May 4, 2009

To kick off National Historic Preservation Month, the State Historic Preservation Review Board recommended a dozen Michigan sites for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The approved nominations will be forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register at the National Park Service in Washington, D.C.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sponsors Preservation Month, adopted the theme "This Place Matters." The slate of nominees considered by the review board reflects the wide variety of historic places found throughout Michigan. The diverse group ranges from a historic district in Berrien County and a Jewish cemetery in Jackson, to the railroad car ferry S. S. Badger in Ludington and a house in Wyandotte.

"Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is one of the highest honors given to historic sites. Initiated at the community level, this designation means that the property is among those worthy of being preserved for future generations," noted State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway.

The State Historic Preservation Review Board approved nominations for the following properties:

• Leiendecker's Inn/Coral Gables, Saugatuck, Allegan County
• Buchanan Downtown Historic District, Buchanan, Berrien County
• Zinc Collar Pad Company Building, Buchanan, Berrien County
• Lakeside Inn, Chickaming Township, Berrien County
• Hebrew Cemetery (Temple Beth Israel Cemetery), Jackson, Jackson County
• S. S. Badger, Ludington, Mason County
• Johannesburg Manufacturing Company Store, Charlton Township, Otsego County
• Bangor Elevator, Bangor, Van Buren County
• Wyandotte Odd Fellows Temple, Wyandotte, Wayne County
• John and Emma (Lacey) Eberts House, Wyandotte, Wayne County
• Dry Dock Engine Works/Detroit Dry Dock Company Complex, Detroit, Wayne County
• Navin Field, Detroit, Wayne County

In addition to the honorific value, listing in the National Register enables the owners of rehabilitated income-producing structures to apply for federal historic preservation tax credits, and in some cases, state tax credits. In 2008 the state and federal historic preservation tax credit programs administered by the State Historic Preservation Office resulted in private investment in historic building rehabilitations of $47,417,003 leveraging an additional $54,055,383 of indirect investment for an overall economic impact of $101,472,386 and 1,171 jobs.

The State Historic Preservation Review Board considers nominations to the register three times per year. Approved nominations are forwarded to the keeper of the National Register, Department of the Interior. In Michigan the National Register program is coordinated by the State Historic Preservation Office. For information on the National Register of Historic Places and other programs of the State Historic Preservation Office, visit www.michigan.gov/shpo, or telephone (517) 373-1630.

The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).