Butterfield–Ayers House, 134 Center Street (c. 1895)

Butterfield–Ayers House, February 1992. Photo Credit: Kevin S. Forsyth.

Although today there are still a handful of houses remaining in Collegeville that pre-date College Delta, only one received any attention from the East Lansing Historic Commission when it completed its initial survey in the 1980s: the Butterfield–Ayers House, built circa 1890–1895. This author is uncertain about the Butterfield name, having found no indication that either Ira Butterfield (Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, 1893–1999) or his son Kenyon Butterfield (M.A.C. ’91; President of the College, 1924–1928) ever lived here. Both lived on campus at Faculty Row № 10 during Ira’s tenure, and Kenyon lived at № 6 as President.

The “Ayers” appellation comes from the East Lansing Historic Commission, one of many sources that use inconsistent spelling with regard to Orvil J. Ayrs (including the man himself). Around 1910 Orvil, along with his twin sister Olena and their widowed mother Laura, lived here. By 1916 they had moved to M.A.C. Avenue, where Orvil built several houses including the significant Ayrs House at 320 M.A.C. Avenue.[LCD (1910), p. 141; (1916) p. 180. Newman (1915)]