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History of the Paine-Gillam-Scott House
History of the Paine-Gillam-Scott House
Director: Kelly Jurman
Assistant Director: Karen Kusenda
Historian: Jim Parr
A Trio of doctors gave Museum its name
A Trio of doctors gave Museum its name
A trio of doctors, each of whom lived and/or worked in the Historic 1860 House, gave the Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum its name. Following are brief biographies of each.
John W. Paine
John W. Paine (1821-1870), whose wife was a sister to Charles Kipp, was an early merchant in Clinton County working in partnership with Kipp at a general store in Rochester Colony where they settled in 1956. In 1859, the new railroad enticed them to St. Johns. Paine built the first brick store and the oldest brick house in St. Johns in 1860 – 10 years before the courthouse was built.
A successful merchant, Paine served the village and promoted education in many ways including the erection of the three-story Union School in 1865. The Union School was located on the site where Central School was built in 1885, when the Union School was destroyed by fire.
Dr. Samuel E. Gillam
Dr. Samuel E. Gillam (1845-1908) purchased the house which included the doctor’s office to the north in 1883. The remodeling of the Italianate house to include Victorian amenities occurred soon after this move. Gillam began his medical practice in Elsie in 1869, moving to St. Johns in 1879.
Dr. Gillam performed the first abdominal surgery in Clinton County in 1880. His expertise earned him praise and respect as a physician and surgeon. He also served as surgeon for the Detroit, Grand Haven, and Milwaukee (Grand Trunk) Railroad.Â
In 1904 the growth of Dr.Gillam’s practice necessitated the addition of a partner – Dr. Walter A. Scott. Gillam relinquished his residence to the Scotts in 1905, following the death of his wife, Rose Finch.
Rose was the daughter of Peter and Mary Finch of Greenbush Township. She married the young doctor, and taught art and china painting to the ladies in Elsie and St. Johns. The Museum owns several items produced by her art students.
Dr. Walter A. Scott
Dr. Walter A. Scott (1874-1934) purchased the house in 1911. He and his wife, Malinda Braidy, were the last residential owners of the house.
Dr. Scott served in World War I, and was active in organizing the Edwin T. Stiles American Legion Post 153. He was also active in Masons, Oddfellows, Rotary, and the Commercial Club.
Linda invited several ladies to her home for the purpose of organizing the American Legion Auxiliary. The Museum Tulip Tree along with the pink and white dogwood trees are the remnants of Linda’s beautiful flower garden.
Dr. Sherwood R. Russell
Although his name is not part of the Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum, another well-known physician also played a role in its history. Dr. Sherwood R. Russell (1906-1979) assumed Scott’s practice following his death in 1934. Dr. Russell and his new bride, Edith Hunter, rented the upstairs and office from Mrs. Scott for two years.
Dr. Russell was chief of staff at Clinton Memorial Hospital for many years. He had been on staff and served as an instructor in surgery at the University of Michigan Hospital prior to taking over Scott’s practice.
Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum
In all, the house was occupied by physicians for 55 years. The St. Johns Professional Associates received a Michigan Centennial Business Award in 1994 for the continued practice of medicine that included Drs. Gillam, Scott, Russell, and Grost.
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The Paine-Gillam-Scott 1860 House, the stately home of the Clinton County Historical MUSEUM at 106 Maple Street holds the distinction of being the oldest brick residence in the city of St. Johns. In 1858 John W. Paine, a native of New York State, came to St. Johns from Rochester Colony where he had been a merchant in partnership with Charles Kipp since 1852. Kipp moved to St. Johns in 1856 and opened a hardware store. Paine followed in 1858, opening a general store the same year.
On October 6, 1858 Paine bought Lots 3 and 4 of Block 13 facing Maple Street. On this site in 1860 Paine built his imposing brick home. The same year he also built the first brick store in St. Johns located on the southeast corner of Clinton and Higham. At the time this house was built facing the Court House Square, it would have been quite a different setting. The courthouse was not to be built for ten more years and all that stood on the "Square'" in 1860 was a small county office building. Considering its surroundings, Paine's Italianate style house would have been considered an impressive structure in the six-year-old village, when only two years earlier it is recorded that a wild bear was shot across the street on the "Square'.
On September 26, 1870, John W. Paine died at an early age of forty-nine. His widow, Harriet and six children remained in the house until 1875. In 1876, ownership of the house passed to Edward and Ella (Conn) Brown. They sold in four years to Charles and Palmyra Wickes. The Gillams purchased it three years later.
Dr. Samuel E. Gillam, a graduate of the University of Michigan, and his wife Rose, came to St. Johns in 1879 after practicing in Elsie for ten years. They purchased the house in 1883 and were the owners until 1909. It was during the 1890's that the house was extensively remodeled into the Victorian style. Sometime before 1885, Dr. Gillam built his small office building just North of his home.
In 1904 Dr. Gillam was joined in practice by Dr. Walter A. Scott, Early in the following year, Rose Gillam died. Dr, Gillam passed away in 1908 and in 1911 Dr. Scott acquired the house and office which he maintained until his death in 1934. His wife Malinda Braidy Scott, remained in the home until her death in 1953. The practice of Dr. Scott was assumed by Dr. Sherwood R. Russell who arrived in St. Johns in 1934. Dr. Russell and his wife Edith (Hunter) lived in Mrs. Scott's upstairs apartment and occupied the doctor's office for two years, before moving to other quarters.
In 1955 a dentist, Dr. Herbert Oatley, purchased the property and the two family dwelling was rented. The buildings and property were divided in the sixties, the County purchasing the house and Dr. Oatley retaining the doctor's office.
The house became offices for the County Superintendent of Schools and the County Health Department. At the completion of a new Health Department facility in 1978, the County Board of Commissioners were asked by the Clinton County Historical Society, to operate the building as a House Museum.Â
In 1986, the house and doctor's office once again, became one entity. The Congregational Church purchased the adjacent property to the North of the Museum and donated the office building to the Historical Society for removing it to it's current location behind and west of the house.Â
A Unique Museum The Paine-Gillam-Scott House is listed in the State Register of Historic Sites, established by Act 10 of the Public Acts of 1955 to recognize historic sites in Michigan.
The Clinton Historical Museum is quite unique in Michigan. The Paine-Gillam-Scott House is the property of the people of Clinton County, entrusted to the Clinton County Historical Society by the County Board of Commissioners to be used as a Museum.
In September of 1978 the Paine-Gillam-Scott House was leased to the Society for $1 a year and the work of restoring the house to its former elegance was begun.
The opening, May 20, 1979, represented the fulflllment of a dream which the Historical Society had for many years. It also represented the commitment that the Clinton County Board of Commissioners has to the people of the County to preserve its past.
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