A. E. Wray House

10310 East Street
—Written by Gail Drabant

Arch Wray built this Queen Anne house, at 10310 East Street, in 1910. TIlls house is architecturally significant as a Queen Anne house, with detailing consistent with this style, as opposed to other houses built in the same period. It has transitional elements of the Colonial Revival style . This house has been maintained and is still in its original form, including this conical porch tower, which is a unique feature not found in any of the other Richmond houses.

Arch (nickname for Archdame) Wray was the son of Richard and Jane Wray of English Prairie, Burton Township. Richard was one of the first farming settlers of Burton Township, coming to Burton in 1837. Arch was a veterinarian and had a three-story bam to the rear of the property, complete with plumbing that reached to all levels for use by his business. There was a ramp leading to the second story in which was an operating room.

Although this house was built in 1910, this property was owned by the Wray family for several years prior, so it is believed that there was an earlier house on the property before this one. Arch and Flora Wray sold this house to Frank and Clara (Bingham) Howden just four years after building it.

Frank and Clara Howden lived before this on the north side of town in the railroad addition. Frank had a business interest in John McConnell’s Cheese Factory having bought into it in 1883. Frank was the son of Andrew and Catherine Howden. Frank and Clara had eight children, and Frank’s daughter, Lucy, still lives in this house. This house has been in the Howden family for over 80 years.