11 South Holcomb Road

This house architecturally is a Midwestern adaptation of the Greek Revival style which was built circa 1855 for/by Nelson Vliet, a Civil War soldier who died in Andersonville Prison in Georgia. His widow, Elizabeth, married Charles Bower and continued to live here until her death. The original section of this house has elements seen in many Clarkston Greek Revivals. The broken pediment entablature under the low pitched roof of the one & 1/2 story section faces the street with the one story wing to the north. There are pilasters at the corners carrying the pediment. An addition was constructed to the rear wall of the original house, circa 1910, it would seem from the tax assessment records. A screened porch was added in 1902 according to an item in the Pontiac Post newspaper which stated in the 8/28 issue that "Mrs. E. A. (Elizabeth) Bower has improved the looks of her house with a new porch." The porch (see photo left) was built in the popular late Victorian Queen Anne style . This porch was remodeled sometime after 1999, removing the clapboard covered railing and replacing the Victorian style support posts.