David Rinsey House, 1890

When grocer David Rinsey built his house on the corner of Division and Lawrence Streets in 1890, Division was still a very fashionable place to live. The intricately detailed Queen Anne house was intended as a symbol of both the owner's prosperity and good taste. The house still retains its "Victorian" look with its many gables, variety of surface patterns, and cutaway corners.

Rinsey was a true American success story. He came to America at the age of 16 as an indentured servant and was able to establish his own grocery and bakery in 1867. His partner, Moses Seabolt, was also from Baden, and their German firm of Rinsey and Seabolt served Ann Arbor for over 40 years. Rinsey also became director of the Ann Arbor Savings Bank and the Ann Arbor Fruit and Vinegar Company.

When Rinsey purchased this property in 1890 there was a house on the site, the former home of James Kingsley, pioneer, judge and University of Michigan Regent. Rinsey moved Judge Kingsley's house to the north part of the original lot -- immense by today's standards -- to what is now 412 North Division Street. He built his new house on the corner, leaving a large lawn to the north where his son later built another home.

Rinsey died in 1914 and his widow Jennett and their unmarried daughters continued to occupy the big house. When Jennett died in 1938, her daughters converted the house into apartments while continuing to live there themselves. The porch was altered slightly to accomodate the front door and address facing Lawrence Street. The cherry and maple parquet floors, the oak-panelled ceilings, the wainscoting, the tiled fireplaces, and even the lincrusta wall coverings (a linoleum derived material which simulated embossed leather) remain today, making this house a showpiece both inside and out.