Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout7. 17510 Cleveland Road_STAFF REPORTHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov STAFF REPORT CONCERNING AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION Date: January 15, 2025 Property Location: 17510 Cleveland Road Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Italianate / 1876 / Built for the Kotz family Property Owner: Robert and Judelie Sherman Landmark or District Designation: Consideration for individual, Local Historic Landmark listing. Rating: Contributing (2005) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Located at 17510 Cleveland Road, the historic Kotz Family Farmhouse is surviving evidence of the once-rural landscape of Clay Township during the early and mid-periods of European settlement in St. Joseph County. The Kotz family first settled on the land in 1847, and the extant house represents their second home on the site, constructed in 1876. The farmhouse originally stood on a 160-acre family farm that was later sub- divided, with remaining orchards cleared for mid-20th-century residential development, including the Bowercrest Manor Subdivision. As a result, the farmhouse serves as a rare physical anchor for understanding Clay Township’s transition from a primarily agricultural landscape to postwar suburban development along Cleveland Road. The property’s significance is rooted in themes of early immigrant settlement, long-term family landholding, and the Kotz family’s broad cultural and economic reach from a rural base. In addition to farming, the Kotz family operated a custom wagon-building business, Kotz Wagon & Smiths (1883–1901), which functioned within the orbit of major regional manufacturers and reflects the area’s industrial expansion. Many of the Kotz family members held prominent political or social positions within their community and church. Most notably, the farmhouse is directly associated with artist Daniel Kotz (1848–1933), who was raised on the farm and developed a professional career that connected South Bend to broader Midwestern and national art circles. Kotz maintained ties to prominent insti- tutions such as the Chicago Art League and the Art Institute of Chicago and received commissions from influential industrial and political figures, including the Studebakers, the Olivers, and Vice President Schuyler Colfax. Architecturally, the farmhouse reflects layered periods of use and evolving architectural taste. While the last Indi- ana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory survey (2005) identified the property as “severely altered,” subsequent analysis demonstrates that these alterations represent a significant historic phase. Originally constructed in the Italianate style, the house was remodeled in the 1930s or 1940s by Kotz descendants themselves, who removed the original, lower-profile Italianate porch and replaced it with a Colonial Revival porch. This transformation is histor- ically meaningful, documenting early-20th-century modernization trends and the family’s continued investment in the property across multiple generations. DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE: The primary structure is a two-story, wood-frame farmhouse with a rectangular main block and one-story rear and side segments. A single-story wing extends from the east elevation of the main block; this section is original to the 1876 farmhouse and may incorporate remnants of the first Kotz dwelling on the site. The building rests on a fieldstone foundation and is clad in horizontal vinyl siding, with origi- nal wood clapboard siding remaining beneath the vinyl. The house is oriented toward Cleveland Road to the north and is set back on an open lawn. [Continued below.] HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE CONT’D: The primary (front) elevation is symmetrical and features a full-width, two-story Colonial Revival portico supported by four square columns rising from a raised concrete porch. The centrally located main entrance includes a solid wood, four-panel door with a transom window above. Windows on the main block consist of original 2/2 double-hung windows on the first story, while the sec- ond story windows have been replaced. Exterior window trim has been wrapped, likely at the time of vinyl siding installation, and the condition of the original trim