North Ann Arbor Street Historic District

The North Ann Arbor Street Historic District includes some of Saline's finest examples of Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival styles, notable for their rich detailing, high design quality, and architectural integrity. Sunburst and shingle accents, spindle and spool balusters, projecting dormers, ornamental architraves, and well-preserved barns and carriage houses help maintain the District's late nineteenth century visual character. The northern half of the District was part of Bennett's Addition of 1871, an area of town which grew up in association with the arrival of the railroad the previous year. For this reason, few homes pre-date 1871. The lack of tax records and newspapers for this period makes it extremely difficult to provide dates and historic data for many of these homes. The size and decorative richness of many District buildings reflect the era of renewed prosperity which coincided with Saline's heyday as a rail shipment center. Many local businessmen as well as a state legislator built or later acquired homes on N. Ann Arbor Street during this period.

The North Ann Arbor Street Historic District comprises roughly eight acres within the historic residential neighborhood bordering Ann Arbor Street north of Michigan Avenue. The block-long District contains 22 homes and 11 barns and carriage houses, the majority of which represent well-preserved examples of Vernacular, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival styles dating from the 1870s through the early twentieth century. Due to alterations in facade materials, the District's two Italianate homes and one Bungalow are much less significant examples of the period. Two one-story brick homes in a contemporary ranch style do not contribute to the District's historic character; however, because of their size they are relatively unobtrusive, and thus they do not compromise the integrity of the District. Lot sizes and setback are quite uniform on the east side of Ann Arbor; on the west side larger lots and setbacks predominate from 315 N. Ann Arbor through the corner building at 327. Smaller lots occur in the area of the intrusions. The mature shade trees which line the street contribute to the District's character. Queen Anne structures of high design quality dominate the District. Since the 1975 survey, many of these buildings have been repainted in Victorian color schemes such as browns, greens, and rusts. The more typical white also predominates. With the exception of the stucco-covered home at 306, and occasional application of siding, all of the contributing structures are faced with wood. Buildings on the whole are well maintained, although some have undergone changes to porches and other minor alterations over the years. The more commercial Bennett Street to the north marks a transition zone into a more modern development, while the buildings to the immediate south of the District, although of comparable age, exhibit a greater degree of alteration, especially the application of siding.