Superior Street Commercial Historic District

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Superior Street Commercial Historic District
Superior Street Commercial Historic District.jpg
HD designation, north end of district
LocationRoughly bounded by the Kalamazoo River, Cass, Elm, Eaton and Vine Sts., Albion, Michigan
Coordinates 42°14′40″N84°45′13″W / 42.24444°N 84.75361°W / 42.24444; -84.75361 (Superior Street Commercial Historic District) Coordinates: 42°14′40″N84°45′13″W / 42.24444°N 84.75361°W / 42.24444; -84.75361 (Superior Street Commercial Historic District)
Area35 acres (14 ha)
Built1845 (1845)
ArchitectRockwell A. Leroy, Dean, Meritt & Cole
Architectural style Classical Revival, Second Empire, Italianate
NRHP reference # 97000626 [1]
Added to NRHPAugust 18, 1997

The Superior Street Commercial Historic District is a commercial historic district, running primarily along Superior Street from Elm Street to Vine Street in Albion, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. [1]

Albion, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,616 at the 2010 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area. From the time that the earliest English-speaking settlers arrived, the area has also been known as The Forks, because it is situated at the confluence of the north and south branches of the Kalamazoo River. The Festival of the Forks has been held annually since 1967 to celebrate Albion's ethnic heritage.

National Register of Historic Places Federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.

Contents

History

Albion was first platted in 1836, and by the following year there were two mills operating along the river and a tiny settlement. In 1844, a railroad line was constructed through the north side of Albion, and later commercial development gravitated to that section of the village. The railroad access brought new settlers who farmed the surrounding area, and mills and elevators became an important part of Albion's economy. Fourdries and other manufacturing interests were also established in the mid-1800s. Through the rest of the century, Albion grew steadily, and the commercial district kept pace. The earliest extant buildings in the district are Italianate commercial structures dating from the 1850s. Similar style commercial buildings were constructed into the 1880s, and make up a substantial portion of the district. Around the commercial heart of Albion, other buildings were constructed for government and social use: churches, an opera house, library, city hall and social clubs. As additional structures were built into the twentieth century, the commercial architecture began to change into a more simplified post-Victorian style. [2]

Description

The Superior Street Commercial Historic District contains 92 structures, of which 75 contribute to the historic character of the district. The buildings are primarily located on Superior Street, but the district does include some blocks to either side. The Superior streetscape is visually unified by the relatively uniform building heights and the similar decorative window hood moldings on the buildings. Buildings within the district range roughly from the mid 1850s to the 1950s, and are primarily of two- and three-story brick commercial buildings. Many of these are of Italianate design, but there are several buildings constructed in Prairie, Second Empire, and Romanesque styles. [2]

Second Empire architecture in the United States and Canada

Second Empire, in the United States and Canada, is an architectural style most popular between 1865 and 1900. Second Empire architecture developed from the redevelopment of Paris under Napoleon III's Second Empire and looked to French Renaissance precedents. It was characterized by a mansard roof, elaborate ornament, and strong massing and was notably used for public buildings as well as commercial and residential design.

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. 2013-11-02.
  2. 1 2 Lloyd E. Baldwin (December 1996), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Superior Street Commercial Historic District