National Register of Historic Places

Marlborough Historic District

Marlborough, Lake County, Michigan
Listed
September 6, 1972
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
72000630

About this property

The Marlborough Historic District is a cement factory located on James Road in Pleasant Plains Township, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In the 1890s, the Great Northern Portland Cement Company constructed a cement plant at this site to produce cement from the local marl. Production boomed, and in 1902, the company also began construction of a nearby village, dubbed Marlborough, for plant workers. By 1905, Marlborough had 400 citizens. However, problems quickly arose, as the produced cement was inferior, production was costly, and the enormous energy demands of the plant required construction of the largest power plant in the Lower Peninsula. The Great Northern Portland Cement Company entered receivership in 1906, and the village houses were sold for salvage. The plant was dynamited for scrap iron, and by 1910 only the ruins of the plant remained. The ruins of the Great Northern Portland Cement Company plant and the nearby town of Marlborough are spread over an 80-acre (32 ha) plot of land. Marlborough once contained 72 houses, an opera house, school and post office, and an 88-room hotel. none remain. The cement plant was constructed almost entirely using reinforced concrete; the storage warehouse was several hundred feet in length, and the plant held six kilns and fourteen grinding mills. Paul E. Rudbeck (1986), Great Northern Portland Cement Co., Marlborough, Michigan: (Baldwin 1902-1908), P. Rudbeck

Location

Marlborough, Lake County, Michigan
43.86197, -85.83870

Categories

INDUSTRY
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
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
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
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
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Idlewild Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
3.2 mi
Idlewild Historic District
Listed
3.7 mi
Podjun, John and Katharine Tunkun, Farm
Listed
15.2 mi
Gay, Jared H., House
Industrial
20.8 mi
Fairman Building
Industrial
21.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Marlborough Historic District listed on the National Register?

Marlborough Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Marlborough Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Marlborough Historic District?

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

Can I research the history near Marlborough Historic District?

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