Twelve Michigan properties have earned special recognition in the 2020 National Register of Historic Places, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced.
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States federal government’s official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance.
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More than 95,000 properties across the country, including nearly 2,000 in Michigan, have been listed in the National Register since the program began in the 1960s. The National Register is a program of the National Park Service and administered by the states. In the state, it’s administered by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.
How they get selected: To be considered for listing in the National Register, a property must generally be at least 50 years old, and must also be significant when evaluated in relationship to major historical events or trends in the history of their community, the state, or the nation. A property must also possess historic integrity – the ability to convey its significance.
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Here are the 12 properties added in 2020:
- Alpena, Bingham School, Alpena County
- Charlotte, Charlotte Central Historic District, Eaton County
- Detroit, Great Lakes Manor, Wayne County
- Detroit, Michigan Avenue Historic Commercial District
- Detroit, Warren Motor Car Company Building
- Grand Rapids, American Box Board Company Headquarters and Factory, Kent County
- Ludington, Haskell Manufacturing Company Building, Mason County
- Manistee, Guardian Angels Church, Manistee County
- Park Township, Lakewood Farm, Ottawa County
- Sault Ste. Marie, Sault Ste. Marie Historic Commercial District, Chippewa County
- Southfield, Northland Gardens, Oakland County
- Ypsilanti, Highland Cemetery, Washtenaw County
“From Detroit to the Soo and from individual properties to commercial and residential historic districts, these historic properties tell the stories of our communities, our state, and our nation. They illustrate our shared history, foster a sense of pride in our communities, provide recognition of our historic places, and generate investment and economic activity,” said Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Martha MacFarlane-Faes. “SHPO is proud to join with so many people and communities across the state in celebrating a diverse group of properties that have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan in 2020.”
More: How Detroit’s preservation movement started in the West Canfield Historic District