture are reproductions of late Victorian gas chandeliers. Gas fixtures always have a pipe coming from the ceiling to deliver the gas, wide fittings to allow air to circulate and cool the flame, and keys on the arms to turn the gas on or off. These gas chandeliers were manufactured from the 1880's through the 1910's.

This room may have been used as an informal sitting room like our family rooms today. Visitors would come and sit a spell, the family would gather here for reading, sewing, chatting, game playing or whatever. This room could also have been used as a front hall where visitors were transient to the parlor or other rooms in the house. Informal private meetings could have been held here, as well as the business of the farm could have been conducted at a desk here.

The wallpaper in this room is a document print from the Bradbury and Bradbury collection. This paper represents the Renaissance Revival period of the post Civil War era.

The Bartlett Travis House's Victorian elements are Italianate style. From tax records we estimate that the house was Victorianized in the 1870's by George Bartlett, son of Thomas and Maria Bartlett. This is especially evident with the lavish fret work, the wrought iron cresting on the small front porch, and the paired brackets under the eves. The modernization of the house reflected George Bartlett's growing affluence.

An important feature in this room is the pocket door. When George remodeled the house, parlors were all the rage. He created the popular pocket door by doubling the thickness of the wall, allowing a large door to be hung on rollers suspended from a rail, to close the parlor off except for courting and for funerals.

The center light fixture here is a reproduction, and is an electric style light fixture. Electric lights became more common in the 1890's, although houses often would have both gas and electric, as delivery of electricity was unreliable, and the gas fixtures kept things illuminated.

The walnut secretary is an early Eastlake piece, with the historic wavy glass still intact. This desk dates to the early 1870's and would have been typical in a well to do farmer's house.

Next to the desk is a small enameled parlor stove. No real evidence of a fireplace was ever found in this house, although we think it must have had one when it was first built. By the 1850's parlor stoves or pot bellied stoves were in style, and many homes in Canton sported several. Evidence tells us that a parlor stove was located in this spot, as the original chimney had a hole in the flu for the stove pipe.

This room is one of the most original rooms of the house. In the Dining Room we see the protruding corners of the support posts in the corners of the room. In this room, those posts were "chiseled" out to form inside corners, which appeared more sophisticated and refined than the more primitive post and beam style. This can be observed in the corner of the room, where the plaster was left off to let you see the work.

Around the windows is the original "Egyptian" or "Solomon's Rule" molding that was very typical of the Greek Revival period (1820-1850's). This was pretty fancy for early farm houses in Canton. Under the windows are raised panels, also pretty fancy for this area in the 1840's.

The wall paper is an adaptation print based on papers that were popular during that era. In renovating the house, we discovered the double wall, which houses the Victorian pocket door. The original wall still had the original wall paper on it, and it can be observed in the corner window to the past. Wall paper was widely available to people in settled areas, and became more affordable as mass marketing and machine printers were developed.

The spinet pump organ would have been a cherished family piece. Families gathered around a parlor organ, a piano, and even violins and guitars to sing and enjoy a wide variety of music.

The parlor settee in the corner is a finger‑rolled walnut settee with a lady's chair. This understated set dates to the 1860's. Ladies' chairs usually had no arms to allow full skirts to drape over the seat, and ladies were expected to sit properly and not lounge. Gentlemen's chairs were larger and usually had arms, and were more suitable for lounging and relaxing.

The chandelier is an antique Neo Greco gas light fixture which has been reconditioned and electrified. The chaste Greek forms were especially popular throughout the 19 th century. Canton had many Greek Revival style homes built throughout our countryside during the 1800's.

Until the industrial revolution in the late 1800's, farm kitchens were very primitive, and by our standards, would remain "primitive" until the 1920's.

