Whaley House Museum - 624 East Kearsley Street

In 1884, the Whaleys purchased their parcel on East Kearsley Street at the price of $8,000. Nearly a year later the Whaleys moved into their new home. Below is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the October 10, 1885 edition of the Genesee Democrat. Titled "Signs of Prosperity," the article detailed a number of recent construction projects in the City of Flint that included the Whaleys' residence:

R. J. Whaley,

On Kearsley Street East. This is a magnificent residence, and will rank among the elegant homes of the state. It is built of brick and stone, of a mixed style of architecture, and with the accompaniment of the handsome grounds, it presents a very pleasing picture to the eye. The house is three stories in height, and was built under the supervision of Reuben Van Tifflin and A. J. Hall from plans furnished by a leading Detroit architect. The cost of the residence and carriage house was about $16,000, and it makes an elegant home. The interior finish of the house is exceptionally fine. Mr. Whaley moved into his new house a few days ago.

Notes:
Reuben Van Tifflin was Mary Whaley's uncle; he was married to her mother's sister, Sarah.

The architect from Detroit was George Watkins.

In today's money, the $24,000 the Whaleys spent on their property and home is nearly equal to $547,000.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

Robert Jeremiah Whaley (1840 - 1922)
R. J. Whaley moved to Flint, Michigan after marrying Mary McFarlan in 1867. Flint numbered 3,000 residents when he arrived and the city's economy was structured around the sawmills operating along the river. Upon his death, Flint's population had breached 100,000 and newcomers were arriving every day to find work in the city's automobile factories.

As president of Citizens Bank, Whaley played an important role in sparking Flint's growth and development. In 1886, William Crapo Durant approached him for a $2,000 loan to create the Flint Road Cart Company, a request Whaley quickly approved. Durant, with his business partner, J. Dallas Dort, grew their company into one of the largest carriage manufacturers in the world, the Durant-Dort Carriage Company. In the early years of the twentieth century, Durant turned his attention to the automobile and joined the Buick Motor Company. In 1908, using Buick as his base, Durant founded one of the largest industrial corporations in history, General Motors.

Durant's 1886 bank book is exhibited at the museum courtesy of Citizens Bank.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

Mary McFarlan Whaley (1847 - 1925)
Second child of Alexander and Margaret McFarlan, Mary arrived in Flint with her family in 1850.

When she was not occupied in the daily duties of maintaining and managing the household, Mary was active in a number of civic organizations and clubs in Flint.

Mary was an avid reader and many of the books she owned were donated to the house by her grandson, Robert Whaley Orrell. She had a great fondness for animals and enjoyed gardening, sewing, and knitting.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

Donald McFarlan Whaley (1869 - 1880)
The Whaleys' only son, Donald died after contracting diptheria during a visit to Detroit.

Though Donald's life was cut short, Robert carried on his son's memory by creating the Donald M. Whaley Memorial Home for Children, known today as the Whaley Children's Center.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

Florence Whaley Orrell (1874 - 1959)
The daughter of Frank and Bella Bickford, the Whaleys became guardians of Florence when she was about four years old. Though no formal adoption papers are known to exist, she used the Whaley name and referred to the Whaleys as her parents. Florence was ten years old when the family moved into their home on Kearsley Street.

Florence was a prominent member of Flint society and her marriage to William Crapo Orrell united two of Flint's most influential families: the McFarlans and Crapos. Florence and William had one son, Robert Whaley Orrell.

Florence contributed generously to the communities she lived in during her lifetime. She had a great affinity for boats and in later years split her time between Neebish and St. Joseph's Islands located off Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Daytona Beach, Florida.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

William Crapo Orrell (1868 - 1927)
Grandson of Michigan Governor Henry Crapo and cousin of William Crapo Durant, founder of General Motors, Will Orrell was very active in Flint's transportation industry serving on the Board of Directors of several companies.

Will had a great fondness for automobiles and was one of the earliest car owners in Flint. Durant commissioned him with establishing the first dealership network for Buick Motor Company in the United Kingdom.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

Robert Whaley Orrell (1898 - 1980)
The only child of Will and Florence, Robert was the last descendant of the Whaley family. An engineer by training, Robert opened a machine shop in Flint following his graduation from the Univesity of Michigan. He was also involved in banking and served as an officer in the navy during the Second World War.

Though he never had an opportunity to visit the house after it became a museum, Robert and his wife Anne donated hundreds of Whaley and Orrell family artifacts. Robert's correspondence also provided glimpses into life at his grandparents' home during the early 1900s.

Collection of Whaley House Museum.

Laura Kidder Whaley Jones (1880 - 1960)
Half-sister of Robert Whaley, Laura moved into her brother's home when she was 17 following the death of her mother. Laura remained with Robert and Mary until her marriage to Freeman Jones in her late 30s and then settled in North Dakota.

From the 1940s to the early 1960s, Laura owned and operated an upscale boarding house in Washingtion, D.C. that hosted numerous foreign officials.