Iron Mountain named as historic district

The Iron Mountain Central Historic District was one of six locations in Michigan nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

The State Historic Preservation Review Board recently announced its approval of the six places, which also included state park buildings in Ludington and Oakland County, a church in Alpena County, a former opera house in Alma, and a Saline farmstead.

The large historic district in downtown Iron Mountain includes businesses, historic school and church buildings, and contains 150 historic sites dating from the early 1880s to the mid-1960s, as well as 12 newer buildings.

Among the landmarks that make up the Central Historic District are the Dickinson County Courthouse, built in 1896, late Victorian commercial blocks built from local red sandstone, Neoclassical and Art Deco bank buildings, a Mission Revival commercial building, a former movie theater, and several churches and schools in varying architectural styles from Victorian to Arts and Crafts.

Now, the National Register, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, will consider the nominated sites for inclusion on its listing.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan State Historic Preservation Office