Buchanan Downtown Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Buchanan Downtown Historic District
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NE corner of Front and Main
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| Location | Parts Front St., Main St., Oak St., and Days Ave., Buchanan, Michigan |
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| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | Louis A. Simon et al. |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000678 |
| Added to NRHP | September 2, 2009 |
The Buchanan Downtown Historic District is a special area in Buchanan, Michigan. It's like a time capsule, showing how the town's main business area looked long ago. This district includes parts of Front Street, Main Street, Oak Street, and Days Avenue. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
History of Buchanan's Downtown
Buchanan was first settled in 1833 by a man named Charles Cowles. He built a sawmill in the area. More people came to live there, and by 1842, Buchanan was officially mapped out. At that time, about twelve buildings stood in or near the village.
A big change happened in 1849 when the Michigan Central Railroad came through. This caused the town to grow very quickly! Early shops and businesses started appearing near the intersection of Front and Main Streets. By 1860, many stores lined Front Street.
In 1862, a terrible fire destroyed much of the downtown area. But this sad event led to a building boom in the 1860s. Many new buildings were constructed on the same spots where the old ones had burned down. Another smaller building boom happened in the 1880s.
By the end of the 1800s, most of the downtown area was built up. New construction slowed down for a while. Between 1895 and 1954, only 17 new buildings were added. Most of these replaced older, wooden structures.
However, by the 1950s, new businesses started opening outside the downtown area. Like many small towns, Buchanan's downtown became less busy. Some buildings were even torn down starting in the 1960s. New buildings were built, but the downtown area took a long time to become lively again.
Exploring the Historic District
The Buchanan Downtown Historic District covers almost all of Buchanan's main business center. It includes 40 buildings. You can also find a millrace (a channel for water to power a mill), a culvert (a tunnel for water), and an alley.
The buildings in the district are one to three stories tall. They were built between 1855 and 1966. Most of them are made of brick. Only a few are different, like the Pears Mill, which is wood, and two other commercial buildings. The main part of the district is along Front Street. This is where you'll see the largest commercial buildings.
Here are some important buildings and features in the district:
- United States Post Office (built in 1940): This single-story brick building is at 110 W. Front Street. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style by Louis A. Simon.
- Buchanan Public Library - now Buchanan Art Center (built in 1956): You can find this modern building at 117 W. Front Street. Roy A. Warden designed it.
- Ross-Sanders House - Old City Hall (built in 1856): This two-story house is at 107 W. Front Street. It's made of painted brick and built in the Greek Revival style. It was the first brick home in Buchanan.
- Union Block (built in 1863): This impressive three-story building is at 114 E. Front Street. It has two storefronts and is made of painted brick in the Italianate style. It was added to the National Historic Register in 2007.
- Mill Alley (dedicated in 1856): This alley, at 116 E. Front Street, was created to reach Pears Mill. In 1914, the Princess Theater was built over the alley, closing it off. The theater was torn down in 1991, opening the alley again.
- Pears Millrace (around 1848): This water channel runs for about half a mile through the district. John D. Ross had it dug to power early mills.
- Pears Mill (built 1857-1858): Located at 115 S. Oak Street, this two-story wooden building sits right on the millrace. It is the only mill left out of about 13 that once operated near Buchanan's downtown.
Gallery
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Sign
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Detail, NW corner of Front and Main
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NW corner of Front and Main
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NE corner of Front and Main
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Front Street, looking east
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North side of Front Street
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Pears Mill
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Union Block
