Center Avenue Neighborhood Residential District


The Center Avenue Neighborhood Residential District is a residential historic district located in Bay City, Michigan, running primarily along Center, Fifth, and Sixth Avenues between Monroe and Green Avenues, with additional portions of the district along Fourth between Madison and Johnson, down to Tenth Avenue between Madison and Lincoln, along Green to Ridge, and around Carroll Park. The original section, along Center and portions of Fifth and Sixth, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. A boundary increase including the other sections of the neighborhood was listed in 2012.

History

The first sawmill in Bay City was built in 1837; by 1854, a dozen mills were operating; and by 1860, over eight hundred people lived in the city. The city boomed during the next decade, and by 1870, 7000 people lived in Bay City. The influx of people created a housing shortage for rich and poor alike, and wealthy citizens chose to build along Center Avenue. Although the area had first been platted in 1837, development did not occur until the 1870s and 1880s. Wealthy families, mostly in the lumber and salt trade, found that the area was convenient to bay City's commercial district, while still maintaining a quiet residential feel.
After the turn of the century, lumbering went into decline, and new industry and trades took its place, including agriculture, iron, and textiles. Newer wealthy businessmen followed their predecessors and built houses along Center Avenue, both in among the earlier houses and farther eastward. The district continued to expand until the Great Depression. In the subsequent years, the district has maintained the residences and streetscapes that made it a fashionable place to build early in its history.
In 2005, a group of neighbors began meeting in the area to promote historical preservation in the neighborhood. From this, the Center Avenue Neighborhood Association was born. The Association has helped promote the neighborhood and support the City of Bay City in the administration of a National Scenic Byways grant.

Description

The Center Avenue Neighborhood Residential District contains a total of 936 buildings, of which 879 contribute to the historic character of the neighborhood. These including some of the finest Victorian Italianate, Stick style, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Châteauesque buildings in the city. Most of the structures date from the early 1870s, when the neighborhood first began to develop, to about the turn of the century. Later residences from the first three decades of the 20th century include Georgian Revival, Renaissance Revival, Gothic Revival, Prairie Style, Arts and Crafts, and Bungalow structures.
The district generally progresses from west to east, with the earliest construction in the western part of the district, and later construction on the far north- and south-west edges. The later houses include Arts and Crafts and Colonial Revival houses from the early part of the 20th century, as well as a number of outstanding Moderne and Mid-century modern houses.
The most significant of the houses constructed in the district include:
Although primarily residential, the district also includes some public buildings and spaces. These include:
A small number of commercial buildings are also located in the district.

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