Trowbridge, Charles, House

The Trowbridge House derives its significance from the fact that it was built by and was the residence for over fifty years of a man whose career paralleled the transformation of Detroit from a small frontier community to a thriving commercial and industrial center. Charles Trowbridge began his career in Michigan as a deputy United States Marshall, explorer and ethnographer of native American cultures. By the time he died, he had been successful in banking, town building and railroads. His house is the oldest still standing in Detroit. Charles Trowbridge arrived in Michigan in 1819 at age 19 to take a position as Deputy United States Marshall. The following year he served as the assistant topographer on the expedition that officially explored and charted the area between the Great Lakes and the headwaters of the Mississippi. Governor Lewis Cass, who headed this expedition, later made Trowbridge his personal secretary. Trowbridge also assisted in recording the 1820 census and, at the request of Francis Parkman, recorded recollections of the remaining French settlers who had lived through Pontiac's uprising in 1763. Trowbridge gained enough proficiency in several Indian languages to become the official interpreter between the government and the Indians in the Michigan Territory. He was also appointed assistant-secretary and accountant for the Detroit office of Indian Affairs. Trowbridge retained his position as accountant in the Indian office when he started his new career in banking in 1825. Starting as cashier in the newly formed Bank of Michigan, he became president of that institution in 1839. In the meantime Trowbridge's financial activities expanded to include real estate speculation, town development and railroads. He was a shareholder in the company that laid out the townsite of Allegan, Michigan in 1833. He served as president of the Oakland and Ottawa Railroad Company during the 1840s and 50s. At several times during his career, Trowbridge served as an alderman of Detroit. During the cholera epidemic of 1834 he served as Mayor. He also served many years on the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan. Charles Trowbridge built his house in 1826 on land that was then outside the city limits. He later added a wing to the south of the house to accommodate his growing family. Ten Trowbridge children were raised in the house. Trowbridge lived in the house until his death in 1883 and the house remained in his family until 1945.

The Trowbridge House was built in 1826 and probably displayed a typical five bay Federal-style facade. During Trowbridge's life, the house went through several alterations. A brick addition to the rear (south side) of the house almost doubled the original 34 foot depth. A porch was added which extended the entire width of the facade and the roof was raised to accommodate a third story. In 1889 the two eastern bays of the house were removed and the east was bricked up. An apartment house was built on the lot to the east of the house to provide income for the two Trowbridge daughters who lived in the original house. Today the details of the house exhibit a harmonious blend of Federal and Victorian vocabulary. The entrance is surrounded by sidelights and a rectangular transom. The overhang is supported by square Doric columns. The window above the entrance, however, is a three sided protruding bay and the pediment is decorated with fish-scale shingles. The overall appearance is one of dignity.