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Appendix A Michigan Historical Marker Application Synopses Michigan Historical Commission Meeting January 21, 2016 Eastern Liggett School/Detroit Waldorf School Applicant: Detroit Waldorf School Marker Location: Burns Avenue, near the school’s main entrance Requested Marker Type: Small, one-post; different text on each side Detroit’s Eastern Liggett School was designed by Albert Kahn. It was constructed in 1913 in an area that later became designated as the Indian Village Historic District (listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972). Most of the early students were the children of wealthy industry executives who lived in the surrounding neighborhood. Kahn designed and supervised the construction of an addition in 1923 and the installation of the school’s gate in 1928. The Liggett School moved to a new location in 1964, and the Waldorf School Association of Michigan purchased the property in 1966. The school reopened as the Detroit Waldorf School in the fall of 1966; this was Michigan’s first Waldorf School. The school became a founding member of the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America in 1968. It was also one of the first fully racially integrated private schools in Detroit. Recommend Approval. Sponsor provided excellent documentation. Bellevue Gothic Mill Applicant: William Stockhausen & the Michiana Hydroelectric Company Marker Location: Tanners Alley, on the edge of the mill’s property line. Requested Marker Type: Large, two-post; different text on each side Horatio Hall built this gothic style flour mill for Manlius Mann in 1854. Located near a dam on Battle Creek, the mill originally used water powered millstones to grind wheat to make flour. The millstones were replaced with steel rollers and turbines in the late 19th century. The mill produced a variety of grain products and flour brands, including the Blue Bird Brand flour. The mill closed around 1958. In 1977, the current owner purchased the property, restored the mill’s exterior to its original appearance, and rehabilitated the interior to be adaptively used as a private residence. The current owner installed a hydroelectric generator in the building’s basement in 1982; this currently supplies power to surrounding homes. The mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Recommend Approval. Sponsor provided excellent documentation. Wayside Memorial Park Applicant: Litchfield Township Marker Location: In the Park, at the beginning of the walking path to the World War II Memorial. Park is located on M-99 (Homer Road) in Litchfield Township Requested Marker Type: Small, one-post; different text on each side This historical marker would commemorate the Litchfield Garden Club’s creation of the Wayside Memorial Park, the associated Memorial Mile, and the installation of a World War II memorial in 1945/6. The Memorial mile is a section of M-99, stretching from the Litchfield village limits to the south boundary of the nearby Mt. Hope Cemetery. The park is located along the Memorial Mile and features green space, landscaping, and the World War II Memorial. Yunker Memorials, Inc. in Lansing manufactured the memorial out of crab orchard stone. The town dedicated the memorial marker on September 8, 1946. That same year, the National Council of the Federated Garden Clubs of North America gave the Litchfield Garden Club an Award for Outstanding Achievement for the park project. Recommend Approval. Sponsor provided excellent documentation. Saugatuck Pump House Applicant: Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society Marker Location: Park Street, near the entrance to the property Requested Marker Type: Small, one-post. Sponsor did not mark a preference for same text or different text on each side. The city of Saugatuck constructed this small, brick pump house in 1904 at a cost of $720. The pumps utilized a system designed by John W. Alvord from the engineering firm of Alvord, Burdick, and Howson in Chicago. In 1912, the building was expanded to house the village’s first electric power generating station. By the 1930s, the city moved the pumping facilities to larger facilities elsewhere, and the building began to deteriorate. In 1972, the building was converted into a cottage, which necessitated a roof replacement; repairs to the windows, doors, and brick walls; and the installation of a new fireplace and pine floor. The Shorey family leased the cottage until 1992. That year, the city leased the building to the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society, which converted the structure into a museum. The pump house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 2015. Recommend Approval. Good Documentation in SHPO files. Francis Metallic Surfboat Applicant: Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society Marker Location: Center Street, adjacent to public sidewalk in front of boathouse Requested Marker Type: Unknown – sponsor did not mark a preference The Francis Metallic Surfboat was constructed about 1854 by Novelty Ironworks in Brooklyn, New York. It was delivered to the Saugatuck-Douglas area soon after. It is 26 feet long, features an iron hull, and was used for lifesaving services on Lake Michigan from about 1854 to 1863, and possibly as late as the early 1900s. This boat type was designed by Joseph Francis, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1890 for his work with lifeboats and lifesaving services. From 1849 to 1857, 137 surfboats of this type were constructed; this surfboat is one of only two known surviving boats. For most of the 20th