National Register of Historic Places

Emery Houses

Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
Listed
December 10, 1993
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
93001409

About this property

The Emery Houses are two duplexes located at 320–322 and 326–328 West Ottawa Street in Lansing, Michigan, United States. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The structure at 320–322 West Ottawa is significant due to its association with Populist activist Sarah E. Van De Vort Emery, a well-known public speaker and writer of the 1880s and 1890s. The land on which these houses sit was purchased in 1885 by Sarah Emery and her son Archibald. The two houses were likely built on the lots in 1888 and 1889. Archibald Emery lived in the unit 328 from 1888 to 1894, and sold the entire structure to W. H. Bosley in 1902. Sarah Emery and her husband Wesley lived in unit 320 from about 1889 to about 1891. In 1891, one half of the duplex was sold, with the Emerys retaining the other half. Sarah Emery died in 1895, and her estate sold the remaining house to Mrs. Cora Murray in 1900. In the subsequent years, the houses were used for different things, including division into apartments and offices. The Emery Houses are a pair of brick Second Empire-inspired double houses on a high stone foundation. They have slightly different dimensions, with 326-328 measuring roughly 44 feet wide by 40 feet deep, and 320-322 measuring roughly 48 feet wide and 45 feet deep. The apparent mansard roofs are decorative, with the actual roofs being low-pitched slopes draining toward the rear of the house. The houses have stone drip courses, decorative bands, and lintels. Stamped tin cornices top the brick, creating a small overhang topped with the false mansards. The front of 320-322 is symmetrical, with end bays protruding from the face. A high porch, not original, stretches between across the facade with a single stair access. Windows on the first floor are single pane, replacing the original double-hing units. Second floor windows are double-hung. The front of 320-322 is asymmetrical, with an octagonal bay at the corner. Each side of the octagon has a tall double-hung window. Windows on the first and second floors through the building are split about two-thirds of the way up. There are two front entrances reached through a small porch, also with two stairs. Media related to Emery Houses at Wikimedia Commons

Location

320--322 and 326--328 W. Ottawa
Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
42.73479, -84.55685

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Emery Houses

This page lists Emery Houses. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Emery Houses report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

St. Mary Cathedral
Industrial
0.1 mi
Michigan State Capitol
Industrial
0.1 mi
Central Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Baptist Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bailey Buildings
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Emery Houses listed on the National Register?

Emery Houses was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1993.

What type of historic resource is Emery Houses?

Emery Houses is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Emery Houses?

The period of significance for Emery Houses is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Emery Houses?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Emery Houses will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Ingham County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Ingham County.

Explore InghamCounty ›

More historic places in Michigan

Browse all historic places in Michigan.

View Michiganhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Michigan history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Michiganhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Emery Houses will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report