LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Wednesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced that the downtown commercial districts of three Michigan communities have been added in the National Register of Historic Places.
Administered by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, the National Register of Historic Places is the United States federal government’s official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historic significance.
In Western Michigan, the Wayland Downtown Historic District has been selected for the designation.
Elsewhere in Michigan, the Ishpeming Main Street Historic District and the Negaunee Downtown Historic District have also been chosen.
“Pure Michigan is home to so many historic, beautiful communities and I am proud of Ishpeming, Negaunee, and Wayland for being added to the National Register of Historic Places,” Governor Whitmer said in a statement. “This designation will help local economies in and around these three downtowns and help us continue growing Michigan’s economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for working families.”
Taken together, the three areas encompass 135 buildings and structures, of which 100 are considered to contribute to the historic character of the areas.
“Many benefits come with listing a community’s historic commercial core in the National Register. Chief among them is access to historic preservation tax credits, which can be applied to reduce the long-term costs of rehabbing historic buildings,” Michigan’s State Historic Preservation Officer Mark A. Rodman said. “Listing also becomes a point of pride for residents, and can be a driver for economic activity and growing heritage tourism.”
Wayland Downtown Historic District
The Wayland Downtown Historic District is a small “four corners” district centered on the intersection of Main and Superior streets and radiating out from a half to a full block in each direction.
Unique within the district is the 1899-built Richardsonian Romanesque-style Henika Library, which after careful expansion and sensitive restoration continues to serve as a central community gathering place.
“Historic preservation has been an essential function for Wayland Main Street during our 12-year history, with over 40 buildings in our 8-block district receiving façade or building restoration work,” Wayland Main Street/DDA Executive Director Teryl Shields said in a statement. “Having downtown Wayland listed in the National Register of Historic Places is not only an honor and something of which to be proud, but it also continues to offer our building owners a further economic incentive to continue to rehabilitate and maintain their buildings. We’re excited to share our town’s rich history by continuing to preserve its lovely historic buildings.”
More than 95,000 properties across the country, including nearly 2,000 in Michigan, have been listed in the National Register since the program began in the 1960’s.
The National Register is a program of the National Park Service and administered by the states.
For more information about the National Register of Historic Places program in Michigan, and on how to nominate a property, click here.