underneath is unknown. However, the original interior window casings remain intact. The main block is topped by a low-pitched hipped roof with wide eaves. At the rear, a large enclosed porch or sunroom exists, likely added in the late 20th century. A detached, single-story garage is located to the rear of the lot. SITE VISIT REPORT: Historic Preservation Specialist Kate Himick visited the property on December 22, 2025 and met with Robert, Judelie, and their sons. Specialist Himick has maintained contact with the property owners since early March of 2025. At the visit, Specialist Himick and the family discussed the implications of Local Land- mark status, the home’s history, the interior restorations the family has undertaken, and their wishes to preserve the home as stewards. Specialist Himick also inspected the exterior of the home. The current owners are exceedingly well versed in and passionate about the home’s history, the Kotz family history, and the history of St. Joseph Coun- ty. It is the belief of staff that the current owners are highly suited to the preservation and rehabilitation of 17510 Cleveland Road. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The Kotz Family Farmhouse possesses high educational value as a single, intact site through which multiple themes central to South Bend and St. Joseph County history can be interpreted. The property illustrates early German settlement, long-term family landholding, architectural styles and their do- mestic interpretations, prominent social and political involvements, and the historic rural life of Clay Township. It is also directly associated with Daniel Kotz, a regionally significant and nationally connected artist. The property also offers insight into changing land-use patterns, as the former 160-acre farmstead was gradually subdivided and ab- sorbed by mid-20th-century suburban development. The property is well suited for preservation due to the survival of historic fabric, the clear legibility of its architectural evolution, and the Kotz family’s local and regional historical cultural significance. These characteristics support landmark designation as a property of local significance. Based on the information provided prior to this public hearing, Staff make a FAVORABLE RECOMMENDA- TION for the favorable recommendation of 17510 Cleveland Road to the County Council for designation as a Local Historic Landmark. Prepared by Kate Himick, Historic Preservation Specialist HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov MAP OF THE AREA — Google Maps view of the subject area. SATELLITE IMAGERY — Imagery from 2026. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov PHOTOGRAPHS — Front facade, winter 2025. DRAWINGS — Historic Photo HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov DRAWINGS — North Facade DRAWINGS — South Facade HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov DRAWINGS — Northeast Corner DRAWINGS — East facade. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov DRAWINGS — West facade DRAWINGS — Foundation. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov PHOTOGRAPHS — Interior Doors. DRAWINGS — Detail of window interior. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov PHOTOGRAPHS — Front door. St. Joseph County Property Information Date Printed: January 20, 2026 Information shown on this map is not warranted for accuracy or merchantability. Reproduction or distribution of this material is not authorized. Subject Property: Parcel ID: State ID: Current Owner(s): Mailing Address: Assessed Usage: Township: Municipality: Tax District: Property Assessment Information as of Last Assessment Date Land Value: Improved Value: Legal Description: SHERMAN ROBERT C 71-04-29-126-010.000-003 17510 Cleveland Rd , South Bend IN 46635 1 FAMILY DWELL - PLATTED LOT Clay 17510 CLEVELAND RD, SOUTH BEND 46635 SOUTH BEND Clay $57,800.00 $230,600.00 110' X 215' S Side Cleveland Rd Beg Ne Cor Nw Sec 29-38-3e 2027Assessed Year: 0.56Acres: 002-2019-039101 NO IMAGES AVAILABLE FOR THIS PROPERTY Not to Scale The Kotz Family Farm was established in the year 1847 in Clay Township by John G. Kotz and his wife Christina Blind Kotz and spanned 160 acres. The Kotz Family Farm, included what is now known as the Bowercrest Manor Subdivision. The existing Kotz Farmhouse, built in 1876, is conveniently located on prime real-estate