9-09-2025 6:47pm

PRESS RELEASE: City of Saline Pursuing Purchase of Davenport-Curtiss Mansion

Libby Williams Contributor

Saline, MI – The City of Saline Council announced their decision to begin the process of purchasing the Davenport-Curtiss Mansion at the September 2, 2025, Special City Council Meeting.

“The Davenport-Curtiss Mansion is more than a historic property. It is an emblem of Saline’s character, it is timeless – a unique and special asset, truly distinct to the Saline community,” said Mayor Brian Marl. “It is not often that a city is given the opportunity to acquire a landmark of this magnitude and purpose it for the public good.”

City leadership and council have worked closely with the Curtiss family and legal team to come to an agreement. This is not a formal purchase, but an authorization to move forward with a comprehensive evaluation. The City is grateful to the Curtiss family for extending the opportunity to explore a future where this historic property can become a shared community asset.

“For nearly a century, three generations of our family have lived in and five generations have helped preserve the Davenport-Curtiss House,” said Jon Richards, Curtiss family member. “Our hope is this historic, one-of-a-kind landmark in the heart of town becomes accessible and vibrant – serving the people of Saline for generations to come.”

The City of Saline realizes the importance of honoring our historic legacy and preserving an asset that could become a community gathering place.

“The preservation of the Davenport -Curtiss Mansion aligns perfectly with the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan,” said Councilmember Dean Girbach. “…it holds incredible potential as a multi-purpose community asset, whether as a park, museum or even a site for appropriately-scaled commercial or cultural events that could attract visitors from across the region.”

The process to purchase the mansion will take some time. A good-faith, refundable deposit of $50,000 has been committed to the purchase. An evaluation of the home will need to be done to ensure the structural safety as well as determining ADA compliance, staffing needs and the lifetime cost of maintaining the site. The City is committed to protecting our community assets and approach public spending with discipline.

Questions regarding the agreement and potential purchase of the Davenport-Curtiss Mansion can be directed to Acting City Manager Elle Cole at ecole@salinemi.gov