• As the industrial Revolution progressed during the last quarter of the 1800's, modern appliances were introduced into households. Open cooking hearths were replaced with wood burning cook stoves.
• Cook stoves were used for everything. Nineteenth and early 20 th century women boiled water for bathing, raised bread dough on the warming shelf, heated flat irons for pressing clothes, and curdled milk for cottage cheese.
• Often in the early spring when a sudden cold snap would hit, you might find a box of baby pigs, baby chicks, puppies or kittens keeping warm by the radiant heat from the cook stove.
• Kitchens didn't have running water either. Most kitchens were equipped with a "pitcher pump" mounted on the edge of a "dry sink" which raised water from the cistern, an underground storage vessel which collected rainwater from the roof of the house. It was used for bathing, washing clothes, and cleaning. It was never used for drinking or cooking.
• The Bartlett-Travis house had a flowing well'under the kitchen. A trap door was cut in the floor to reach it. They had a second trap door which may have been to store root cellar-type vegetables like potatoes, apples, carrots, squash etc. or to cure sauerkraut or coleslaw.
• In this kitchen we have a Hoosier Cabinet which was all the rage for modern kitchens beginning in the early 1900's. These cabinets provided convenient storage for cooking supplies, dishes, pans, food, as well as a large work surface which could neatly slide back into the cabinet.
• In the corner is a grain painted corner cupboard which would have stored dishes for the housewife. Grain painting is a folk art technique which was popular throughout the 1800's and frequently used on furniture, interior trim moldings and doors to make them look like more expensive woods.
• The dishes in the cabinet are Pink Tower Spode, which was a popular transfer ware type ironstone in the mid 1800's. During that period, exotic and fantasy type motifs were popular. Typical colors used in Transfer ware were blue, pink and brown.

Barn

• 1 ½ stories, gable end
• Clapboard siding
• Sliding wagon doors on west facade
• Entry window and door on north facade

 

Shed

• Small clapboard sided gable
• Partial wood door remains
• Smaller door above entry door
• Shingle Roof

While some people believe Canton does not have any history, there is no doubt that Canton residents did participate in history.

Quietly sitting on Ridge Road just north of Cherry Hill is the Bartlett-Travis home. This house originally was located at Canton Center and Warren Roads. With the cooperation of the Township and the History Commission it was moved in 1989 to its present location. With final interior restoration complete, the house opened to the public in 2002.

One can only imagine the feelings, thoughts of Thomas and Marie Bartlett as they sat in their small farmhouse in the southwest corner of section 9 on that fourth of July evening in 1863. Thomas's father Wyman had fought in the Revolutionary War to help America gain its independence. He had marched on the "the Alarm" of April 19, 1775 serving nine days. September 7, 1777 he became a Private in Capt. John Banister's company for 3 months, and 2 days. But this night the thought of Thomas and Marie were on their immediate family.

Their daughter Jennie Bartlett had married, in Canton, December 29, 1858 Joseph Stevens. Joseph was the first of the family to go to the War of the Rebellion. He had enlisted in Company G, of the 3 rd Michigan Infantry of April 13, 1861 at the age of 23. Joseph had already been involved in such battles as Bull Run, Malvern Hill, Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. David B Steven, also of Canton and a brother of Joseph had joined company C, 24 th Michigan Infantry on August 5, 1862 at the age of 19. The Stevens and Bartlett families just months later, had been notified of David's death at Washington General Hospital from typhoid fever in December, 1862.

Towards the end of June 1863, news had reached Canton that Confederate General Robert E. Lee was advancing into Pennsylvania with two purposes in mind: to feed and supply his needy army with food from this land and to lure the Federal army out of it's strong position on the Rappahannock and into a decisive battle that might win the War for the Confederacy. This news was of grave concern to the Bartlett family. Word had it that not only was the Regiment of their son-in-law Joseph Stevens at Gettysburg, but their own sons, James and John Bartlett were also there. Son, James, had enlisted in Company D, 24 th Michigan Infantry on August 13, 1862. His older brother John, had enlisted five days earlier on August 8, 1862 in Company C, 24 th Michigan Infantry was also near Gettysburg. James was already suffering from rheumatism that he incurred in December, 1862 from exposure at the campaign at Fredericksburg. In later years, James in his pension records, would refer to the time of the incident as "Burnsides Stick in the Mud."