on the cross streets of Cleveland Road and Crestview Drive. The Kotz Family Farmhouse address is 17510 Cleveland Road, South Bend, Indiana 46635 and serves as the entryway to the Bowercrest Manor Subdivision. John G. Kotz born 1822 ~ 1893 and Christina Blind Kotz born 1823 ~ 1909, were pioneers of South Bend, Indiana. John G. Kotz was born in Wurttemburg, Germany. John arrived in America on August 11, 1840. John G. Kotz initially settled in Ohio, where he met and married Christina Blind Kotz not long after doing so. Christina Blind Kotz was born in Wittenberg, Germany. In 1846 John and Christina moved to Mishawaka. In 1847 they relocated to Clay Township, purchased their farmland, and lived out the remainder of their lives in their Farmhouse which still proudly stands today. Tutt Cemetery on Cleveland Road, South Bend, Indiana John G. Kotz was a highly respected and esteemed leader at the German Evangelical Church. John and Christina Kotz had ten children, all born on the Kotz Family Farm, consisting of seven boys and three girls. Many of the Kotz family members including two grandchildren are buried on the same street, Cleveland Road, at Tutt Cemetery. Tutt Cemetery was previously known by multiple pioneering family names, but prior to it being named Tutt Cemetery, it was known as Stuckey Cemetery, named after the Stuckey family pioneers that are also buried there. Tutt Cemetery is a locally protected landmark of South Bend. The children’s names given to the Kotz’s ten were Jacob, George, William, Daniel (the artist), John, Charles, David, Mary, Elizabeth, and Matilda. The Kotz Family was not only in the farming business, but also heavily involved in the custom wagon making and repair business. The wagon business was known as Kotz Wagon & Smiths, and it’s owners included at least three of John G. Kotz’s sons . Kotz Wagon & Smiths was officially in existence according to banking and business directory records from 1883 to 1901. The business was centrally located in downtown South Bend on N. Michigan at the Lasalle Street Bridge (previously known as the Water Street Bridge until it was relocated). 1886 Water Street Bridge Lasalle Street Bridge formerly known as the Water Street Bridge The historic Water Street Bridge in South Bend, Indiana, built in 1885 (top photo) was relocated in 1906 from its original location on Water Street (now LaSalle Street) to its current site on Darden Road, where it crosses the St. Joseph River. Bottom photo is the Lasalle Street Bridge. Kotz Wagon & Smiths address was 236 N. Michigan Street in 1883 and relocated to 210 N. Michigan Street according to business records in 1894. Their wagon business flourished locally with the rise of the industrial revolution building custom wagons for the wealthy, and was mentioned in the South Bend Tribune as an option to the wagon production giants Studebaker and Birdsell. Kotz Wagon & Smiths location at the corner of Michigan and Water Street Bridge. (Red Arrow) Kotz Wagon & Smiths prospered in the wagon business for nearly twenty years building custom wagons for the wealthy despite the overwhelming strength of their competitors located just blocks away from wagon makers Birdsell and Studebaker. The Kotz’s family story, their incredible contributions to South Bend's development in business, politics, farming, and art, was certainly overshadowed and eventually buried beneath the historical rubble of more recognizable names and companies in South Bend that rose to international notoriety during the industrial revolution. However, the Kotz family was intricately and historically tied to all of these recognizable names such as the Olivers, Studebakers, Birdsells, Colfax, Alfred Miller (founder of the South Bend Tribune), Elisha Whittlesey (the first Comptroller ~ Treasurer of the United States) and many, many, more. And places the Kotz family was directly linked to were cities afar off from South Bend such as Chicago, Grand Rapids, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and even the White House. In truth, the Kotz family was a local hub, a conduit of political access, an important substation in farming, a family filled with blacksmiths, and a local powerhouse for the arts. The Kotz’s all operated with humility, with modesty, steadfastly involved in community, their respective churches, and exercised their faith in God. They had an