century, the surfboat was not used. In 1995, the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society acquired the vessel and began restoration work, which was completed in 2006. Since 2011, the society has used the vessel as part of a historical exhibit. The surfboat was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Recommend Approval. Sponsor provided excellent documentation. Norwalk Lutheran Church & Cemetery/Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church Society of Brown Town Applicant: Norwalk Lutheran Church Congregation Marker Location: Front lawn of church and cemetery, located on 5614 Chippewa Highway (US31) Requested Marker Type, Small, one-post; different text on each side The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church Society of Brown Town was formed about 1864 by Norwegian and Swedish immigrants. These immigrants included such Brown Township pioneers as Henry and Ellen Johnson. To accommodate both immigrant groups, the language of services and meetings alternated between Swedish, Norwegian, and English. They first met in a schoolhouse and did not build their own church until about 1884. Beginning about 1893, deceased congregation members were interred in the adjacent cemetery. The majority of burials occurred during the 20th century. Many of the deceased are descendants of the original immigrants. The current church was constructed in 1916 after the 1884 structure was destroyed by fire. The church has been renovated multiple times and therefore has a loss of architectural integrity. For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, the building was covered with vinyl siding (according to the sponsor, the original wooden siding is extant underneath the vinyl) and many window panes were replaced with stained glass (though in the original wooden frames). The church retains its original altar, baptismal font, pulpit, lectern, and pews. The history of the church, cemetery, and congregation is extremely well documented. The sponsor has a proposed dedication date for August 2016, which would coincide with the 100th anniversary of the church’s construction. Recommend Approval. Sponsor provided excellent documentation. Additional Synopses of New Marker Application Files Saline Salt Springs Applicant: Saline Historical Society and City of Saline Marker Location: 104 S. Ann Arbor Street, in the commercial district in mid-town Saline Requested Marker Type: Small, one-post; same text on each side This marker would explain the connection between the naming of the city of Saline and the salt springs in the surrounding area. The city derived its name from the nearby Saline River, so named because of the surrounding salt springs. The sponsors wish to include explanations of how the salt springs formed and details of the different types of animals and people that inhabited the area prior to the city’s establishment. Animals include mastodons, while the people include various Native American groups and later French explorers. In their initial application, the sponsors wanted to focus on a particular salt springs in the vicinity of Saline. However, because that site has yielded archaeological artifacts and retains potential for future excavations, we recommended that they broaden the focus to include a more general history of salt springs in the surrounding area, as well as more historical information on the history of the town. They have agreed to both requests. We previously requested additional documentation and information from them, primarily because many of their statements lacked credible sources. We have received two packets of additional information. Some of the new sources are unreliable, and we foresee possibly having difficulties with the sponsors concerning some of their preferred statements. However, we believe that we have enough verified documentation to proceed with a small marker. Therefore, we recommend approval. Friendship Baptist Church Applicant: Friendship Baptist Church (100 Year Anniversary/Historical Committees) Marker Location: Front lawn of church, 3900 Beaubien Ave. in Detroit Requested Marker Type: Large, two-post; different text on each side The predominantly African American congregation of Friendship Baptist Church was established in 1916. The church moved frequently during its first two decades, primarily because their spaces became too small to accommodate their growing membership. In 1935, they moved to 623 Mack Avenue. In 1937, the church was incorporated in the State of Michigan. In the early 1960s, urban renewal programs in Detroit forced the church to relocate so that a medical center could be built on the land. The church fought back against the programs. They were not able to save the church building, but they were able to negotiate for a new church building on the medical center’s land. Wallace K. Kagawa designed the new church building in a modern architectural style. Kagawa also worked on the designs for the World Trade Center ‘Twin Towers’ in New York City. The new church opened in 1964. We have requested more information describing how the congregation has been involved in the community. We believe this information is necessary to proceed with the marker text. Our contact person is currently compiling this information. We are putting forth this application now because the church would like to dedicate its marker in June 2016. This date would coincide with the congregation’s 100th anniversary celebration. In order to meet this deadline, we are requesting conditional approval of their application, contingent upon receipt of the additional requested documentation.