Island City Historic District

About this property

The Island City Historic District is a primarily commercial historic district which encompass the whole of the island on which stands the central part of Eaton Rapids, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. The Eaton Rapids area was first settled in 1836, when a sawmill was built about two miles from what is now downtown Eaton Rapids. By 1836, a group of investors had built a dam on Spring Brook in Eaton Rapids, started work on a race, and built a grist mill. The village was first platted, and by 1837/38, houses had been built. In 1840 a considerably larger race was built, along with a sawmill and factory buildings. In 1842, the South Feeder Race that defines what is now the island was cut through. The settlement grew rapidly over the next forty years, spurred by the mills, surrounding agriculture, and the discovery of mineral springs in the area in the 1860s. In fact, a number of mills and other industries were established along the Eaton Rapids races with in the district, starting in 1840. In 1880 Samuel Horner purchased an already existing woolen mill and brokered it into a very successful venture. He constructed a number of factory and mill buildings now located in the northern part of the district, and his companies flourished into the 1950s. As the mills expanded, so did the commercial ventures in Eaton Rapids. By the early 1860s, there were multiple grocers, shoe stores, hardware stores, and dry goods stores, as well as liveries, milliners, and other establishments. A fire in 1864 destroyed half of the buildings downtown, and major fires in 1874 and 1877 destroyed much of the rest. In response, in 1881 a Fireman's Hall was constructed to house the village's fire station. The Island City Historic District contains 139 buildings, sites, structures and objects, of which 92 contribute to the historic character of the district. Most of these are buildings, but mill races, bridges, and parks also contribute to the historic nature of the area. The district encompasses Eaton Rapids' central business district, and is bounded by the Grand River and several mill races that create the island itself. Although the district is primarily commercial, some industrial, residential, and institutional structures are located within the boundaries. The streets in the district are generally in a grid, with wide sidewalks and buildings set back about 15 feet. The primarily commercial buildings in the heart of the district are between one and four storefronts in width and one to three stories in height. At the northern section of the district are industrial buildings such as the former Homer Mill complex. At the southern end are the visually distinctive First Congregational Church soars alongside the Red Ribbon Hall, a significant cultural anchor of the community. The district also includes a post office, old residences, and school buildings. Architectural styles in the district range from Gothic Revival, and Second Empire structures to later Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival, and Neoclassical structures, to twentieth century Commercial Brick and Craftsman/Bungalow styles.

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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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