About The Parkway Center

 

Located at 2345 South Huron Parkway in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Parkway Center is home to a wide variety of holistic health care practitioners including chiropractic, dentistry, holistic family medical practice, gynecology, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage therapy, naturopathy, nutrition, psychotherapy & counseling, and reiki. To learn more about the holistic practitioners located at the Parkway Center, visit our Practitioners page.  Each practitioner is independent in their practice and can be contacted directly to set up an appointment.  Castle Remedies homeopathic pharmacy is located in the basement level of the Parkway Center.

The Parkway Center was established in 1987 by Dr. Lev (Edward) Linkner and Dr. Dennis Chernin.  The Parkway Center is a very charming and unique medical center with an interesting story - especially for those who are passionate about the history of Ann Arbor.  Read on to learn about the history behind the two Victorian houses that make up the Parkway Center.

Historic Houses

The two landmark Queen Anne houses were among 75 buildings recognized with markers during Ann Arbor's sesquicentennial celebration in 1974.  Although they were not located in a historic district, they were considered significant buildings for a proposed downtown historic landmarks project, according to the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission. 


The Martin Haller House

Circa 1890.  Originally located at 410 S. Main Street.

"The house was begun in 1889 for Martin and Pauline (Bender) Haller.  Martin's father, Jacob, a skilled and inventive watchmaker, came to Michigan in 1854.  He worked in the booming lumbering areas of the Upper Peninsula to earn enough money to bring his family from Wurttemberg to Ann Arbor and open a jewelry store on Huron Street in 1858.  The elder son, George, carried on the family business, but Martin and John G. Koch founded the furniture company of Koch and Haller, which later became the Haller Furniture Company.  The firm was bought out by Jacobson's after a disastrous fire in the 1960s.

This nine-room Queen Anne house of wood frame construction, like the Laubengayer house next door, is a gem of the Victorian era left behind in a changing urban scene.  The iron tower ornaments, or finials, provided a touch of elegance to late nineteenth century buildings.  The finials at 410 and 416 South main Street are two of over twenty styles shown in the 1899 catalogue of the E.T. Barnum Company of Detroit.  The interior of the house was remodeled somewhat since its purchase in 1975 by DeLoof and Associates Realtors."


(Article and picture from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission, 1977)


The Jacob Laubengayer House

Mid 1880s. Originally located at 416 S. Main St.

"This is one of the best preserved of Ann Arbor's fine Queen Anne homes.  Both the interior and exterior are in "mint" condition.  Except for some modernization of the kitchen and baths, the inside, including beautiful oak woodwork and a staircase with the original gas light on the newel post, remains unchanged.  An unusual feature which remains today is the carriage step from the north side of the porch.

The house was built by Jacob Laubengayer, who was born in Scio Township in 1840.  Jacob's father, J.G. Laubengayer, emigrated from Germany in 1830 and prospered on his Scio farm.  Jacob learned the butchering trade, becoming the proprietor of a popular meat market on South Main Street in Ann Arbor.  He, his wife Mary, and their child, Olga, moved into the new home in the mid 1880s.  They rode out in a fine carriage and their home and gardens were a delight to the eye for many years.

Jacob died in [the early 1900's] but Mary lived in the family home until 1919.  The house was purchased in 1920 by Lewis and Myrtie (Forshee) Nixon who moved with their young children, Don and Betty, from a 260 acre farm on Nixon Road.  Lewis was the son of Nathon Nixon, whose pioneering father, John Nixon, had come to Ann Arbor Township in the 1920s to farm 160 acres and keep a public house on the road to Detroit.  In 1977, Mrs. Nixon still owned this house and her children owned the family farm on Nixon Road.


(Article and picture from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission, 1977)



Video: Moving the Parkway Center