601 Lafayette Ave NE
345 N Lafayette before 1912
http://maps.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/website/countymap/image.pl?ppn=41-14-19-333-032
S37 1/2 FT OF E 88 FT OF LOT 20* CORBIT S & CO ADDITION
The house became a 2-family in 1953. It had a partial basement, Michigan style, probably under the kitchen and/or dining room with a concrete floor. It had asphalt siding with hardwood floors down and pine floors up. There were two bathrooms and a converted gas gravity furnace. There were four rooms on the first floor and three up. It was built around 1890 and remodeled after a fire in 1953. The garage was added about 1920.
The above photo is the c.1935, the one below is the house as I remember it from the 1950's.
The house faces Lafayette and we are looking at the south side that runs along Trowbridge, a cobblestone hill. The garage at the left was owned by Mrs. Schenden but used by her neighbor Mr. Koskakowski whose house lies just beyond hers on Lafayette. I believe her house and the next two houses to the North were built at the same time by the same person as 1. The houses overlap the lot lines 2. All three share the same sewer line that exits out onto Trowbridge St. 3. They are similar in style. I was never inside this house.
Grover C Squires & wife Mary to Nicholas K Schenden and wife Helen K.
Jun 7, 1927 N. Schenden
Re-shingle with asphalt
Mar 14, 1928 N. Schenden 2 stall
concrete block garage
Sep 13, 1950 Nicholas Schenden
Convert to gas burner
Nov 14, 1952 Nicholas Schenden
Repair fire damage to house
Nov 28, 1952 Nicholas Schenden
Convert to 2 family
May 9, 1955 Nicholas Schenden
Reroof
Dec 1, 1970 Nicholas Schenden (sic)
Rebuild utility room into bedroom
The Residents:
1900 Census Page 58 - Robert Boyce
1912 City Directory- Chas J Stolting
1930 Census Page 71 - Nicholas Schenden, cabinet maker in an auto shop
Schenden c. 1927-c.1972
Mr. and Mrs. Schenden lived downstairs. I don't remember him at all but she was an inoffensive old lady who occasionally was outdoors doing small chores like sweeping. Upstairs lived an elderly lady who worked as a salesclerk at Steketee's Department Store downtown. She caught the bus right in front on the corner. One summer her granddaughter from Ohio came for a visit. She was a cheerleader and taught us little kids some cheers. I could do cart-wheels back then. Mr. Schenen died in 1957 after a long illness. Mrs. Schenden died in May 1972.
1930 Census for 601 Lafayette Av NE, Pg 71, Line 46, Block 778, April 8, 1930. D Wallace McKee, enumerator
Nicholas T Schenden, head, owner of house valued at
$5500, married, white, 50 years old, married at age 25, did not attend school
within the past year, can read and write, born in Germany, parents born in
Germany, immigrated in 1890, naturalized citizen, cabinet maker in an auto shop
Helen K, wife, female, white, 47, married age 22, did not attend school
w/i year, can read and write, b. Michigan, parents born MI, no occ
Kermit H, son, male, white, 22, single, did not attend school w/i year,
can read and write, b. Michigan, metal finisher, auto shop
Bernice M, dau, female, white, 20, single, did not attend school w/i
year, can read and write, b. Michigan, no occ (b. 6 Sep 1909 d.21 Sep 2002)
Hugh A, son, male, white, 18, single did attend school, can read and
write, b. Michigan, no occ (b. 22 Jan 1912 d.28 Oct 1987 FL)
In 1920 this family owns a home in the City of Greenville, Montcalm Co, Nicholas is a cabinet maker in a factory.
In 1910 this family is renting in the City of Ionia and Nicholas is working as a carpenter for the railroad.
From article My neighborhood
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info