930 Court Street
Architecture:
Style: Queen
Anne
Description: This turn of the century house is a two story wood frame structure
with aluminum siding and a cut stone foundation. It has a hipped roof with lower gables on all
four sides. The west and south gables
actually extend over wings. A small
front porch has modern metal awning and railing. The first story window under the front gable
has colored glass.
Significant
Period:
Construction Date: circa 1888
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Context: This
house appears on the 1903 Sanborn Insurance Map. Property tax records in the 1870’s and 1880’s
indicated the property had no building until after 1887. City Water Department records show water
service began in October 1887. The first
documented resident was Pultney M. Wright from 1888
to the mid-1890’s.
He was born in England on May
6, 1831;
the family soon moved to Michigan and the St. Clair
River. As an adult, he first worked in
milling in Canada, then for John Miller’s
bank as a bookkeeper; later for First National Bank, A. N. Moffat & Co., steamboat and
vessel agents, and Wright & Eldridge, coal dealers. He served as City
Treasurer and was a member of the School Board.
He married Clara St. Clair Monson in 1854; their children were Mary E.,
John M., and William K.T. His wife died
in 1882. His son John lived here with
him, as well as Ellen Leslie, a housekeeper.
Wilbert Beach, court stenographer in the
24th Judicial District, lived there in 1899 as well as domestic
Margaret Taylor. Wesley and Sarah Phelps
lived there next, from 1901 to 1907. He
was the city civil engineer. Walter and
Kate Wollaston lived there next until about
1915. He was a professor at the Port Huron Business University. John and Florence Howard lived there in
1918. He was proprietor of Howard
Furniture Company. J. Frank Wilson and
his wife Almira B. lived there from 1920 to the
mid-1920s. He was an attorney with Moore
& Wilson at Suite 2, Jenks Block.