Calumet Downtown Historic District

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Calumet Downtown Historic District
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5th Street in Calumet c. 1910
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Location5th and 6th Sts. between Scott and Pine Sts., Calumet, Michigan
Coordinates 47°14′50″N88°27′12″W / 47.24722°N 88.45333°W / 47.24722; -88.45333 Coordinates: 47°14′50″N88°27′12″W / 47.24722°N 88.45333°W / 47.24722; -88.45333
ArchitectC. K. Shand
Part of Calumet Historic District (ID89001097)
NRHP reference No. 74000986 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 25, 1974
Designated NHLDCPMarch 28, 1989
Designated MSHSNovember 15, 1973 [2]

The Calumet Downtown Historic District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan, on 5th Street and 6th Street, between Scott Street and Pine Street. It is also known as the Red Jacket Downtown Historic District, reflecting the original name of the village. The Historic District is completely contained in the Calumet Historic District (a National Historic Landmark District) and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 [2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [1] Much of the 100 block of 5th street was destroyed in a fire that took place on May 22, 2021 [3]

Contents

History

The village of Calumet, then known as "Red Jacket," [4] was originally settled in 1864, and was incorporated in 1867. Calumet was an offshoot of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, which mined a rich vein of copper running just south of Calumet. From 1868 through 1886, it was the leading copper producer in the United States, and from 1869 through 1876, the leading copper producer in the world. [5]

The historic Woolworth's Building located at 215 5th Street, (now the Keweenaw Storytelling Center) is one of the contributing structures within the Historic District. The structure was built in 1948. ( photo taken in 2019) FifthStreet lookingSouth.jpg
The historic Woolworth's Building located at 215 5th Street, (now the Keweenaw Storytelling Center) is one of the contributing structures within the Historic District. The structure was built in 1948. ( photo taken in 2019)

As the fortunes of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company went, so went the fortunes of Calumet. The majority of the structures in the downtown Calumet district were constructed in the years between 1880 and 1910, when the copper mining industry was at its peak. [2] The structures reflect the progress of Calumet's fortunes as first frame, and then more substantial sandstone and brick business blocks, were built. [2]

Description

The Calumet Downtown Historic District consists of sixty-two structures. [2] These buildings along Fifth and Sixth Streets comprise the main commercial section of Calumet. [6] These structures include buildings with a frame or shingle exterior, ones covered with metal sheeting, sandstone buildings, brick buildings, and those constructed of a combination of sandstone and brick. [2] These structures define the streetscape of the downtown, with some presenting imposing facades. [6] Many buildings are embellished with common stock elements purchased by the builders; [2] some of these elements are used in combinations, including terra cotta trim, metal cornices, turrets, and cast iron thresholds and columns. [6]

The copper strike in 1913 created an economic depression in the area whose effects lingered for decades. Many commercial buildings have had their facades altered, but for the most part these treatments have been applied over original material and are reversible. [6]

Two substantial buildings, St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church and the Calumet Opera House, anchor the district at the south and the north ends, respectively. [6] In addition, the Calumet Fire Station, now the Upper Peninsula Fire Fighters Memorial Museum, is also located in the district. One of the youngest structures within the Historic District is the 1948 Woolworth's building. The F.W. Woolworth company remained in operation at this site the 1980s. The structure, which looks out of place amongst its older counterparts, shares a very important part of our American retail history.

Contemporary images of the downtown

Further reading

Related Research Articles

Calumet, Michigan Village in Michigan, United States

Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The village may itself be included within the Calumet Historic District, a larger area which is NRHP-listed and which is a National Historic Landmark District. It is bordered on the north by Calumet Township, on the south by the unincorporated towns of Newtown and Blue Jacket, on the east by Blue Jacket and Calumet Township, and on the west by Yellow Jacket and Calumet Township. The population was 726 at the 2010 census. Calumet's nickname is Copper Town U.S.A.

Calumet Charter Township, Michigan Charter township in Michigan, United States

Calumet Charter Township is a charter township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,263 at the 2020 census. Even with a decreasing population, the township remains the largest township by population in Houghton County.

Laurium, Michigan Village in Michigan, United States

Laurium is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The population was 1,977 at the 2010 census.

Quincy Mine United States historic place

The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid a dividend to investors every year from 1868 through 1920. The Quincy Mining Company Historic District is a United States National Historic Landmark District; other Quincy Mine properties nearby, including the Quincy Mining Company Stamp Mills, the Quincy Dredge Number Two, and the Quincy Smelter are also historically significant.