Another family concern of the Bartlett's was son-in-law Loyd Lewis. Loyd had married in Canton their daughter Mary E. Bartlett, September 25, 1850. Loyd had joined company A, of the 20 th Michigan Infantry in Lansing, on August 1, 1962, one month before his thirty-fourth birthday. On June 3 rd, the 20th Michigan Infantry had received orders to proceed with the 9 th Corps to reinforce General Grant at Vicksburg.

Thomas had come in from tending his crops to find his wife, Maria, sitting at the kitchen table very distraught. When he asked what was wrong, she replied that she had a terrible feeling something had happened to one of her sons or son-in-laws. Her premonition proved all too true. On July 1st, son James, had received a gunshot wound to his head at Gettysburg. He was taken prisoner on July2 nd but released a few days later.

James, born February 7, 1839 in Plymouth, had enlisted as a private in Company D, Twenty-Fourth Infantry on August 13, 1862 in Nankin Township. He was promoted to Corporal on April 1, 1865 and mustered out of service in Detroit, June 30, 1865. He came home to his family and wife Ellen (Rothwell) Bartlett, whom he had married December 30, 1859 at Canton. Their son, George E. Bartlett, was born in Canton April 3, 1861. Their second son, David, was born July 2, 1865 but died during the first year of his life while his father was away at war. James lived in Canton for 15 months after the war, then he and Ellen moved to Trimpeealeau, Wisconsin for a year. Then they moved to the county of Muskegon, Michigan, when they lived for nine years. The couple returned to Plymouth for four years before finally settling in Jackson where James had a store at the corner of Waterloo Ave. and North Street. He sold staple and fancy groceries, fruit and vegetables. By 1899 he claimed almost total disability from rheumatism contracted at Fredericksburg. James died in Jackson on December 14, 1929. He is buried here in Sheldon Cemetery. His wife Ellen (born in Washtenaw County, June 27, 1845) died on December 26, 1930.

The wounding and capture of James was not the only bad news Thomas and Maria received that summer day. Their son John, who had enlisted as a private in Company C, 24 th Michigan Infantry in Plymouth on August 8, 1862 during the patriotic frenzy to recruit soldiers - had been taken prisoner at Gettysburg on July 1. He remained a prisoner of war until exchanged for Confederate prisoners in October, 1863. The following March, he was promoted to Corporal. On May 5, 1864, John took a musket ball in the throat and died four days later at Locust Grove Hospital in Virginia. In an affidavit January 12, 1865 of John Witherspoon, Captain of Co. C, 24 th Michigan Volunteers, he states:

"John Witherspoon, on honor, certify that I was personally acquainted with deceased Corp. John A. Bartlett of my Co. "C" 24 th Mich. Vols. And that he came to his death as follows: While his Co. & Regiment were engaging the enemy in the Wilderness, VA on the 5 th day of May/64 deceased received a musket ball in his body. He fell into the hands of the enemy, and died in the Wilderness, VA., May 9th/64 of wounds. My knowledge of the above facts is obtained from the following source: By the truthful statements of comrades who saw him in the condition above mentioned."

John's wife, Clara (Haywood) Bartlett, whom he had married in Plymouth on November 23, 1859, filed a claim for widow's pension, which gave her $8 per month to help with her expenses.

The Bartlett home had not yet received all its terrible news from Gettysburg that day. Thomas and Maria's daughter Jane, came running through the back door, shouting that her husband, Joseph Stevens, had been wounded in the Pennsylvania battle.

Joseph Stevens had enlisted in Company G of the 3 rd Michigan Infantry on April 13, 1861. The 3 rd Michigan saw action at Gettysburg on July 2 nd and 3 rd. On the 2 nd, while engaged as sharp-shooters on a skirmish line about a mile beyond Emmettsburg turnpike, they had forty‑one soldiers killed, wounded and missing.

Joseph had gone to war leaving behind his wife, Jane, and their son, Edward, who had been born on January 28, 1859. The couple had married in Canton March 24 th the previous year. Another son, Brainard, was born July 28, 1863 while Joseph was away fighting. Three more children came along ‑ Rufus, born December 4, 1865; John Bartlett Stevens, born August 12, 1874; and Estelle, born February 20, 1877. After the war, they lived in Holton, Michigan; Ashland, Wisconsin; and Washburn, Wisconsin. Jane died on April 23, 1902. Joseph died November 22, 1922 and is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Ashland, Wisconsin.

