The Sibley House at 976 East Jefferson Avenue was completed in 1848.  It remains the oldest, unaltered wooden frame structure in the City of Detroit.  It was the final home of Detroit’s first appointed mayor, Judge Solomon Sibley.  Governor Hull appointed Sibley in 1806. Sadly, Judge Sibley died before the house was completed, but his wife, Sarah and two unmarried daughters moved into the house.

Sarah Sibley lived in the house until her death in 1851.  After she died, the house was used for various purposes, including a French War Relief organization during World War I.  At about the same time the Rector and Vestry of Christ Church, Detroit, the next door neighbor to the Sibley House, determined that there needed to be an increased effort to assist foreign born families in nearby neighborhoods.  Therefore, in 1919 Sibley House became a Settlement House, opened under the direction of one of Judge Sibley’s granddaughters, Mary Elizabeth Trowbridge.  Since that time, Sibley House has been used as the Christ Church Neighborhood Club, was occupied by the British War Relief Society during World War II, and is presently the offices for Christ Church, Detroit.

Major exterior renovation on the house was started in 2013. With help from a matching grant by NSCDA-MI, the project was completed in the fall of 2015.