National Register of Historic Places

City Hall Historic District

Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan
Listed
April 3, 1996
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
96000366

About this property

The City Hall Historic District is a commercial and municipal historic district located along East Michigan Avenue from Monroe to Jay Streets in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The central part of Battle Creek was first platted in 1836, and this section became the site of some of the earliest development in the settlement. The first stores and initial commercial section was just west of the present City Hall Historic District, but the first house in Battle Creek was likely located within the bounds of the district. The first school, built in 1834, was within the district, and booth the Methodist and Baptist congregations constructed churches within the district soon after. Commercial development also quickly spread along Michigan Avenue into the district, and by mid-century the first few blocks of Michigan were lined with one- and two-story wooden stores. By the 1870s, commercial development had spread through the entire district, and the wooden stores were replaced by more substantial brick buildings. After the turn of the century, the most substantial buildings in the district, the ole Post Office and the City Hall, were constructed. The district has been continually used for both municipal and commercial purposed into the twenty-first century. The City Hall Historic District runs for two blocks along Michigan Avenue, and contains 19 buildings and structures, of which 12 contribute to the historic nature of the district. Two of these buildings are significant in their own right: Old Battle Creek Post Office and Battle Creek City Hall. It also contains a Masonic temple, two churches, a city park, and several late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century commercial buildings. Battle Creek Gas Co. Building (26 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1901. Commercial building (30 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1916. Binder Block (34 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1887. Potter Block (36-40 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1880-81. Elizabeth Block (66-68 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1913. Commercial building (70 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1891-95. First Baptist Church (80 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1871-72. Battle Creek City Hall (103 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1912-14. First United Methodist Church (114 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1908. Commercial building (118-120 E . Michigan Avenue): Built in 1904. Commercial building (122-124 E. Michigan Avenue.): Built pre-1911. Masonic Temple (133 E. Michigan Avenue): Built in 1913-14. Post Office Building (80 E. State Street): Built in 1904-07. Post Park: Includes a monument to cereal manufacturer C. W. Post erected in 1916.

Location

Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan
42.31742, -85.18027

Categories

COMMERCEPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTUREART
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Battle Creek Post Office
Industrial
0 mi
Battle Creek City Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Arnold, Adam C., Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Penn Central Railway Station
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was City Hall Historic District listed on the National Register?

City Hall Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1996.

What type of historic resource is City Hall Historic District?

City Hall Historic District is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for City Hall Historic District?

The period of significance for City Hall Historic District is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near City Hall Historic District?

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