Keweenaw National Historical Park U.S. national park in Michigan

Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2009, it is a partly privatized park made up of two primary units, the Calumet Unit and the Quincy Unit, and 21 cooperating "Heritage Sites" located on federal, state, and privately owned land in and around the Keweenaw Peninsula. The National Park Service owns approximately 1,700 acres (690 ha) in the Calumet and Quincy Units. Units are located in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.

The Calumet Theatre United States historic place

The Calumet Theatre is a historic theatre located at 340 Sixth Street in the town of Calumet, Michigan. It is also known as the Calumet Opera House or the Calumet Civic Auditorium. It is integral to, but a separate unit of, the Calumet municipal building. The structure was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is one of the 21 Heritage Sites which partners with the Keweenaw National Historical Park. The theatre was the original home of The Red Jacket Jamboree, an old-time radio variety show.

National Register of Historic Places listings in Houghton County, Michigan

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Houghton County, Michigan.

Calumet and Hecla Mining Company

The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company was a major copper-mining company based within Michigan's Copper Country. In the 19th century, the company paid out more than $72 million in shareholder dividends, more than any other mining company in the United States during that period.

Copper mining in Michigan

Copper mining in Michigan became an important industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its rise marked the start of copper mining as a major industry in the United States.

Calumet Historic District United States historic place

The Calumet Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District that encompasses most of the village of Calumet, Michigan. The district was designated in 1989 for the community's importance in the history of the region's copper mining industry.

Lake Linden Historic District United States historic place

The Lake Linden Historic District is located in the village of Lake Linden in Houghton County, Michigan.

Joseph Bosch Building United States historic place

The Joseph Bosch Building is a commercial structure located at 302 Calumet Avenue in the Lake Linden Historic District in Lake Linden, Michigan. It is also known as the Lindell Chocolate Shoppe. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1982.

J. Vivian Jr. and Company Building United States historic place

The J. Vivian Jr. and Company Building is a commercial building located at 342 Hecla Street in Laurium, Michigan. in the Italian Renaissance Revival, and Italianate architectural styles, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Thomas H. Hoatson House United States historic place

The Thomas H. Hoatson House is a house located at 320 Tamarack Street in Laurium, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. At 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2), it is the largest mansion in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Quincy Street Historic District United States historic place

The Quincy Street Historic District is a historic district located along the 100, 200, and 300 blocks of Quincy Street, along with 416 Tezcuco Street, in Hancock, Michigan. The Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall is located in the district. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall United States historic place

The Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall is a public building located at 399 Quincy Street in the Quincy Street Historic District in Hancock, Michigan. It is also known as the Hancock City Hall. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1977 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Calumet and Hecla Industrial District United States historic place

The Calumet and Hecla Industrial District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan and roughly bounded by Hecla & Torch Lake Railroad tracks, Calumet Avenue, Mine and Depot Streets. The district contains structures associated with the copper mines worked by the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, located along a line above the copper lode, where railroad tracks connected separate mine heads. The Historic District is completely contained in the Calumet Historic District and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Calumet Fire Station United States historic place

The Calumet Fire Station is a firehouse located on 6th Street in Calumet, Michigan. It is also known as the Red Jacket Fire Station. The building was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and is part of the Calumet Historic District and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. The building now houses the Upper Peninsula Fire Fighters Memorial Museum.

Quincy Smelter Former copper smelter in Ripley, Michigan

The Quincy Smelter, also known as the Quincy Smelting Works, is a former copper smelter located on the north side of the Keweenaw Waterway in Ripley, Michigan. It is a contributing property of the Quincy Mining Company Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District. The smelter was built in 1898 by the Quincy Mining Company, operating from 1898 to 1931 and again from 1948 to 1971. The smelter was part of a Superfund site from 1986 to 2013.

Italian Hall

Italian Hall was a two-story commercial and recreational building in Calumet, Michigan, built in 1908 and demolished in 1984. Two prior buildings known popularly as "Italian Hall" had stood on the site. The first floor housed commercial space with a large hall on the second floor. The building served as headquarters for the Società Mutua Beneficenza Italiana and hosted community events. The hall is notorious as the site of a disaster in 1913 in which over 70 people died after a false cry of "fire" at a Christmas party. Since demolition, the site has served as a memorial park. The property is a Michigan State Historic Site and the building was formerly on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Red Jacket Downtown Historic District Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine from the state of Michigan, retrieved 10/4/09
  3. Marini, Miriam. "Fire destroys 3 buildings in historic downtown Calumet". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  4. "MTU Digital Archive".
  5. Horace J. Stevens (1908) The Copper Handbook, v.8, Houghton, Mich.: Horace J. Stevens, p.1457.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Calumet Historic District nomination form, Kate Lidfors, 1988.