unwavering commitment to hard work, and alongside other early pioneers, helped to shape the city of South Bend and St. Joseph County into what it is today. DANIEL KOTZ ~ SON OF JOHN G. & CHRISTINA KOTZ) Aside from the farming and wagon businesses, the Kotz Family Farm was the childhood home of the famous American painter and artist, Daniel Kotz. Daniel Kotz, born in 1848 – 1933, started drawing and sketching landscapes at eight years old in his spare time. Art was certainly one of his many giftings. He was also noted in one South Bend Tribune article as an inventor of a threshing machine and a typewriter. But initially, the Kotz family, like many pioneers in those days, struggled to clear and settle their vast and heavily forested farm. Thus young Daniel’s art time was limited, outweighed by the family’s need for everyone to contribute to survive. Daniel Kotz Young Daniel Kotz, also known lovingly as “Dannie Boy”, was known in town as a boy that when not working the farm would walk around barefoot in town. Shoes in those early years, along with other necessities and comforts, were likely challenging to provide. Daniel, along with his brothers and sisters, only went to school three months per year as the school house was staffed seasonally by a part-time volunteer. Daniel loved to read, however books were rare. Whatever he could get ahold of to read, he did. But overall, it was hard work on the farm that consumed the vast majority of his time. But when the rains came, such that made working the farm impossible, Daniel would take to sketching the landscapes he so loved around him on the Kotz Family Farm. Daniel’s early interest in painting was spawned by frequent visits to the Barrett Jewelry Store located on North Michigan Street, where in a street-side display window, the young, barefoot, Daniel Kotz, was frequently seen entranced, as he gazed upon a watercolor painting exhibited there for hours at a time. The painting displayed in that street-side window was a watercolor by John Schmit-Meyer, a locally famed painter, of which the subject matter was a building with a number of boys and girls playing about. In Daniel’s teenage years, the first oil painting that Daniel ever saw, painted by Major Blowney, from whom Daniel also purchased his first set of oil paints, was exhibited a painting of which the subject was a white man who had shot and killed an American Indian. The scene was laid on a prairie. This painting likewise mesmerized the young and impressionable Kotz. At the advice of Dr. Buchtel, the Kotz’s family doctor, who was shown sketches of Daniel’s works and was astonished with his unusual artistic giftings, Dr. Buchtel encouraged Daniel’s parents to have Daniel pursue a career in art. Over time Daniel yielded the plow to the brush and Dr Buchtel utilized his professional contacts to promote the young artist throughout the years. One such contact made was Alfred Miller, the founder of the South Bend Tribune. Alfred Miller likewise took a keen interest in Daniel Kotz and felt that Daniel possessed an unusual talent that warranted his involvement . Alfred Miller used his influence and connections to assist Daniel Kotz grow his artistic talents in South Bend and beyond. Alfred Miller ~ Founder of the South Bend Tribune At age sixteen, Daniel Kotz painted his first picture, a watercolor. Daniel ingeniously manufactured his own colors, using poke berries for red, which unfortunately turned a greenish-yellow over time; and from earth made yellow ochre, and mixed egg with raw coffee for green. The first real watercolor paints Daniel ever purchased were from a paint store where James Whitcomb Riley was working as a sign painter. When Daniel, the self taught painter, reached his twenties, Alfred Miller encouraged Daniel Kotz to go to Chicago, where he took instruction from Henry Spread, an English artist of considerable merit. The studio was housed in the Crosbys’ Opera House but was destroyed by the disastrous Chicago fire of 1871. A short time later Kotz started college in Naperville, Illinois, where he remained for two years and two months, when ill health caused him to return to the Kotz Family Farm. In 1874 Daniel Kotz opened his studio in South Bend, Indiana. In 1875 Kotz returned to Chicago and entered the studio of H. A. Elkins, who was to furnish all the paint and canvas, as well as room and