Raisin Valley Quaker Church, Cemetery
Raisin Valley Friends Meeting house and cemetery to the right
National Register of Historic Places
Raisin Valley
Friends Meetinghouse (added 1982 - Building - #82002847)
Also known as Raisin Valley Evangelical Friends Church
3552 N. Adrian Hwy., Adrian
| Historic Significance: | Person, Event, Architecture/Engineering |
| Architect, builder, or engineer: | Unknown |
| Architectural Style: | No Style Listed |
| Historic Person: | Haviland,Laura |
| Significant Year: | 1835 |
| Area of Significance: | Architecture, Religion, Education |
| Period of Significance: | 1825-1849 |
| Owner: | Private |
| Historic Function: | Religion |
| Historic Sub-function: | Religious Structure |
| Current Function: | Religion |
| Current Sub-function: | Church School, Religious Structure |
 |
|
Laura and her family opened one of the first schools in Michigan to admit black boys and girls. This school was opened near Raisin Center which just east of Adrian a few miles. A historical marker stands at the Raisin Valley Friends Church in Adrian above where her father (Reverend Daniel Smith) was the first pastor. Charles & Laura Haviland are buried in the church cemetery along side her parents. Charles Haviland's father also came to Raisin Township and was a Quaker minister and is buried in the Raisin Center Friends Cemetery along with many other of the Haviland family.
Darius Comstock, father of the founder of Adrian, Addison Comstock, and fruit grower settled here in 1827. In 1831 he gave the land and promoted the building of a Quaker Meeting House, he gave land and promoted a Quaker school/seminary in 1848 (the school operated from 1850 until 1908, it was known as the Raisin Valley Seminary).
Addison Comstock came looking for land in 1825, acquired 1,100 acres. He then returned to New York State and took a wife, Sarah B. Deane. They were married February 1826 with hopes of leaving for Michigan in the spring as soon as the boats began to leave for the west. However, Sarah took seriously ill and could not make the trip with Addison. He left in April along with his father and other members of his family. There were 18 people, two yoke of oxen, one wagon, one cart, two horses with saddles and bridles, furniture, bedding, doors, sash, glass for windows and household supplies. Logan was platted in 1828, but Addison's wife persuaded him to rename it for her hero in history, the Roman emperor, Hadrian. Mr. Comstock became the first postmaster on March 20, 1828, it was incorporated as a village in 1836, as a city in 1853. The township remained named Logan until March 6, 1838, when the legislature renamed it Adrian. Adrian is the county seat.
Laura Haviland
Charles and Laura Haviland lived east of Adrian on Wilmoth Hwy near Raisin Center which was just southeast of them on Chase Road, Raisin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan. Their old log homestead below was added to numerous times over the years. Only the plaque on the rock above remain where the old Raisin Institute School once stood. There was also a Quaker Settlement in Raisin Center and the Raisin Center Friend's Cemetery where many members of the Haviland family were buried. Click here to see additional information on Raisin Center. The Quakers established another settlement and meeting house there in 1834.
