3448 Briggs Blvd NE

Welcome to the history of 3448 Briggs Blvd in the North Park / Creston area of Grand Rapids! This is a unique triple lot / 2 house property. The original homeowners lived in this home for more than 70 years! Thank you, Nancy, for the suggestion!

General Facts:

City, State: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Built: 1923

Neighborhood: North Park / Creston

Size: 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms ≈ 2000 sq. ft.

Original Address: 726 Briggs (changed in 1926)

*There is a guest house also on the property*

Monroe Ave in Grand Rapids is a main throughway in the city that runs north / south. On the south end, after Fulton St, Monroe becomes Market Ave. On the north end, after North Park St, Monroe becomes Briggs Blvd. Briggs Blvd is just one block east of the Grand River which makes the area a very sought after neighborhood.

The first house built on Briggs Blvd was in 1916. Three years later in 1920, 20 more houses were built and it was in late in 1923 when 3448 (726) Briggs was built.

The Spencer Family

David Hutchins Spencer

Years @ 3448 Briggs Blvd: 40 (1923-1963)

Birth: January 25, 1877; Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario, Canada

Death: 1963; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Parents: David Spencer (1837; England - 1927; California) & Elizabeth Manley (1845; England - 1935; California);

Siblings: 10 - Mary, Elizabeth, William, Ruth, Emma, Margret, Agnes, James, & Gertrude

David's mother and father were both born in England and then immigrated to Ontario, Canada. It was in Canada where all but one of their children were born - including young David. The family then immigrated to Grand Rapids, Michigan around 1879.

David Spencer married Edith Frink on December 7, 1903 in Newaygo, Michigan.

Edith Lyle Frink

Years @ 3448 Briggs Blvd: 27 (1923-1950)

Birth: December 12, 1882; Spring Lake, Michigan

Death: June 1, 1950; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Parents: Eli Frink (1833; New York - 1899; Michigan) & Lois Norton (1843; Ohio - 1895; Michigan);

Siblings: Unknown

According to the 1900 US Census, at 17 years old, Edith lived on the Smith family farm as one of their servants. As I know from the newspaper article I found from 1901, Edith was living/working away from her family and still graduated from high school. Three years later, when Edith and David married, Edith was working as a school teacher in Spring Lake, Michigan.

David and Edith had three daughters - the eldest was born in 1904:

Lois Katherine Spencer

Years @ 3448 Briggs Blvd: 3 (1923-1926)

Birth: July 24, 1904; St Joseph, Michigan

Death: August 29, 1978; Montgomery County, Maryland

Spouse: Avery Mershon (1901-1979); married November 1926

The first few years of their life together, Lois and Avery lived close to her family at 3425 Briggs Blvd.

Elizabeth Manley Spencer

Years @ 3448 Briggs Blvd: 73 (1923-1996)

Birth: September 11, 1906; Michigan City, Indiana

Death: September 22, 1996; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Spouse: Never married

Elizabeth followed in her mother's footsteps and was a school teacher for all of her life at Aberdeen Elementary in Grand Rapids. She used the second building/guest house as a music studio for many years as she taught private music lessons as well. In addition to being a teacher, she also was a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra.

Harriet Lucette Spencer

Years @ 3448 Briggs Blvd: 73 (1923-1996)

Birth: September 21, 1909; White Cloud, Michigan

Death: March 11, 1996; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Spouse: Never married

Harriet also was greatly influenced by her mother and sisters; she was a teacher and taught private music lessons. Harriet started teaching at Hall School and then was principal at Straight School for more than 19 years. In 1950, Harriet graduated from University of Michigan with a Masters of Arts.

David Spencer was a member and a leader of the local Grand Rapids Audubon Club - a non-profit organization that protects birds and their environment.

The current owner bought 3448 Briggs Blvd in 2000. But in 1996, after Harriet passed away, Lois Spencer's daughter, Alice, wrote a note about her memory of selling the home after it has been in the family for 70+ years. The current owner received a copy of this letter after Alice visited the property in 2000. It's such a beautiful letter about the amazing memories she had of the home. Below is the actual copy of the letter by Lois' daughter: (click the image to enlarge)

Other newspaper articles regarding the Spencer family:

As mentioned in the beginning of the post, a guest house was also on the property which was rented by various other families with the Spencer family as the landlords.

The first family to live in the guest house for two years in 1928 & 1929 was Gurney and Nannie Louise Swain.

Gurney and Nannie had five children. I'm not sure how large the guest house was in 1927 but I'm sure it was a tight fit there!

From 1930 until 1933, Marjorie DeWitt lived at the guest house at 3448 Briggs Blvd. Marjorie was a teacher at North Park School. According to the 1930 Census (which was taken before the City Directory was released), Marjorie lived at 3225 Coit Ave with her husband, George, and their 5 years old son, James. During her time living at 3448 Briggs, Marjorie's husband was not listed in the directory. Since it was the beginning of the Great Depression, maybe her husband left the city for a job and she stayed in Grand Rapids to save money?

An interesting story happened to Marjorie DeWitt in 1960 - she was with a group of retired school teachers that were doing an "around the world." When they were flying out of the New York heading to Hong Kong, their plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines. Everyone but one passenger survived the accident and were rescued after floating in the ocean for several hours.

After 1934, the guest house doesn't appear to be rented out as the city directories no longer listed it as a separate residence. Maybe that is when Harriet and Elizabeth converted the house into a music studio for lessons and other work?

Remarkably, Harriet and Elizabeth Spencer lived together at 3448 Briggs Blvd for more than 70 years! I can only imagine the stories, memories, and music that was shared within those walls!