board, in return the young Kotz give all his time and all his work. After eleven months of hard work, Daniel discovered he was getting the worst of the bargain, so he decided to open a studio of his own. This he did on a capital of .40 cents, a bottomless chair, an old easel, and pieces of canvas. In his first week’s work, he sold two pictures that brought him $70.00 dollars. But then suddenly he couldn’t sell any additional pictures. Daniel’s studio was located on 108 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill. It was here that Daniel Kotz painted two of his best paintings titled, “Trappers Last Camping Grounds” and “October Woods”. In 1878 Daniel opened a studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he painted “The Wayside Spring” and “Monarch of the Meadow” which became the valued property of Peter E. Studebaker, one of the five brothers who organized the Studebaker Manufacturing Company. Daniel Kotz painted numerous pictures for the Studebakers. One such masterpiece, considered one of his best, was commissioned by Studebaker and was eventually, after many years, gifted to the South Bend Public Library in 1921. There it hung in a place of prominence. That Studebaker painting, according to a recent query in 2025, at some point mysteriously disappeared and is now unfortunately unaccounted for according to representatives of the South Bend Public Library. It is now believed hat this once unaccounted for Kotz painting may indeed have made it’s way to the Midwest Museum in Elkhart where it is now on display. The painting depicts Clem Studebaker's prize- winning cattle. Painting for Clem Studebaker by Daniel Kotz It is believed that this painting is the missing masterpiece that was originally given by Clem Studebaker to the South Bend Public Library where it hung in a place of prominence for many years. It is currently unclear how this painting ended up in the Elkhart Midwest Museum. In the summer of 1879, Daniel Kotz was commissioned by former U.S. Vice President Schuyler Colfax of South Bend to paint pictures titled the “St. Joseph River” and the “Road to Mishawaka”. Kotz finished both that same year. ALFRED MILLER In 1878 Mr. DANIEL KOTZ ifted one of his best heavy oils to ALFRED MILLER titled, “The Coming Storm” who had aided him in his early struggles. That painting, another of Kotz’s masterpieces, is also currently unaccounted for. JAMES OLIVER COMMISSIONED DANIEL KOTZ In 1880 Daniel Kotz was commissioned to paint a picture for James Oliver, the man who invented and manufactured the chilled plow in South Bend. The subject was of the original cabin James Oliver and his wife had purchased for $12.00 when they first settled in the area. The painting was presented to James Oliver by Alfred Miller, founder of the South Bend Tribune, and hung proudly in the parlor of the first James Oliver mansion where Central High School was located and which is now known as the Historic Lofts . This incredible and giant masterpiece, painted in 1881, can still be viewed at the History Museum of South Bend by special request of the museum’s curators. In those days Daniel Kotz had owned multiple studios. The first in Chicago, his second in Grand Rapids, his third in South Bend located on No. 9 Michigan Street before the city was properly numbered, (likely located around the intersection of Washington and Michigan Street)…but it was not until Daniel opened his fouth studio in New York when he really rose to national fame and international notoriety as an influential American landscape artist. Daniel eventually opened his final studio in New Jersey. MARY WHITTLESEY KOTZ On June 30th, 1886, Daniel Kotz married Mary Whittlesey. Mary was also a landscape painter and an avid painter of flowers. Mary Whittlesey came from a family of significant education, wealth, and politics. Mary Whittlesey was the granddaughter of the first Comptroller / Treasurer of the United States of America, Elisha Whittlesey, who built the Washington Monument, and worked under four Presidents including President Lincoln and President Taylor. Elisha Whittlesey was known as “The Watchdog of the Treasury”. Painting by Mary Whittlesey Kotz Interestingly, one account writes that it was Mary Whittlesey who pursued her prized Daniel Kotz having met him through artistic circles painting oils and watercolors. But another account records that