National Register of Historic Places

Port Oneida Rural Historic District

Maple City, Leelanau County, Michigan
Listed
June 26, 1997
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
97000563

About this property

The Port Oneida Rural Historic District is a historic district located along M-22 between Glen Arbor and Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The first European residents of Port Oneida, Carsten and Elizabeth Burfiend, arrived in the area in 1852. By 1860, the population had grown to 87 people, many of whom had emigrated from Hanover and Prussia. In 1861, Thomas Kelderhouse arrived and made an agreement with Carsten Burfiend to construct a dock in exchange for the land to build it on. The dock was completed the next year, and logging began in the area. Kelderhouse also constructed a sawmill, and in the next 25 years the settlement grew, adding a blacksmith shop, a boarding house/hotel, and a general store/post office. However, by the 1890s the forests had been depleted, and the residents of Port Oneida turned to agriculture to support them. By 1908, the dock and surrounding buildings had been abandoned, and the social center of Port Oneida shifted inland to the site of the Port Oneida School and the Evangelical Lutheran church. Residents of the area continued farming until World War II; after this many shifted to non-farm jobs for income. With the establishment of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1970, the National Park Service began acquiring much of the land and buildings in Port Oneida. Port Oneida Rural Historic District contains approximately 3,400 acres (1,400 ha) along Lake Michigan, within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The historic district has roughly 150 buildings, most of which are gathered in separate farmsteads throughout the district. Also included are the remnant of agricultural land-use: fields, orchards, fences, and woodlots. The district also includes the one-room North Unity Schoolhouse, dating from the 1850s, and the 1860 Port Oneida Schoolhouse. Nearby are the Port Oneida cemetery and the former location of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Kelderhouse sawmill. The remains of the dock are still in the water.

Location

Maple City, Leelanau County, Michigan
44.94286, -85.93518

Categories

AGRICULTUREEUROPEANEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Port Oneida Rural Historic District

This page lists Port Oneida Rural Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
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.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Port Oneida Rural Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
Industrial
4.2 mi
Sleeping Bear Inn
Industrial
5.2 mi
Sleeping Bear Point Life Saving Station
Industrial
5.4 mi
North Manitou Shoal Light Station
Industrial
5.4 mi
Glen Haven Village Historic District
Listed
5.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Port Oneida Rural Historic District listed on the National Register?

Port Oneida Rural Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Port Oneida Rural Historic District?

Port Oneida Rural Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Port Oneida Rural Historic District?

The period of significance for Port Oneida Rural Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Port Oneida Rural Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Port Oneida Rural Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Leelanau County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Leelanau County.

Explore LeelanauCounty ›

More historic places in Michigan

Browse all historic places in Michigan.

View Michiganhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Michigan history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Michiganhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Port Oneida Rural Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report