STEPPING BACK IN TIME Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum Learning About Our City’s Past from One Immigrant Family’s Story
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he Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum, which sits behind the St. Clair Shores Public Library, serves the community as a prime example of what life was like in this area over 150 years ago. Learning about the family that once resided in this home provides great insight into the evolving history of St. Clair Shores. Their story begins with John and Mary Selinsky who came from a village called Chaliszka, which today is near the Polish-German border. At that time, it was under the control of Prussia but the Selinksys considered themselves to be Polish. In 1868 the Selinskys purchased 20 acres of land in Erin Township for $1,000. Prior to 1875, they had built a farmhouse on their property. According to family stories, John and Mary gave the home to their daughter Ernestine when she married German immigrant John Green in 1874. In 1888, the Greens paid the Selinskys $3,000 for the property and an additional 20 acres.
The one-and-a-half story saltbox house was built of handhewn, solid log construction and covered with clapboard to make it weather tight and more sophisticated in style. Clay and straw mixture daubed in between the logs also helped weatherproof the structure. Solid log construction was not the norm at the time; however, it may have been a construction technique of which John Selinkski was knowledgeable. Timber was plentiful and likely came from the property. John and Ernestine raised ϐive boys and one girl born between the years 1875 and 1892 in the home. Two bedrooms on the ground ϐloor and a large room upstairs provided sleeping accommodations for the whole family. The home had no running water, gas or electricity. The family grew wheat, oats and potatoes for cash crops and a kitchen garden for their own meals. In addition to their chores, the children went to Burton School, located at Gratiot and Town Hall Road (now Eleven Mile Road), to learn to read, write and master simple arithmetic.
The Greens and their house, circa 1898. John and Ernestine Green are seated with Walter in front of them and Mary in back. William and Charles are standing. Photo Courtesy of St. Clair Shores Historical Commission
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