it was Daniel that pursued Mary Whittlesey taking her rowing on a sketching tour along the St. Joseph River. Perhaps both being true, their coming together was in itself an whirlwind romance, a love story wrought together by mutual passions for the arts. And swirled therein, perhaps even as distractions, were politics, wealth, struggle, and colorful palette full of hard work. Daniel and Mary Whittlesey Kotz were married in a private ceremony at the home of the father of the bride, J. W. Whittlesey on Niles avenue. Only the nearest of relatives of the bride and one brother of the groom were in attendance. The happy couple immediately afterwards took to a ten day sketching tour for their honeymoon to Sister Lakes, Michigan. Soon afterwards they moved to New York. Even though Mary Whittlesey came from money, that didn't stop Daniel Kotz from teaching his wife the skill of masonry. Daniel instilled in his wife the spirit of hard work as they built entirely thier own home in New York themselves out of stone. Frequently Daniel Kotz would return to South Bend from New Jersey and go on sketching trips. One such article places Daniel and a friend bringing camping gear and putting in the boats near his father’s business. Passing what is now known as Howard Park, they camped at what is now known as Pinhook Park. Here is the article. South Bend Tribune 07-18-1884 Daniel and Mary Whittlesey Kotz had two daughters, one being Eleanor Kotz. Eleanor likewise became an extremely talented painter who restored old paintings. She once told her father that she too wanted to paint but wanted to make money, so she decided to restore old paintings. She was one of the only females in this restoration business in that era and was so talented that her services could only be afforded by the wealthy and famous. She restored historical paintings, reportedly even those as prominent as President George Washington's family. ELEANOR KOTZ ~ DAUGHTER OF DAVID AND MARY KOTZ Eleanor Kotz restored this iconic painting of George Washington. South Bend Tribune ~ July 28, 1924. Eleanor Kotz's last known visit to her father's childhood home, The Kotz Family Farm, on 17510 Cleveland Road, South Bend, was in 1948 when she visited her late uncle Charlie two years before his death. This news of her arrival to South Bend was celebrated in the Tribune. Charlie Kotz was the last living direct descendant of the Kotz Family Farm. He passed away on March 21st, 1950. Eleanor Kotz, Daniel Kotz’s daughter, carried on her father's legacy touring the country, showing her father's works long after his death. Eleanor married into royalty herself and became Countess Eleanor Kotz Savorgnan Di Brazza, but she never let her love for her late father and promoting his works falter. Around 1890, Daniel Kotz went to New York City, where he opened a studio. He was the cover story of the American Art Journal, March 22, 1890, and there in 1886 at the National Academy of Design, he exhibited the first painting he had ever exhibited in Chicago. In the 1890's, Daniel Kotz built a commodious studio and home on a New Jersey hillside at Park Ridge, overlooking the beautiful Pascack Valley with New York in the distance. He was one of the originators of the Salmagundi Club in New York around the turn of the century. He was a member of the Salmagundi Club, the Nanuet Painters, the American Artist Professional League, and the Beachcombers' Club in Provincetown. He is known to have exhibited at the New York Etching Club, the National Academy of Design 1909, the Salmagundi Club, the Boston Art Club 1889, 1892, 1896, 1898, 1899, the Art Institute of Chicago 1889, 1894, 1896, 1897, 1904, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1917, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1895, 1898-1900, and the American Art Association. Only known photo of Daniel Kotz’s Park Ridge Home Studio In May of 1948, Kotz's daughter, the Countess Eleanor Kotz Savorgnan Di Brazza, held an exhibition for two weeks of about twenty of her father's works. The exhibition was in Chicago and at the Progress Club in South Bend. The Progress Club of South Bend, located at 601 Colfax, was founded in 1895 by area women who erected this building for their activities in 1928, on the site of the home of Schuyler Colfax. (Vice-President to U.S.S. Grant.) Today the building is home to New City Presbyterian