The Blue Water Area is filled with unique architecture that has helped build the culture within the area.
Among those are the James McColl house, the Harrington Inn, and the Main Building at St. Clair County Community College.
Harrington Inn
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Closer view of the historic Harrington Hotel.
Thinking about the history of the Blue Water Area, it’s hard to ignore a structure that goes back to 1896. The Harrington Inn has a special distinction in the downtown area.
Named after Charles Harrington, who was a lawyer in the area, the Harrington Inn features five stories patterned after Richardsonian Romanesque influence. The main entrance opens onto Military Street, boasted by a framed porch with two tiers.
During its heyday, the Harrington Inn was one of the most popular hotels in Michigan. So popular in fact that it was where the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman stayed on his honeymoon in 1919. It also hosted former Michigan Governor John T. Rich and inventor Thomas Edison.
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Sign stating "Historic Harrington Inn, Living with Assistance."
“The Harrington Inn really shows where Port Huron was headed at the turn of the 19th century,” says local historian and member of the Historical District Commission Andrew Kercher. “It was the nicest hotel in the whole thumb. Nicky Rooney was one of the biggest stars in 1940 when he stayed there. In today’s terms, it would be like if Taylor Swift put on a concert in Port Huron and stayed there.”
In the 1980s, the rooms were being rented weekly and monthly. In 1982 the Harrington Inn was added to the
National Register of Historic Places, an official list of buildings and structures worthy of preservation for their historical significance or great artistic value.
As time passed, the Harrington Inn became an assisted living center for seniors but the building was closed in 2017. Its future is unknown.
“It has exceptional bones,” Kercher says. “It could become a lot of different things with the right investor.”
SC4 Main Building
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St. Clair County Community College's main building on 323 Erie St in Port Huron.
Most students who have attended
St. Clair County Community College have likely been inside the main building on campus. There are many facets of its history intertwined with essentials such as the campus library.
But many students probably didn’t know the building used to house Port Huron High School.
In 1870, Port Huron built a new high school at the current location of the main building on SC4’s campus. The building cost $41,000 at the time but would eventually burn down due to an uncontrolled fire. The school was rebuilt on the same site in 1874, but would once again burn down and be destroyed in 1906.
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Stairway inside the main building at St. Clair County Community College.
That would lead to the construction of the current building in 1908 for $120,000. It would continue to house Port Huron High School for nearly 50 years before it moved to its current location in 1957.
“It was a cool building,” Kercher says. “The high school was there for 50 years and was well known within the community. It was seen as a classical style.”
In 1957, the former Port Huron High School was turned over to what was then known as Port Huron Junior College. Years later the name was changed to St. Clair County Community College and the former Port Huron High School building would become one of the main hubs on SC4’s campus.
James McColl House
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The James McColl House located at 205 S. Main St. in Yale.
The Harrington Inn and the main building on SC4’s campus are within walking distance. But the McColl home in Yale is about a 35-minute drive from the thumb region of the state.
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Ariel Somo, co-owner of the James McColl House.
The two-and-a-half-story Queen Anne-styled home was originally built in 1985 by James McColl, the president of the Village of Yale from 1894 to 1901. After being passed down through the family for many years, the home was recently purchased by Ariel and Mark Somo. In the time since, they have poured in time, effort, and money to renovate the property to its former glory.
“When I drive up the road and see it, it has so much character,” Ariel Somo says. “I just love it. My favorite part might be the entry. The tall ceilings. All of the woodwork.”
The home features a large front porch with double-hung windows, all supported by columns. Inside, a front and back parlor are featured in the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home. The first floor features a large entryway, pantry, kitchen, living room, and dining room. Many of the windows are colored glass. Upstairs are the bedrooms and the home also features a living space in the attic and plenty of storage space in the basement.
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Entryway into the James McColl House.
“When we moved in, all of the walls had wallpaper,” Somo says. “Everything was wallpaper and it was so hard to get it off. All of the woodwork is original. The coved walls were a unique feature. They took really good care of the wood. We changed the carpet but the flooring is original."
"This house has so much history to it," Somo says. "We are still learning about it. It was a great feeling to finish the renovations and be able to relax and enjoy it.”