North Michigan Avenue Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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North Michigan Avenue Historic District
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Saginaw Museum (Ring House)
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Monroe, Fayette, N. Hamilton and W. Remington Sts., Saginaw, Michigan |
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| Area | 25.7 acres (10.4 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival |
| MPS | Center Saginaw MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002872 |
| Added to NRHP | July 9, 1982 |
The North Michigan Avenue Historic District is a special neighborhood in Saginaw, Michigan. It's known for its beautiful old homes along Michigan Avenue. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's an important historical place worth protecting!
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A Look Back: History of the District
The first people who settled in Saginaw built their homes on the southern part of Michigan Avenue. Later, in the 1860s, new homes started appearing on the northern part of the street. Building really sped up in the 1880s.
Wealthy families who lived on the southern part of the avenue wanted their children and relatives to live nearby. So, many large, fancy houses were built here during the 1800s. After the year 1900, some of the bigger plots of land were divided. Smaller, more modest homes, like bungalows, were then built in between the grander houses. Today, some of these large old homes are used as businesses.
What Makes the District Special?
This historic district has 33 buildings. About 27 of them are considered "contributing structures." This means they help show the neighborhood's history and special character. Most of these important buildings were built between the 1880s and the 1910s.
You can see different building styles here. These include Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival.
At the southern end of the district, you'll find St. Andrews Catholic Church. Many other buildings in the southern blocks are Victorian-style houses. As you move north, the houses tend to be newer, often from the 1900s. The Ring House, which is now the Saginaw Art Museum, is a key building at the northern end.
Famous Homes in the District
Here are some of the most important buildings in the district:
The Hannon House (727 North Michigan)
The Hannon House is a two-story building in the Greek Revival style. It was first built in the early 1850s at a different location. A man named Charles Rust bought it and moved it twice! Finally, in 1911, it found its current home on North Michigan Avenue.
The Benton Hanchett House (1006 North Michigan)
Benton Hanchett was a successful lawyer. In 1881, he built this impressive house on North Michigan. It's a three-story building made of yellow brick. It has red sandstone decorations and is built in the Romanesque Revival style.
The Gilbert Stark House (1027 North Michigan)
This house was built in 1885 for Gilbert Stark. He was a lumberman and the son of a famous Saginaw lawyer and mayor. This house is a Queen Anne style building. It has an interesting, uneven shape, different window sizes, and a unique roofline.
The Charles Ring House (1126 North Michigan)
The Charles Ring House was built in 1904 for Charles Ring, who was a very wealthy lumberman. It's a three-story brick home in the Georgian Revival style. In 1946, Mr. Ring's daughters gave the house and its gardens to the City of Saginaw. Today, it is home to the Saginaw Art Museum.