Church VICE PRESIDENT COLFAX COMMISSIONED DANIEL KOTZ FOR SEVERAL SKETCHES AND PAINTINGS Home of V.P. Colfax Daniel Kotz found more and more of his favorite subject matter throughout the New England area, where he painted until his death in 1933. His contemporaries and friends included Thomas Eakins, J. Francis Murphy, Alexander Schilling, Max Bohm, John Noble, and George Inness. Daniel Kotz died in Park Ridge, New Jersey in 1933. Submitted August 2007 by Michael R. Perez, Art Collector and Historian, The Artisfun Gallery Sources include interviews with Steve Bentrup, art collector who knew the family; Peter Hastings Falk, Editor, Who Was Who in American Art, copies of exhibition catalogues. Daniel Kotz was also a charter member of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was also one of the original founders of the Chicago Art League. Daniel Kotz 1848 – 1933 Daniel Kotz died in his Park Ridge, New Jersey home and is buried in a cemetery there as well. Mary Whittlesey Kotz 1857 – 1947 Mary Whittlesey Kotz. When Mary Whittlesey was born on 18 December 1857, in Ravenna, Portage, Ohio, United States, her father, John Whittlesey, was 49 and her mother, Mary Louise Patton, was 35. She died on April 22, 1947, in Wentworth, Grafton, New Hampshire, at the age of 89. She was buried in Wentworth Village Cemetery, Wentworth, Grafton, New Hampshire, United States. CHARLES (CHARLIE) KOTZ (AKA UNCLE CHARLIE) Charles Kotz, 1862 – 1950 (one of Daniel Kotz’s six brothers) lived in the existing Kotz Family Farmhouse all of his life. Charles was the TRUSTEE of Clay Township. He was also a DELEGATE for the REPUBLICAN PARTY. Charles was also known to raise pigs at the Kotz Family Farmhouse. He is buried at Tutt Cemetery. His headstone is a small boulder likely taken from the Kotz Family Farmhouse where there are similar boulders located in the ivy with his name primitively etched therein. Charles Kotz’s Headstone DAVID SAMUEL KOTZ David S. Kotz, 1863 – 1895. David was an actor in school plays who had a gifting for making the audience laugh. David Kotz was also an artist and painter, but did not achieve the notoriety of his older brother Daniel Kotz. David died at the young age of 31 from an “attack of grip” one source citing it as complications from contracting rabies. He is buried at Tutt Cemetery on Cleveland Road in South Bend. David Kotz ~ Youngest brother of Daniel Kotz was an aspiring actor, artist, and painter. He died at 32 years of age. An engraving by David Kotz 1885, youngest brother of Daniel Kotz. David was 22 years old when he produced this work. Additional works by David Kotz, youngest brother of Daniel Kotz. DAVID KOTZ WINS NATIONAL ART COMPETITION AT 18 YEARS OLD. DAVID KOTZ WAS ALSO AN ALTERNATE DELEGATE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. JACOB KOTZ Jacob Kotz, born 1844 – 1916, died at his home on 632 Harrison Avenue. Jacob was one of the brothers that worked at Kotz Wagon & Smiths. He also worked for the Birdsell’s. He was married to Carrie M. Kotz 1845 – 1908. They are buried in Bowman Cemetery in South Bend, Indiana. Jacob Kotz wins a bet with the owner of John Klingel’s Saloon for being elected as a delegate for the Republican Party. Payment was a 125 lb. dressed hog delivered to Jacob’s residence. MRS. CARRIE M. KOTZ (WIFE OF JACOB KOTZ) JOHN GEORGE KOTZ ~ ONLY CHILD OF JACOB AND CARRIE KOTZ GEORGE KOTZ, born 1846 – 1903. George was a blacksmith at KOTZ WAGON & SMITHS. GEORGE KOTZ IS BURIED IN CITY CEMETERY, SOUTH BEND, IN. MARY KOTZ -PRAST ~ WIFE OF GEORGE KOTZ MARY KOTZ IS BURIED IN CITY CEMETERY, SOUTH BEND. IN. ADAH CHRISTINA KOTZ ~ STARK WAS THE ONLY CHILD OF GEORGE AND MARY KOTZ. SHE ISBURIED IN HIGHLAND CEMETERY IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. JOHN KOTZ (SON OF JOHN G. KOTZ) 1856 – 1889 DIED FROM TUBERCULOSIS AT AGE 33. Wedding of John Kotz, son of John G. Kotz, to his bride Mary Belger at the German Evangelical Church in Mishawaka. WILLIAM KOTZ, 1850 – 1923 Was married to CORA STUCKEY and was gifted the family Bible by his father John G. Kotz at an elaborate wedding. William worked for South Bend Chilled Plow Company…a competitor to the Olivers. Two of four William’s children died at an early age and are buried in Tutt Cemetery. William Kotz Family Members Mrs. Clara M. Kotz (Stuckey) Obituary ~ Widow of William Kotz WILLIAM AND CLARA