National Register of Historic Places listings in Lapeer County, Michigan facts for kids
Lapeer County, Michigan, is home to many special places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This register is like a national list of important buildings, sites, and objects that are worth saving because of their history. Lapeer County was started way back in 1822. Today, nearly 90,000 people live there. It's considered part of the larger Metro Detroit area, and its main city is Lapeer.
There are 24 places in Lapeer County on the National Register. All of these are also listed as Michigan State Historic Sites. The county has 43 state-listed properties in total. The historic places include many old houses, several historic districts (areas with many old buildings), a former train station, a courthouse, a bank, and a mill. The city of Lapeer has the most listings, with 13 of them.
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Historic Places in Lapeer County
Cool Old Houses
Lapeer County has many interesting old houses that are recognized for their history and architecture.
Joseph Armstrong House
This house was built in 1887–1888 for Joseph Armstrong. He was a well-known businessman in Lapeer who ran a dry goods store for 37 years. The house is two and a half stories tall and still looks much like it did when it was first built.
Currier House
Located in Almont, the Currier House was built in 1854. What makes it special is its shape: it's an octagon house! Frederick Currey, an important businessman in Lapeer County, had it built. Its front, back, and side walls are about 24 feet long, and the four diagonal walls are about six feet long.
John W. Day House
This two-story house in Dryden Township was built in 1863. It's a Greek Revival style home, which was popular at the time. It was built for farmer John W. Day. Later, in 1870, Augustus Dittman bought it. Some parts have been added over the years, like the entire right side wing in 1880.
John and Rosetta Lee House
Built in 1872, this house in Lapeer is one of the few Gothic Revival style homes in the area. At one point, it was changed from a single family home into an apartment building. Even with this change, most of the outside of the house still looks the same as it did originally.
Other Important Buildings
Detroit–Bay City Railroad Company Columbiaville Depot
This old train station in Columbiaville was very important from 1893 to 1964. It was a main stop for trains traveling between Detroit and Bay City. William Peter, who planned out the town of Columbiaville in 1871, built it. The station stopped being used in 1964, and the train tracks themselves closed down in 1977.
Hadley Flour and Feed Mill
The Hadley Flour and Feed Mill in Hadley Township includes several buildings. The main one is a two-and-a-half-story wooden gristmill built in 1874. A gristmill is a place where grain is ground into flour. The mill stopped working in 1964. Later, it became a museum called the Hadley Mill Museum and was given to the township in 2002.
Lapeer County Courthouse
The Lapeer County Courthouse, finished in 1846, is a very special building. It's a Greek Revival style courthouse and is known as the oldest original courthouse still being used in Michigan. It's also one of the top 10 oldest courthouses still in use in the entire country! It hasn't changed much since it was built and still serves the county today.
Pioneer State Bank No. 36
This building in North Branch was built in 1906. It's the oldest bank building in North Branch. The bank itself started in 1885. The current building was bought for a new bank in 1903. It still operates as an independent bank today.
Historic Districts and Sites
Dryden Community Country Club–General Squier Historic Park Complex
This large area in Dryden Township covers 80 acres. The oldest building there is a mill from 1871. The complex also has a water park and other structures. It used to be the summer home of George Owen Squier, who later turned his property into a county park for everyone to enjoy.
Metamora Crossroads Historic District
This historic district in Metamora includes 15 buildings built between 1850 and 1910. It's about 3.5 acres and is centered around Oak and High Street in the village. The village of Metamora started in 1838. This area stopped developing before World War I, which helped keep its early architecture preserved.
Piety Hill Historic District
This district in Lapeer was the main spot for early religious gatherings in the city. It's also the oldest planned part of Lapeer. It has five different church buildings built between 1881 and 1911. Most of the other properties in the district are single-family homes from the 1830s to 1850s.
West Saint Clair Street Historic District
This district in Almont has 15 houses along West Saint Clair Street. It also includes the Henry Stephens Memorial Library, which is an important building in the district. The library was listed as a Michigan State Historic Site on its own in 1991.
Younge Site
The Younge Site in Goodland Township is a restricted archaeological site. It contains two wooden structures and a burial site. This site is believed to belong to Native Americans from the 1600s. It's an important place for understanding the history of the area's first people.
Images for kids
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The James B. Dutton House.
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The James F. Fairweather–Jacob C. Lamb House.
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The Rodney G. Hart House.
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The John and Julia Hevener House.
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The Charles Palmer House.
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The Warren Perry House.
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The Samuel J. Tomlinson House.
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The Columbus Tuttle House.
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The Peter Van Dyke House.
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The William H. and Sabrina Watson House.
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The Jay White House.
