National Register of Historic Places

Hudson Downtown Historic District

Hudson, Lenawee County, Michigan
Listed
December 24, 1974
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
74000992

About this property

The Hudson Downtown Historic District is a historic district comprising the downtown area of the city of Hudson in westernmost Lenawee County, Michigan. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site on January 21, 1974. It was later added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 24, 1974. The district traces its origins to the founding of Hudson with the arrival of the railways in 1837. Merchants opened establishments at this location on the Tiffin River in the early 1840s, and by 1853, hudson was organized as a village. Hudson served as an important trading center from 1854–1891. Most of the original wooden buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1858, and two and three story brick buildings replaced them. Another fire in 1864 destroyed much of the remaining wooden building stock. The oldest remaining building in the district is the J. K. Boise Dry Goods Company (Hudson Dry Goods) block located on the southeast corner of West Main and Church streets, which dates from 1854-1855. The Hudson Downtown Historic District encompasses West Main Street (M-34) between Howard Street on the west and Market Street on the east. It extends to the north to Railroad Street and south to Seward Street. The Dr. Leonard Hall House was located at 334 West Main Street within the district, although that property has since been demolished. The district includes fifty structures, most of which are architecturally significant representations of the kind of buildings that were commonly erected in the nineteenth century in small midwestern towns. The majority of the buildings are two- and three-story commercial structures designed to house businesses and office space. These are primarily brick, although some older frame structures still stand on Church Street.

Location

Hudson, Lenawee County, Michigan
41.85517, -84.35581

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hall, Dr. Leonard, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Thompson, Gamaliel, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Goodrich, Heman R., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Treadwell, William, House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Palmer, Lorenzo and Ruth Wells, House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hudson Downtown Historic District listed on the National Register?

Hudson Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 24, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Hudson Downtown Historic District?

Hudson Downtown Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hudson Downtown Historic District?

The period of significance for Hudson Downtown Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Hudson Downtown Historic District?

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