The thoughts of Thomas and Maria Bartlett turned to their son-in-law Loyd Lewis, who had married their daughter Mary in Canton on September 25, 1850. They had two children - Ellen Maria, born August 22, 1853, and William Lewis, born October 10, 1854. On August 9, 1862 Loyd, a wagon maker, had enrolled in Lansing as a private in Company A, 20 th Michigan Infantry. He had been born in Wayne Co. on September 18, 1828 to Samuel and Assenath Lewis. Samuel was the original landowner of property where Cherry Hill Village is currently being built.

The 20 th Michigan Infantry had joined General Grant at Vicksburg, Mississippi. On July 4, 1863 approximately 29,000 Confederate soldiers marched out of the city. As his Corps moved toward Jackson, Mississippi, Grant dictated his terms: "You will be allowed to march out, the officers taking with them their side arms and clothing, and the field, staff and cavalry officers one horse each. The rank and file will be allowed all their clothing but no other property." On July 5 th, Grant began paroling the Confederate defenders of Vicksburg, each prisoner signing a pledge not to fight again until duly exchanged for a Northern prisoner.

While in the line of duty near Jackson, Mississippi, Loyd took sick with chronic diarrhea. In the latter part of December, he was transferred to the Invalid Reserve Corps. He never recovered his health, suffering after the war from chronic diarrhea with its complications of chronic indigestion, weak heart, and poor assimilation of food, which caused general debility and weakness. He had also lost most of his hearing. By 1906, his doctor reported that Loyd was unable to dress himself. The couple lived mostly in Shiawassee County after the war. Loyd died in Owosso, on March 31, 1912. Mary ( Bartlett) Lewis died in Owosso, August 17, 1913.

Today, we have preserved the memory of Thomas and Maria's family in the historic name of the grandly restored Bartlett-Travis House. Now we can pause for a moment to imagine a time when Maria and Thomas Bartlett lived in original Greek Revival house, before it was expanded and remodeled. They raised their children to adulthood in that Canton home. There also, one hot July day, two loving parents absorbed the heartache of battlefield news from Gettysburg as they sat together in the same rooms we casually walk through today.

This "fresco" was painted by local artist, Karen Folk Thomas in the style of the 19th century renowned artist, Rufus Porter. Karen used pictures from an 1876 Wayne County Atlas that featured pen and ink drawings of several farms in Canton at the time as her inspiration. The fresco took only several days to complete, which is how an artist like Rufus Porter worked during the mid-1800's.

Rufus Porter was born in Massachusetts in 1792 to a farm family. He became an itinerate artist in 1816, traveling throughout New England and the Mid‑Atlantic states painting murals, landscapes and portraits. He was also a journalist, scientist and inventor. He invented a "camera obscura" which enabled him to make silhouette portraits in less than 15 minutes. He charged 20 cents a piece for them and they were highly popular.

However, it was his landscape murals that won him his fame. Subjects were dramatic settings in the style of the " Hudson River School" and were painted over mantles and on entire walls. From 1824 - 1845 he completed 150 murals. In 1845 he moved to New York City and became a journalist. He edited magazines such as the "Scientific American", The New York Mechanic" and "The American Mechanic". He died in New Haven Connecticut in 1884.

This fresco was painted to illustrate another form of folk art popular during the 18 th century and to illustrate the organization of typical farmsteads of that period as well.

Next to the fresco is a hall cupboard which is grain painted. Throughout the Bartlett‑Travis house the moldings and doors were historically grain painted, but covered over with many layers of paint. This cabinet was the only remaining original grain painted item in the house. Unfortunately, it was accidentally painted during the finishing process. Karen Folk Thomas repainted the cupboard as it originally appeared. The look is that of Tiger Maple which was a popular look during the mid 1800's, and resembles the corner cupboard in the kitchen.