Griswold Civic Center Historic District

Last updated

Griswold Civic Center Historic District
Griswold 03 First Baptist.jpg
USA Michigan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Griswold Civic Center Historic District
Interactive map showing the location for Griswold Civic Center Historic District
LocationRoughly bounded by Hubbard, Walnut, and Trowbridge Sts., Allegan, Michigan
Coordinates 42°31′38″N85°51′10″W / 42.52722°N 85.85278°W / 42.52722; -85.85278
Area4.3 acres (1.7 ha)
Built1836 (1836)
Architect Gordon W. Lloyd, Dillon P. Clark
Architectural styleLate 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian
MPS Allegan MRA
NRHP reference No. 87000253 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 12, 1987

The Griswold Civic Center Historic District is a small historic district containing eight civic and religious buildings, roughly bounded by Hubbard, Walnut, and Trowbridge Streets, in Allegan, Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. [1]

Contents

History

The original 1837 Allegan Company platting of the community provided a large plat of land as a public square. In 1839–41, the county constructed a jail and associated residence on the square, and added a brick county office building in 1847. A larger jail was built in 1861, and larger office building in 1871. In 1889, the county built a large courthouse in the center of the square. The jail was replaced one more time in 1905–06 with the present structure. [2]

In the meantime, three church congregations constructed their churches surrounding the square. The United Methodist Church was founded in 1836, and in 1905 constructed the present building, the third on the same site. The First Baptist Church was established in 1841 and built the current structure in 1892–93. The Church of the Good Shepherd was founded in 1859 and still uses their original church building, constructed in 1867–69. [2]

In the early twentieth century, Allegan's population increased, growing 20% between 1911 and 1917. IN 1913, community leaders obtained a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation to construct a new library. Plans were prepared by Grant Miller, a Chicago architect, and the library was constructed in 1914. Later, in 1981, local philanthropist Marilla Griswold left $100,000 to the city to build an auditorium and general meeting place. Despite delays, the Griswold Memorial Auditorium was completed until 1929. [2]

The county replaced the courthouse with a modern structure in 1960–61. In 1962, a new jail was built, and the old jail used for other things. [2]

Description

The small Griswold Civic Center Historic District contains eight structures situated around the courthouse square. These include: [2]

Old School

This building, constructed in 1836, is located at 325-27 Hubbard Street. It is a two-story structure with flank gables. The school was originally located a block from the square but was moved to its present location in the late 19th century. It served later as a boarding house, and has been converted to offices.

Carnegie Library

This building, constructed in 1914, is located at 331 Hubbard Street. It was designed by Chicago architect Grant Miller. It is a single-story brick Craftsman building with a tile-covered hipped roof and fieldstone foundation. A larger 1975 addition is located to the rear.

Griswold Memorial Auditorium

This building, constructed in 1929, is located at 401 Hubbard Street. It is a two-story asymmetrical brick building with limestone trim.

Church of the Good Shepherd

This building, constructed in 1867–69, is located at 101 Walnut Street. The building was designed by Gordon W. Lloyd. It is a frame, Gothic Revival church with a steeply pitched gable roof and a tall, pyramid-roof belfry. It is clad with vertical, board-and-batten siding and narrow lancet windows. A 1902 brick parish house is located next door.

Old Allegan County Sheriff's Residence and Jail

This building, constructed in 1905–1906, is located at 113 Walnut Street. It is a large red brick, Queen Anne/Colonial Revival structure with an octagonal corner tower and a Tuscan-column front porch. The building now serves as the county historical museum.

United Methodist Church

This building, constructed in 1905, is located at 401 Trowbridge Street. It is a Romanesque Revival building faced with random ashlar with a square corner tower.

First Baptist Church

This building, constructed in 1892, is located at 330 Trowbridge Street. It was designed by Bay City architect Dillon P. Clark. It is square orange brick Romanesque Revival structure with a tower at the street corner. A modern parish house addition is connected to one side.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogle County Courthouse</span> Local government building in the United States

The Ogle County Courthouse is a National Register of Historic Places listing in the Ogle County, Illinois, county seat of Oregon. The building stands on a public square in the city's downtown commercial district. The current structure was completed in 1891 and was preceded by two other buildings, one of which was destroyed by a group of outlaws. Following the destruction of the courthouse, the county was without a judicial building for a period during the 1840s. The Ogle County Courthouse was designed by Chicago architect George O. Garnsey in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. The ridged roof is dominated by its wooden cupola which stands out at a distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen County Courthouse (Ohio)</span> Local government building in the United States

