Levi and Ella Taft House, 446 Grove St. (1921)

Levi Rawson Taft (August 22, 1859 – February 12, 1941) was Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening (1888–1902), state inspector of nurseries and orchards (1902–1921), and chief horticulturist of Michigan (1921–1925). During his tenure he and his family lived on campus in Faculty Row № 9, and beginning 1908 lived in Faculty Row № 8. He and his wife Ella (1854–1935) raised six children, all of whom became M.A.C. graduates: Grace Helen (’04), Lillian Maynard (’05), Howard Austin (’11), Hazel Charlotte (’10), Harry Goodell (’12), and Ethel (’16).¹

From 1940 to 1946 this house was one of several off-campus women’s cooperative houses rented and operated by the College, and was named in honor of Ella Taft (although by that time the house was owned by Orletta Hansen, M.S.C. housing maintenance supervisor for women).²

1. Beal, pp. 426–428. LSJ, 13 Feb 1941, p. 1. Minutes, 18 Mar 1908, p. 477; 13 Jun 1916, p. 264. ↩︎
2. Minutes, 5 Jul 1940, p. 1646; 5 Aug 1943, p. 1939. ↩︎