Built 1841 Designated MSHS March 3, 1971 Area 4,047 m² | NRHP Reference # 71000415 Opened 1841 Added to NRHP 3 September 1971 | |
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Location 47 East Elm Avenue
Monroe, Michigan Part of East Elm–North Macomb Street Historic District Similar Rudolph Nims House, Edward Loranger House, Joseph Armstrong House, Currier House, Sheldon Inn | ||
The Governor Robert McClelland House is a private residence located at 47 East Elm Avenue in the city of Monroe in Monroe County, Michigan. It was listed as a Michigan Historic Site on March 3, 1971, and it was the first property in the county to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1971.
The house was named in honor of famed politician Robert McClelland, who owned the house from 1841–1853. Today, the house is also part of the larger East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District and is located in its original location just east of North Monroe Street (M-125) and across East Elm Avenue from the River Raisin in one of the oldest sections of Monroe.
The house was built in 1841 in the style of Greek Revival architecture for McClelland, who served as mayor of Monroe that same year. McClelland was a very well known local and state politician and eventually rose to national politics. He left Monroe to serve in the United States House of Representatives, representing Michigan's 1st congressional district from 1843–1849. McClelland maintained ownership of the house even after he was elected Governor of Michigan in 1852. It was from this position that he was selected by President Franklin Pierce to be his Secretary of the Interior in 1853. At that point, McClelland sold his house to local merchant Benjamin Dansdard. The entire western portion of the house, which contains a library, bedroom, kitchen, and dining room, was not part of the original house and was later added. The front entrance was originally off-centered and surrounded by balusters, but these were removed with the addition of the west wing. Today, the house is privately owned.