This year, six properties in Michigan have already been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register of Historic Places is an official list of historic buildings, structures, districts and objects deemed worthy of preservation by the federal government due to their historical significance. It’s a National Park Service program that is administered by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
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Last year, 11 properties were added to the list, including Detroit’s Hart Plaza, the U.S. Post Office Plymouth Station and Coldwater’s Capri Drive-In Theatre. In 2023, 19 properties were added to the list.
To be considered for the list, a property must be at least 50 years old and have historical significance in terms of major events or trends within that community, state or the nation.
The site must also have historical integrity — the ability to convey its significance — to receive this designation.
We’re nearly halfway through the year, so here’s a look at the Michigan properties that have been added to the list so far in 2025.
Ferry Street Historic District
Location: Niles (Berrien County)
The Ferry Street Historic District is a neighborhood located along Ferry Street, from Fifth to Ninth streets, in Niles.
It was listed “for its significance in Black Ethnic History and Social History as the long-time social center of the African American community in Niles,” according to the Michigan SHPO.
Niles was one of the first stops along the Underground Railroad in Michigan. An eight-block neighborhood was developed along Ferry Street, starting in 1846. The period of the district’s significance spans from 1867 to 1971.
The neighborhood includes homes, a local Masonic lodge, two churches, and the Ferry Street School building, which was destroyed in a fire in 2023.
One significant resident of the neighborhood was Lottie Wilson. She was born in 1854 and went on to be the first African American graduate of the School of Art Institute of Chicago. President Theodore Roosevelt had selected one of her paintings of Abraham Lincoln and Sojourner Truth to be displayed in the White House.
The home Wilson grew up in is still standing within the district.
For more information about the Ferry Street Historic District, visit here. For more photos of the district, visit here.
Dearborn Country Club
Location: Dearborn (Wayne County)
(Pictured at the top of this article.)
The Dearborn Country Club opened in 1925. It was developed after Henry Ford asked his secretary to design a golf course and club for residents on a 163-acre piece of land he owned off of Military Street.
Well-known golf course designer Donald Ross was hired to build an 18-hole course, while renowned Detroit architect Albert Kahn designed the Tudor-style, timber-frame clubhouse.
When the club first opened, only Dearborn residents could become members. After Dearborn residents joined, Ford made it so that those living within a 25-mile radius of the city could join.
At the time, it cost $100 to join, with $38 in dues owed each quarter, and a $2 green fee, according to The Henry Ford’s Benson Ford Research Center.
Members could get breakfast for $1, lunch for $1.50 and dinner for $2.
For more information about the history of the Dearborn Country Club, visit here. To see what amenities the club offers now, visit here.
Marian Hall
Location: Flint (Genesee County)
Marian Hall is a century-old building located at 529 Martin Luther King Avenue in Flint.
It originally opened as a hotel in 1928 and was later operated as a home for seniors.
Now, the historic building is being redeveloped into residential units and retail space.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Communities First, Inc., a Flint-based nonprofit real estate developer, would receive $1.5 million in state funds to redevelop the building.
“Communities First, Inc. is committed to empowering people and building communities,” said Glenn Wilson, President and CEO of Communities First, Inc. in a release. “The addition of Marian Hall to the National Register of Historic Places is a testament to its importance in our city’s history. We are honored to lead the historic revitalization, which will provide much-needed housing and commercial opportunities, further enhancing the vibrancy of downtown Flint.”
Nichols Hotel
Location: South Haven (Van Buren County)
The Nichols Hotel is located at 201 Center Street. It opened in 1884 and is the only historic hotel still in operation in downtown South Haven.
It’s been run as a family-owned business for over 100 years.
The hotel was first opened as Webster’s Hotel by E.C. Webster. The Webster family ran the hotel until they sold it to Donald and Elizabeth Nichols, who changed the name and ran it for nearly 60 years.
After that, it was owned by Anna Ratjer for 14 years before it was sold to the current owners, Scott and Kary Whiteford.
For more information about visiting the historic hotel, visit here.
St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church
Location: Detroit (Wayne County)
St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church is located at 16098 Grand River Avenue off of St. Mary’s Street on Detroit’s west side.
In 1843, the land at the site of St. Mary’s was purchased. It was served by visiting priests until 1857, when it received its first resident pastor.
By the 1920s, the parish’s campus had expanded to include a church, a convent, and schools serving students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Renowned architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the church and other buildings on the campus.
When the parish was originally built, the land belonged to Redford Township, but the city of Detroit later expanded and acquired the land where St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church is located, hence the name.
For more information about the historic church, visit here.
Charlevoix Central Historic District
Location: Charlevoix (Charlevoix County)
The Charlevoix Central Historic District is roughly bound by State Street to the west, East Dixon Avenue to the north, Antrim Street to the south, and the western boundary of Round Lake to the east, according to the National Register of Historic Places.
The district includes businesses along Bridge Street and civic and religious buildings along State Street.
It also includes the Memorial drawbridge and the Weathervane Inn, which was designed by Earl Young, who is well known for his mushroom, hobbit-style houses.
Young built 26 residential houses and four commercial properties throughout his career. The structures are made mostly of limestone, fieldstone, and boulders that he found in Northern Michigan.
The city has put together a self-guided tour map of Young’s mushroom houses for visitors who want to see them. Officials ask that anyone who goes to check out the houses be respectful of the owners’ privacy, as all of the houses are privately owned.
For more information about the district, visit here.
More on National Register listings
The National Park Service releases weekly lists of properties across the U.S. as they are named on the National Register of Historic Places. To see those lists, visit here.
Being listed on the register allows property owners to utilize historic preservation tax credits to rehabilitate their historic buildings. For more on the nomination and listing process, visit here.
To learn about the Michigan properties as they are added to the list throughout the year, you can visit the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.