National Register of Historic Places

Orchard Beach State Park

Manistee, Manistee County, Michigan
Listed
December 8, 2009
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
09001064

About this property

Orchard Beach State Park is a public recreation area covering 201 acres (81 ha) on the shore of Lake Michigan in Manistee Township, Manistee County, Michigan. Situated on a bluff three miles north of the city of Manistee, the state park offers camping, hiking trails, and scenic views over Lake Michigan. The park was developed by the Manistee, Filer City and Eastlake Railway Company and opened in 1892. After the company stopped trolley service to the park, the site was purchased by the Manistee Board of Commerce and deeded to the state to become part of the Michigan state park system in 1921. The Civilian Conservation Corps was active in the park in the 1930s. Corps efforts included construction of several limestone structures including a pavilion, toilet, line house, and pump house. In 2009, the park was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, being cited as "one of the most intact examples of a Michigan state park developed in the 1930s and 1940s under National Park Service guidelines.... retain[ing] the majority of its CCC-era buildings and physical layout." In 2019, the high levels of Lake Michigan were eroding the sandy bluff on which the CCC-built pavilion stood, threatening its destruction. The pavilion was moved away from the shore in December 2020. The park offers three miles of hiking trails, picnicking facilities, and a 166-site campground. The beach has been closed due to high lake levels. Orchard Beach State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources Orchard Beach State Park Map Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Location

2064 N. Lakeshore Rd.
Manistee, Manistee County, Michigan
44.28229, -86.31529

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORYLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
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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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Manistee Iron Works Machine Shop
Industrial
2.2 mi
Manistee Central Business District
Listed
2.3 mi
Ramsdell Theatre
Industrial
2.6 mi
Manistee North Pier
Industrial
2.6 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
2.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Orchard Beach State Park listed on the National Register?

Orchard Beach State Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 8, 2009.

What type of historic resource is Orchard Beach State Park?

Orchard Beach State Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Orchard Beach State Park?

The period of significance for Orchard Beach State Park is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Orchard Beach State Park?

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