Holland Historic District (Holland, Michigan) facts for kids
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Holland Historic District
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th Sts., from Washington, to College Ave. Holland, Michigan |
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| Area | 97 acres (39 ha) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Bungalow/craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000889 (original) 90001234 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 12, 1983 |
| Boundary increase | August 10, 1990 |
The Holland Historic District is a special neighborhood in Holland, Michigan. It's mostly filled with old houses. This district covers streets like 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th. It stretches from Washington Boulevard to College Avenue, and from Pine Avenue to River Avenue.
This area is so important that parts of it were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. More of the district joined the Register in 1990. This means it's officially recognized for its historical value.
History of Holland's Historic District
The city of Holland was started in 1847. Immigrants from The Netherlands, led by Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, founded it. In 1871, a big forest fire burned almost the entire city.
Rebuilding was slow at first because of a financial crisis in 1873. But by the 1880s, the city was mostly rebuilt. This historic district was slowly put back together as Holland recovered. The number of people living in the city grew a lot. By 1890, about 4,000 people lived there. By 1900, that number had almost doubled. The city kept growing and doing well into the 1900s.
During these busy years, important people in the city built their homes here. These included business owners and community leaders. Some early residents of the district were:
- Gerrit J. Diekema, a lawyer (134 West 12th Street)
- George Hummer, from the West Michigan Furniture Company (191 West 12th Street)
- Bert Keppel, who owned a coalyard (12 West 13th)
- Gerrit Kellen, president of Hope College (18 East 12th)
- Dr. Henry Kremers, a doctor and vice-president of the Holland Sugar Company (8 East 12th)
- Henry Kiekintveld, who owned a bookstore (11 West 14th)
- Cornelius Lokker, owner of the Holland Crystal Creamery (80 East 13th)
- F. N. Jonkman, a well-known builder in Holland (79 East 14th)
- M. G. Manting, a printer and publisher (93 West 14th)
- Charles McLean, President of the Holland-St. Louis Sugar Company
- Bert Pratt, who sold drygoods (51 East 14th)
- John Raven, a jeweler (109 West 12th Street)
- Andries Steketee, from A. Steketee and Sons General Store (66 West 11th Street)
- Bert Slagh, who sold wallpaper and paints (349 College Avenue)
- Herman Van Ark, from the Bayview Furniture Company (214 West 12th Street)
- Walter Zylstra, a grocer (333 College Avenue)
What You'll See in the District
The Holland Historic District is located near Holland's main business area. It is also close to Hope College. Most of the district is made up of homes. But you can also find some businesses, schools, city buildings, and churches.
The district has 194 buildings in total. About 158 of these buildings are considered "contributing." This means they help show the historic importance of the area. Most of these are single-family houses. The houses are great examples of building styles from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many beautiful Queen Anne homes can be seen here.
Besides the houses, the district also includes Holland's Centennial Park. There are also several important public buildings, such as:
- Third Reformed Church of Holland (built in 1874), at 111 West 13th Street.
- Hope Reformed Church (built between 1874-1902), at 79 West 11th Street.
- Holland High School (built in 1912), at 96 West 15th Street.
- Holland Junior High School (built in 1923), at 372 River Avenue.
- Post Office (built in 1914), at 31 West 10th Street.
- Woman's Literary Club (built in 1913), at 235 Central Avenue.
- Masonic Temple building (built in 1921), at 17 W. 10th Street.
- Holland City Hall (built in 1909), at 270 River Avenue.
- Bell Telephone Building (built in 1929), at 13 West 10th Street.
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