I want to make sure that the family photos of 520 North Main Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, are preserved. This family home holds an important place in the history of Ann Arbor, as it served not only as the home of my family line but also as a Main Street tourist home. It was also and always a home where love abounded!

520 N. Main Street, Ann Arbor, was the home of my grandparents, Amelia and Grover Ream and their children Gretchen Ream (Hess) and Robert Emerson Ream. Also living there was my great grandmother Grandma Grayer.

The home was built in the mid 1920’s. As I understand it, my grandparents had lived at this address prior to that time in a smaller house. My grandfather, Grover Ream, was a highly skilled carpenter and a member of the Ann Arbor Carpenters’ Union. He played an integral role in the construction of many large buildings in Ann Arbor, including several fraternity houses on the University of Michigan campus.

It is my belief that my grandfather planned and built this larger home on their property so that my grandmother would have a means of livelihood, knowing that his own health was fragile. He died of cancer in 1930, only a few years after the new home was completed.

If “location, location, location” defines a great home, this one was ideal. It is situated just a few blocks from downtown Ann Arbor’s shopping district, the Farmers Market, and the University of Michigan’s main campus.

The house is described as a three-story home with six bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths.

As I understand it, a tourist home was different from a boarding house. It was more akin to a modern-day Airbnb, offering short-term stays. The primary clientele were traveling salesmen (yes—men, as it would have been unheard of to host female guests) and visitors to the University of Michigan.

The home itself was quite large. Bedrooms on the second floor were rented out, likely for a daily fee and intended only for short-term guests. After my grandfather died, my great-grandmother and grandmother slept on the main floor, while my mother and uncle had their bedrooms on the third floor. (This is to the best of my memory and may be subject to dispute. My grandmother died just one day after my eleventh birthday.)

The house had a large, detached two-car garage with an attic space above it. The driveway was shared with the house next door on the north side, owned by our beloved friends, Madalyn and Edward Klotz.

Things I Remember About the House

The Garage
My grandmother did not own or drive a car, yet there was a very cool, old-fashioned automobile stored in her garage for someone else. Think old gangster cars—Bonnie and Clyde style. On rare occasions, we were allowed to climb onto the running boards and pretend we were headed off on great adventures.

The Living Room (19′ x 13′)
The living room sat just beyond the front hallway on the right as you entered the house. It had windows on two walls. Two large, side-by-side west-facing windows looked out toward the front porch, and two additional windows—one on each side of the fireplace—faced south.

The tiled fireplace was a focal point, though I don’t recall it ever being used. In one corner stood an old-fashioned television on a stand—the kind you turned on and waited for while it warmed up. It was black and white, but my grandmother placed colored film at the top and bottom of the screen so the sky could be blue and the grass green.

We often watched The Lawrence Welk Show together and danced while the Lennon Sisters performed. My grandmother had a soft, tall-backed armchair where she would hold us on her lap. There was also a sofa for guests and a freestanding corner shelf filled with collectible figurines—ones we were actually allowed to play with.

The Kitchen (13′ x 8′)
This is where the real magic happened. Grandma was a wonderful cook, and when we visited, she took our orders like a short-order chef. I loved her French fries, cooked in a deep fryer built right into the stove top. My sisters loved the noodles we called nifflies (otherwise known as spaetzle).

The back door was off the kitchen and opened onto a generously sized porch with steps leading down to the driveway. We were allowed to sit on those steps and eat watermelon slices—and since all watermelons had seeds back then, we were also allowed to spit them into the dirt driveway.

A pantry in the kitchen held the joke jar—a Mason jar filled with riddles Grandma cut out of the newspaper. Two side-by-side windows faced north toward the Klotz’s house.

The Hallway
The front hallway featured a wide wooden staircase with about twelve steps leading to a landing, where the stairs then turned and continued upward for another half flight. Halfway up was a lookout window.

The only telephone in the house sat on a small table in the hallway, paired with a simple straight-back chair. The front door was distinctive, with three small windowpanes arranged diagonally. A radiator stood near the door, as if to greet you with warmth as soon as you entered.

The Dining Room (14′ x 12′)
An arched opening connected the living room and dining room. Two standard-sized doors led from the dining room—one to Grandma’s bedroom and one to the kitchen. Three side-by-side south-facing windows filled the room with light.

A highboy held a candy dish on top. Grandma especially liked Neapolitan coconut candies from the dime store candy counter. Another tall cabinet displayed interesting curios, and a wall shelf held a collection of miniature pitchers.

We could all fit around the dining room table, though at one point I remember a daybed being squeezed into the space as well.

Grandma’s Bedroom (12′ x 10′)
Grandma’s bedroom held what I believe was a double bed and a nightstand. One window faced the garage, with a radiator beneath it, and another window was positioned above the bed.

When we spent the night, we were allowed to sleep beside her. Before falling asleep, we always listened as she recited the 23rd Psalm.

The Main-Floor Bathroom
This was a very small half bath—just a toilet and a pedestal sink. The floor was a distinctive black-and-white tile. A window sat above another radiator.

Despite having only a sink, this bathroom was used for bathing. Grandma went weekly to a hairdresser for shampooing and styling, and at home I learned how to bathe using a sink full of sudsy water and a washcloth. I think we called them “stand-up showers.”

The Basement
Because my grandmother lost much of her mobility due to a very aggressive form of arthritis, we rarely went up or down the stairs. When she did climb stairs, she had to use a crawling motion, placing her hands on the steps above her.

She must have lived with constant pain, yet she was always sweet and full of laughter.

The basement contained a large mangler and a coal storage area.

The Front Porch
These were the best seats in Ann Arbor for parades traveling south down North Main Street toward downtown. The porch was roomy and lined with wooden rocking chairs.

It was also the perfect place for Grandma to serve one of our favorite treats—purple cows: floats made with purple soda and vanilla ice cream. I was warned more than once that if I rocked too wildly, I would tip over.

I did.

The Second and Third Floors
The second floor held three bedrooms and one full bath, with bedrooms measuring approximately 14′ x 11′. The third floor had two bedrooms, each about 14′ x 13′. The second floor was for the tourist rooms and the third floor was the location for my mother’s and uncle’s bedrooms.