The Allen County Courthouse is an historic courthouse building located at the corner of North Main Street & East North Street in Lima, Ohio, United States. In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbour County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Barbour County Courthouse in Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia, USA is a monumental public building constructed between 1903 and 1905 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It dominates the town center and is the county's chief symbol of government. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Baptist Church (Detroit, Michigan)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The former First Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church building located at 8601 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1909, it was designed by architect Guy J. Vinton in the Late Gothic Revival style. It is now the Peoples Community Church. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 3, 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson County Courthouse (North Carolina)</span> United States historic place

Jackson County Courthouse is an historic courthouse located at Sylva, serving Jackson County, North Carolina. It was designed by Smith & Carrier and built in 1913, when Sylva took over the county seat designation from Webster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyahoga County Courthouse</span> Local government building in the United States

The Cuyahoga County Courthouse stretches along Lakeside Avenue at the north end of the Cleveland Mall in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The building was listed on the National Register along with the mall district in 1975. Other notable buildings of the Group Plan are the Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse designed by Arnold Brunner, the Cleveland Public Library, the Board of Education Building, Cleveland City Hall, and Public Auditorium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of St. Louis</span>

The architecture of St. Louis exhibits a variety of commercial, residential, and monumental architecture. St. Louis, Missouri is known for the Gateway Arch, the tallest monument constructed in the United States. Architectural influences reflected in the area include French Colonial, German, early American, European influenced, French Second Empire, Victorian, and modern architectural styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

The Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District is a historic district in Warsaw, Indiana that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its boundaries were increased in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown County Courthouse (Ohio)</span> Local government building in the United States

The Brown County Courthouse is located at 101 South Main Street in Georgetown, Ohio. The courthouse is the centerpiece of Georgetown and is included in the Georgetown Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orleans County Courthouse Historic District</span> Historic district in New York, United States

The Orleans County Courthouse Historic District is one of two located in downtown Albion, New York, United States. Centered on Courthouse Square, it includes many significant buildings in the village, such as its post office and churches from seven different denominations, one of which is the tallest structure in the county. Many buildings are the work of local architect William V.N. Barlow, with contributions from Solon Spencer Beman and Andrew Jackson Warner. They run the range of architectural styles from the era in which the district developed, from Federal to Colonial Revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

The Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District is located in Hartford City, Indiana. Hartford City has a population of about 7,000 and is the county seat of Blackford County and the site of the county courthouse. The National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior added the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 2006—meaning the buildings and objects that contribute to the continuity of the district are worthy of preservation because of their historical and architectural significance. The District has over 60 resources, including over 40 contributing buildings, over 10 non-contributing buildings, one contributing object, eight non-contributing objects, and two other buildings that are listed separately in the National Register.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Marion County Courthouse in Knoxville, Iowa, United States was built in 1896. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fayetteville Historic Square</span> United States historic place

The Fayetteville Historic Square, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, includes the original Fayetteville post office, the Old Bank of Fayetteville Building, the Lewis Brothers Building, the Mrs. Young Building, and the Guisinger Building. These buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are several more recent buildings located on the Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Cheshire County Courthouse, located at 12 Court Street in Keene, New Hampshire, is the center of government of Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Completed in 1859 to a design by Gridley James Fox Bryant, it is believed to be the oldest courthouse in regular use in the state. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dickinson County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> Courthouse in Iowa, United States

The Dickinson County Courthouse is located in Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. Built in two phases in 2006 and 2009, it is the fourth building to house court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goshen Historic District (Goshen, Indiana)</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

Goshen Historic District is a national historic district located at Goshen, Elkhart County, Indiana. The district encompasses 751 contributing buildings and 1 contributing site in the central business district and surrounding residential sections of Goshen. The town was developed between about 1840 and 1930, and includes notable examples of Italianate and Queen Anne style architecture. Located with in the district are the separately listed Elkhart County Courthouse and Goshen Carnegie Public Library. Other notable buildings include the Kindy Block (1881), Central Block (1882), Spohn Building (1909), Harper Block (1888), Noble Building, Jefferson Theater (1907), General Baptist Church (1859), First Methodist Church (1874), and St. James Episcopal Church (1862).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pritchard's Outlook Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

Pritchard's Outlook Historic District is a primarily residential historic district, roughly bounded by Park Drive, Walnut Street, Crescent Street, and Davis Street, in Allegan, Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronson Park Historic District</span> United States historic place

Bronson Park Historic District is a historic district in Kalamazoo, Michigan, consisting of Bronson Park and the surrounding government, religious, and civic buildings. It is roughly bounded by South Rose, South Park, West Lovell, and West Michigan Avenues. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Paris Historic District</span> United States historic place

The Downtown Paris Historic District, in Paris, Kentucky, in Bourbon County, Kentucky, is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Peter J. Schmitt; Wesley Blackman; Kenneth Dettloff (1984), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Historic Resources of Allegan Partial Inventory: Historic and Architectural Resources