16 South Main St.

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East side of street

This space was once a separate storefront, a part of the "Brick Block" built in 1928, has been a part of the Clarkston Cafe since the 1970s.

While no building footprint appears on the 1872 Map of the Village, a gable-fronted Italian Revival style wooden building was on this site by 1880. Floren Hammond Drugs and Groceries occupied the first floor of this building circa1885, (photo, Heritage, pg.50). Hammond retired from this business to his farm. This building then apparently became Fred Holcomb's drugstore, (Dr. Clark Sutherland's office was on the second floor for a time) and then became Ed. A. Urch Dry Goods until the fire in 1927, photo, Heritage, pg.66 destroyed this building along with three others. The "Brick block", a yellow brick building with four seperate storefronts on the first floor, was built on this site by 1928. A."Burt" Landi ran a variety store in the 16 South Main section of the building. Gerald Ronk was his partner for a time. Landi's store was in this space in 1932 when a Clarkston News article described Santa's Christmas visit to Clarkston. The Clarkston High School band ushered Santa and his sack full of toys into the store. In 1941, according to a Clarkston News article of July 18, Carl Walker, former manager of the Clarkston Kroger grocery store, opened a new business, a 5 & 10 variety store, in the Clarkson Dry Goods space. This became Taylor's 5 & 10 in the 1950s. In the 1970s this section of the first floor became a part of the Clarkston Cafe.

Official Property Description: 
  • The south part of Lot 6 Block 1 in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township
  • Lot 55 of the Assessor's Plat
  • Independence Township Tax Record Synopsis 
Before 1872 See 14 S.Main history
Significant Property History: 
  • 1831 United States to Butler Holcomb.
  • 1833 Butler Holcomb & wife, Mary, To Roswell/Roosevelt Holcomb, the west 1/2 of the southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
  • 1833 Butler Holcomb & wife, Mary, To Roswell/Roosevelt Holcomb, and wife, Elvine Holcomb, and Daniel B. Holcomb and wife, Alimira, to Jeremiah Clark III, the south part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20.
  • 1839 Jeremiah Clark III to Nelson Washington Clark, the undivided 1/2 of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 commencing.......
  • 1842 Jeremiah Clark III & wife, Polly, to Nelson W. Clark, the south part of the west 1/2 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20. Also other land.
  • 1842 Jeremiah Clark III & Nelson W. Clark to Village of Clarkston (Original plat of the Village).
  • 1872 Map of the Village shows no building footprint.
  • 1874 S. C. Crosby, Lot 6 Block 1, assessed value $500
  • 1875 S. C. Crosby, "Lot 5" Block 1, assessed value $500.
  • 1876 Erastus Stiff Administrator for H. Hirst, assessed value $200.
  • 1880 Jossman & Carran, assessed value $150.
  • 1881 Jossman & Carran, assessed value $300.
  • 1884 Frank Jossman.
  • 1885 Frank Jossman & Co., assessed value $300.
  • 1886 E. Jossman, assessed value $250.
  • 1887 E. Jossman, assessed value $250.
  • 1888 E. Jossman died. The History of Oakland Co., pub. 1877 reported that Joseph Reese bought the general store of E. Jossman in 1876. 
Note: The 1904 tax records listed a piece on Block 25, assessed value $400, as being E. Jossman's.
  • 1905 an item in the real estate transfers column of the 3/09/1905 issue of the Oakland County Post noted "E. Jossman et. al. to John A Beardsley, lot 20 x 80', 3' north of Lot 3 Block 1", in the Village of Clarkston $200.
  • 1914 C. Bowers Est., a piece on Lot 6 Block 1, north by Urch, east by Walter, south by Jossman, west by St., assessed value $800. 
E. Jossman Estate, the south 1/2 of Lot 6 Block 1 except 12'x75' off the south side of Lot 6, assessed value $700.
  • 1919 E. Jossman Estate, the south 1/2 of Lot 6 Block 1, except 12'x75' off the south side of Lot 6, assessed value $700.
  • 1920 Frank Howland, as above.
  • 1923 Frank Howland, as above.
  • 1923 Mable J. Bryant, north by Crosby and Teggerdine, east by Howland, south by Cruice, west by Main, assessed value $1100
  • 1925 A. Landi, north by _____ , east by F. Walter, south by Howland, west by Main, assessed value $1900
  • 1926 Hubble & Hopkins, the south 1/2 of Lot 6 Block 1 except 12'x75' off the south side of Lot 6, assessed value $1300.
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