Norris, Philetus W., House

The Norris House is significant for its association with its builder and original owner, Philetus W. Norris, during the years of his tenure as second superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, 1877 to 1881. He played a vital role in the exploration and early development of Yellowstone, the nations' first National Park, and contributed significantly to the ethnographical and archaeological collections of the Smithsonian Institution from Yellowstone and the Mississippi Valley between 1877 until his death in 1885. Captain Norris also played a role in the development of the City of Detroit as it is constituted today by establishing the Village of Norris, which later became part of northeast Detroit. The Norris House is the oldest extant dwelling in this section of Detroit and one of the few reminders of the Village of Norris.

The Norris House is the oldest house standing in what was once the Village of Norris, now part of the City of Detroit. The property is situated on the northwest corner of Mount Elliott and Iowa in the northeast section of the city. The Norris House is a vernacular Victorian detached dwelling that is two stories tall on a brick basement. It has a front-facing gable roof with a cross-gable towards its west end. It is now clad in asphalt siding, replacing or obscuring most of the original detailing. The main entrance of the Norris House faces eastward to Mt. Elliott. Now boarded, the original main entrance is on the north half of the front facade. It was likely composed of a set of wooden double doors with a transom above. To its south is a three-sided bay with elongated windows. Above the entrance is a half-round arched double-hung sash window with decorative molded window hood. Above the first story bay is a pair of double hung sash windows. Although the panes are missing, they originally contained four-over-four pane sashes. A rectangular louvered vent punctures the gable. The roof is a shallow front-facing gable. At the apex of the gable beneath the molded cornice is a wooden pendent with wood-sawn gingerbread ornamentation. The secondary entrance is located on the south elevation facing Iowa; its porch has been altered. A transverse gable roof intersects the roof towards the rear, and the gables created bear the pendent with gingerbread similar to the front facade. Two chimneys project from the ridge of the main roof. Windows, where sash exists on the side elevations, are of the four-over-four variety. A one-story shed addition extends along the entire rear elevation, and extends beyond the original house to the building line on Iowa. This addition is also covered with asphalt siding and is fenestrated with four-over-four double-hung sash windows. Two other ancillary buildings exist on the property, one being a garage facing Iowa.