McGulpin House facts for kids
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McGulpin House
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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McGulpin House, June 2006
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Market Street Mackinac Island, Michigan |
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| Part of | Mackinac Island (ID66000397) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Designated NHLDCP | October 15, 1966 |
The McGulpin House is a very old house on Mackinac Island, Michigan. It was built before 1780. Today, it is a museum that you can visit. Mackinac Island State Park owns and runs it. You can explore it during the summer months. It is part of the Historic Downtown Mackinac Island area.
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The McGulpin House: A Look Inside
The McGulpin House was built in a simple French Canadian style. This was a common way to build homes for working families. We don't know exactly when or where it was first built. It has not always been in its current spot.
How Old Is This House?
Experts have studied the wood used to build the house. They found that the timbers were cut by hand using a special saw called a pit saw. This means the wood was cut before 1790. Around 1790, a sawmill was built at Mill Creek. After that, people used machines to cut wood.
The way the house is built suggests it was made before Mackinac Island was settled. This settlement happened in 1780–1781. Before that, some houses were built near Fort Michilimackinac. This was a busy time for the fur trade.
Moving the House to Mackinac Island
In 1780, during the American Revolutionary War, people were told to move. Lieutenant Governor Patrick Sinclair ordered fur traders and others to move to Mackinac Island. The Strait of Mackinac froze solid that winter. Some wooden houses were taken apart and moved across the ice. It is thought that the McGulpin House might have been one of these homes.
The McGulpin Family and Their Bakery
After the War of 1812, the United States took more control of Mackinac Island. The fur trade became very important. In 1819, William and Madeline McGulpin bought the house. William was a baker. They also had a farm on the mainland, near what is now Mackinaw City. This area was later named McGulpin Point after them.
The McGulpins used local grain to bake bread and hardtack. Hardtack is a hard biscuit, good for long trips. They sold their baked goods to the American Fur Company. This company was the biggest employer on Mackinac Island. It supplied many fur traders who traveled the Great Lakes by canoe. These traders would trap animals and trade for furs.
The House Today
The McGulpin House was moved to its current location in 1981. Today, it is a museum that shows how the house looked around 1820. This was shortly after the McGulpins moved in. The McGulpins were a working-class family. Their home would have been simple, without many fancy furnishings. You can compare it to the nearby Biddle House, which was a home for a wealthier family.
