Buildings on Fort Street

Two buildings on Fort Street, both have signs reading "Hotel," automobiles parked in front. Typewritten on paper pasted on back: "At the left, the residence of Rt. Rev. Samuel A. McCoskry of Detroit, Diocese of Michigan, Episcopal. Son [Brother penciled in] of an early settler in Detroit. In 1878 some indiscreet letters written by him to Miss Fannie Richards came into publicitiy and led to his resignation. It is said that he was given an annuity of $1,500 for the remainder of his life, which was spent in the east. old number of house - 226 - new number 850 Fort St. West. At the right house of Benjamin Vernor at 222 Fort Street west - new number 840. Notable feature of the house is the ornamental iron work of the porch - a style common in New Orleans and several of the older southern cities but rare in Detroit. It was probably made in the Detroit Iron Railing Shop of D.W. Glendinning who was in business at 154 Michigan avenue in the 1850s. Detroit directory of 1857 gives Mr. Vernor's residence at 148 Fort Street which would be at the northeast corner of First Street where James F. Joy lived for a time. Newell Avery of the firm Avery & Murphy lived at the northwest corner of Fort and Third Streets. Simon J. Murphy lived farther west on Fort. Ben Vernor came to Detroit with a small stock of dry goods and notions and began business in the Republican Block at Jefferson & Bates, s.e. Harmon DeGraff of DeGraff & Townsend married Vernor's sister and on the death of Townsend the hardware firm became DeGraff, Kendrick and Co. with Vernor as the Co. On the death of Mr. Degraff the firm went out of business and Vernor became an insurance man for the rest of his life."