KOTZ HAD FOUR CHILDREN. TWO DIED AT A YOUNG AGE. ALTA KOTZ DIED AT 18 YEARS OLD AND IRVIN KOTZ DIED AT 6 MONTHS OLD MISS MARY KOTZ, 1853 - 1931 (DAUGHTEROF JOHN AND CHRISTINA KOTZ) lived at 17510 Cleveland Road, SOUTH BEND house all her life. She attended Clay Township Community Church. She is buried at Tutt Cemetery. MATILDA KOTZ 1858 – 1942, lived her entire life at the Kotz Family Farmhouse at 17510 Cleveland Road, South Bend. She is buried at Tutt Cemetery. Matilda's square Grand Piano was left in the Kotz Family Farmhouse after Charles Kotz’s passing. The square grand remained in the Kotz Farmhouse until 1995. It was left in the living room by the home’s third owner Pat Brown. Pat Brown owned the Kotz Family Farmhouse from 1960 to 1995 and left Mathilda’s piano behind which they faithfully tuned every six months. Pat felt that the piano belonged to the house. Unfortunately, the next owners must have sold or removed this prized possession and it’s current whereabouts are unknown. There are photographs of this piano in the living room and we are seeking the piano’s whereabouts in hopes of someday reacquiring it. ELIZABETH KOTZ (Swanson) 1858 – 1891 was married December 10th, 1885 to Gustav Swanson and died in Chicago on March 13, 1891. She was only 33 years old having suffered for two years with pulmonary issues. She left behind no children. She was buried in South Bend City Cemetery. CHRISTINA BLIND KOTZ ~ MOTHER OF THE KOTZ TEN Christina Blind Kotz ~ Pioneer and Mother of the Kotz Family Farmhouse. JOHN G. KOTZ ~ PIONEER AND FATHER OF THE KOTZ TEN John G. Kotz ~ Pioneer and Father of the Kotz Family Farmhouse MARQUART KOTZ and his brother of JOHN G. KOTZ died less than 24 hours apart. The Kotz Farmhouse was originally built as an Italianate but converted by the surviving Kotz Family members to Colonial Revival in the 1940s. After the last of the direct descendants, Charles Kotz, passed away in 1950, this lovely 160 acre farm was subdivided into 1/2 acre lots. In the early 1960’s the remaining apple orchards were bulldozed making way for the Bowercrest Manor Subdivision. An original photograph of the Italianate version with the Kotz Family in the 1880s. This is the only known photo of this home before is was converted to Colonial Revival in the 1940s. This 1/2 acre home is all that remains of the Kotz Family Farmhouse and the Kotz legacy. Kotz Family Farmhouse ~ December 01, 2025 We are seeking to have this incredible home and it’s rich history and ties protected as a local landmark from any future demolition or development. We have also been heavily involved in the process of restoring the interior of the Kotz Family Farmhouse to it’s original state before it went through numerous renovations, most of which likely occurred in the 1950s. We have also collected numerous artistic original works from Daniel Kotz which now hang rightfully so back in the Kotz Family Farmhouse. A Watercolor painted by Daniel Kotz of his mother washing clothes. Monotype by Daniel Kotz titled “Alone”. A flower painting by Mary Whittlesey Kotz Additional Sources – South Bend Tribune, New York Times, Spokane Daily, Findagrave.com, The South Bend News Times, The Sioux City Journal, Kate Himick ~ Historic Preservation Specialist, Travis Childs – The History Museum, Amber Gabel – Curator of Copshaholm ~ The History Museum, Spencer Harding – Assistant Registrar, and many thanks to Stephan Bentrup who personally knew the last of the Daniel Kotz heirs. Pat Brown – The third owner of the Kotz Family Farmhouse from 1961 to 1995, Cindy Guthrie – Daughter of Pat Brown. Roberta Crawford – Moderator of History & Memories of Michiana on Facebook. Eleanor Kotz’s Original Press Photo Etching Within Etching – Daniel Kotz This image was chosen as the invitation cover and would have been sent to everyone of stature or importance including the President of the United States. Charles Kotz was the Trustee of Clay Township Charles Korz quoted for an advertisement that he raised pigs. ELISHA WHITTLESEY ~ FIRST COMPTROLLER / TREASURER OF THE UNITED STATES WHO WORKED FOR FOUR PRESIDENTS INCLUDING PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND TAYLOR ELISHA WHITTLESEY WAS THE GRANDFATHER OF MARY WHITTLESEY KOTZ MARY WHITTLESEY KOTZ ~ WIFE OF DANIEL KOTZ Jacob & George Kotz, owners of Kotz Wagon & Smiths, sold land to Pabst Brewing Company.