A. A. Carol House 3858 Kalamazoo Avenue
Tammy (Beattie) Kline did the bulk of the research in locating the information below.
A 1907 plat map does not show the property on Kalamazoo Avenue owned by A. A. Carroll, but it does appear on a 1922 plat map (right). Investigation makes it now seem probable that the 90 acre farm was formed, and the house built, around 1908, since Carroll retired to the farm after his second term as elected sheriff ended in 1909. Again, the property was not in his name in 1907. Why 90 acres of land was acquired at that particular location is still unclear.
|
The House and the Property
If it was built in 1908, the house is now over 100 years old. It has apparently always been reasonably well kept up, and today might look better than it ever did before. Because houses in the area were taxed on the basis of the number of rooms, many older houses had no closets, including this one. Chifforobes were used instead.
A satellite image (right, below) gives an aerial view of the house and grounds in year 2011. Most of the original 90 acres has been sold off now. The house and remaining grounds are well kept. Apparently the house has had a number of owners since Albert Carroll died in 1941. When a KHPC representative toured the house in 1964, it appeared that the drapes, while tattered, were of age, and might have been part of the original furnishings. It's possible that the wife of Albert Carroll, or the family, was selling the house for the first time. Alas, checking property deeds is not free, so while the ownership of the house can be determined, it will be only if someone wants to stand the cost.
It's said that the owner of the house in the early 1980s was Dan Gantos, of store fame. The owner in 2011 is James K. Poortenga, owner of Poortanga Tree Transplanting, Inc. If one looks at the landscaping in the satellite image above, including the line of trees along the edge of the property, it's believable that someone with landscaping understanding (especially of trees) owns and maintains the house. |
Biographical Information: Albert A. Carroll
The material below is Appendix C from a thesis by W. L. Rykert, Michigan State, 1985, about "The History of the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, 1935-1963," and includes information about the progressive views and policies of Albert Carroll.
There were of course other kent county sheriffs over the years. Below is a list. Notice that one is Schluman Baily, owner of the octagon house on East Paris Road and 32nd Street.