Owners & Updates

Owners of Kellogg House

104 East Oak Street

1902 Ira J. & Maria A Kellogg

• Register of Deeds, elected 1896
• Mason Mayor, 1916—1917
• Business man, Owner of Mason Buggy Works, 1901—1913
• Two daughters: Anna L. & Mabel W.
• Built house
• Removed wall dividing living room from parlor

1920 Albert E. & Nora A. Hilliard

• Ice dealer
• Daughter, Dorothy wrote, letter about house
• Albert died in 1932
• Rented to two sisters, Tillie and Lydia Mehan, who operated The Tavern during the early 30s

1936 Arlington A. & Lulu A. Bergman

• Mason Mayor, 1912—1915
• Attorney
• Rented to Leo and Minnie E. Kelly

1944 Minnie E. Kelly

• Owner of Mason Monument Works, then drug store
• Operated Boarding House
• One child: Jim
• Refinished the downstairs woodwork
• In later years, filled in fish pond

1966 Robert R. & Mary Ann Watts

• Superintendent, Mason Public Schools
• 3 children & Mary Ann’s mother
• Recarpeted

1967 Allen E. & Jane B. Shapley

• Professor, Michigan State University
• Mason Mayor, 1970—1973
• 4 children & foster children
• Fenced backyard with gate to alley
• Rewired after a fire
• Built a wall to create two bedrooms from large bedroom
• Installed wall and floor on third floor for bedroom
• Created primitive stairs to third floor in hall closet

1974 Kenneth W. & Judith A. Steen

• Students, Michigan State University
• Created a commune with a maximum of 27 people
• Put windows into screen porch and used as bedroom
• Removed carpeting in foyer & dining room, refinished floor
• Added more flooring and walls on third floor
• Insulated roof
• Put second layer on roof

1978 Peter J. & Janet A. Kakela

• Professor, Michigan State University
• Graduate Student Michigan State University
• 2 children: Andrew & Megan
• Replumbed & rewired
• Removed bedroom wall constructed by Shapleys
• Replaced flat roof on back porch, added connection to kitchen
• Removed remaining fence along Jefferson and built fence around backyard
• Discovered and re-established fish pond
• Widened arch in kitchen and installed new cupboards
• Insulated outside walls heavily
• Installed new vinyl screens, storms, and siding

1987 Janet A. Kakela (last name changed to Bernath 1999)

• Educator, Ingham Intermediate School Distrist
• Installed new boiler for heating system
• Refurbished and gilded all radiators in the house
• Built a patio, arbors, walkway and parking area
• Removed old and constructed new fencing in backyard
• Created and established extensive landscaping
• Installed new wood flooring in kitchen
• Removed all carpeting on first floor and front stairway and refinished
• Built front porch railing to resemble original railing
• Re-roofed house and garage

Garage and two porches painted 2009