Two of Royal Oak's most notable homes are up for historic designation, the Orson Starr and George & Anna Hilzinger houses.
"We have styles of houses that were important to the population that was moving into Royal Oak at the time," says Ruth Cleaveland, chair of the Royal Oak Historic District Commission. "Over the years some of them were altered or torn down and are gone. There is no lasting impression."
The Orson Starr House is possibly the oldest house in Royal Oak. Orson and Rhonda Starr created the first settlement in Royal Oak Township in 1831. They built a log cabin at what is now 13 Mile Road and Main Street on an 80-acre plot, and a wood frame house in 1845 at 3123 N Main, one block south of 13 Mile, which still stands today.
The house has gone through several different phases. It served as the Starr family house until the early 20th Century, even serving time as a residence and funeral home. It was transformed into a bungalow in 1915 before being returned to its original design in 1982 by the Royal Oak Historic Commission.
The other structure is the George & Anna Hilzinger house at 211 Knowles. George is the descendant of William Hilzinger, a local electric entrepreneur and cobbler in the late 19th Century. The family is also known as the one that ran the Hilzinger Hardware store in downtown Royal Oak for most of the 20th Century.
The Wood family from Britain built the New England Classic Cottage style house in 1864 at 126 Phillips Street. George & Anna Hilzinger bought it after that and moved it to Knowles so it could make room for the Daily Tribune building in 1946.
The Royal Oak City Council added both of these buildings to the city's historic district.
Source: Ruth Cleaveland, chair of the Royal Oak Historic District Commission
Writer: Jon Zemke
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