Lots 34 to 41 , West Liberty Heights 2515 to 2575 Russell Street ___________________

The Steinmans sold Lots 34, 35, 36, and 37 to Edgar Stevens and his wife on June 2, 1931 for $750 cash, and Lots 38-41 to Gorton Stevens and his wife on May 23,1931 "on contract for $550.00 with $50.00 down and $20.00 per mo or more," according to notes kept by Mr. Steinman.  Mr. Steinman's notes also indicate that on "Sept 6 1934 Stevens paid in full for abstracts was given same on Sept 9-1934"  The house at 2535 Russell Street was built (not sure exactly when), and Edgar and Gorton Stevens and their wives are listed as living there in the 1943 City Directory.  2535 Russell Street 's current legal description is,  "All of lot  37, also the west 7.5 ft of lots 34, 35 & 36 of West Liberty Heights Subdivision."  This house was the only one on Russell Street until 1998. 

George Gorton Stevens sold Lots 34-41 to Ettore and Josephine Mazzolini on January 1, 1955.  The Mazzolinis lived at 2535 Russell Street until shortly after Mr Mazzolini passed away on September 16,1977. Josephine Mazzolini sold the house at 2535 Russell Street and the other Russell Street lots to the Galilean Baptist Church Mission on December, 29, 1977.  Mrs. Mazzolini moved to Lurie Terrace, and a minister and his wife lived in the house.  Josephine Mazzolini passed away on  August 10, 1998.  John L. and Josephine A. Darling purchased the house at 2535 Russell Street and all of the other Russell Street lots from the Galilean Baptist Church on November 25, 1983. 

I spoke to Josephine Darling on February 7, 2007.  She told me that they had three small children when they bought the house, which she said was affordable because Maple Meadows was across the street. They liked the house.  It had wood floors and natural woodwork, and a breakfast nook in the back of the kitchen.  There was a sleeping room above the garage.  There was a large hedge of lilacs all along the front, almost to Maple Road.  In the back there were fruit trees and grapes and a concrete fish pond.

She said she did not have any problems arising from Maple Meadows.  She has a pencil or pen and ink drawing of the house on her wall now.  The Darlings sold their home because the City of Ann Arbor levied a special assessment for annexation and road improvements. 

Their house was listed for sale in a June 30, 1988 MLS book (which I found at the Ann Arbor Reuse Center).  The price was $74,900, for the house and all of the Russell Street lots.  The listing included the following:

THERE WILL BE A ROAD ASSESSMENT UPON COMPLETION OF MAPLE RD. IMPROV. APPROX $14000 WITHIN NEXT 2 YEARS. REZONING TO R4 WOULD BE IDEAL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. CITY INDICATES THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. CURRENT HOUSE COULD BE CLUBHOUSE, DAYCARE OR RENTAL OFFICE. CITY OF ANN ARBOR CALLS FOR MULTIPLE DWELLINGS ON THIS SITE.

The Darlings sold 2535 Russell along with all of the other Russell Street lots to Eric J. and Ann M. Stalhandske for $75,000 on July 29, 1988.  The Stalhandskes sold lots 34 and 35 to Habitat for Humanity for $16,800 on December 3, 1993 and sold the house at 2535 Russell Street and the rest of the Russell Street lots to Habitat for Humanity for $105,000 on February 16, 1994. 

Six new homes were built by Habitat for Humanity in 1998.  Originally, lots 34, 35, and 36 fronted on S. Maple Road; however, 2515 and 2525 Russell Street (the two houses on these lots) face Russell. 

Tabitha Harris bought  2535 Russell Street on August 28, 1998.  I met Tabitha after I read in the Ann Arbor News about a May 17, 2007, meeting she attended.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss problems such as chronic drug dealing, gambling, fighting, and noise that were occurring at the City's public housing complex, Maple Meadows (800 South Maple, across the street from Tabitha's home on Russell Street).  She and a friend had been working very hard to get the Housing Commission and the Police Department to solve these problems, with limited success.

I live only four houses north of Maple Meadows, and I was totally unaware of these problems.  I knew that both Maple Meadows and the Pine Lake Cooperative have a reputation for such problems, but my personal experience and reading of crime reports in the Ann Arbor News led me to believe that these reputations arose from "urban myths."  Tabitha assured me that the problems are there and that they impacted her life and the lives of her children. 

Tabitha passed the Bar Exam and was sworn in on February 1, 2008.  She told me that prior to buying her home, she and her children lived in a transitional home which was basically a shelter.  She was working for the County and like many single parents, "barely making it."  A resident in the transitional home showed her an article about Habitat for Humanity.  She called and they sent her an application.  She started to not fill it out because she was so discouraged about her situation, but she did fill it out, sent them a letter about her life and was accepted. 

Unfortunately, Tabitha was not as happy as I am about living in her older home, and of course there are the problems with what happens across the street from her at Maple Meadows. 

Tabitha moved out of 2535 Russell in June 2008.  I'll miss her.  I hope whoever buys the house is as good a neighbor as she.

My hope is that problems at Maple Meadows can be resolved so that people who live close to it will not have to raise their children in an atmosphere of drugs and violence.

This page was last updated on December 8, 2008.

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