Tecumseh Downtown Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Tecumseh Downtown Historic District is a historic district
comprising the downtown
commercial area of the city of Tecumseh
in Lenawee County
, Michigan
. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site
on January 16, 1976 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
on April 17, 1986.
Settled in as early as the 1820s, the Tecumseh Downtown Historic District centers on the intersection of Evans Street and Chicago Boulevard (M-50
). Evans Street contains only two contributing properties
from 115–125 South Evans Street, while no portions of North Evans Street north of M-50 are included in the district. The majority of the district is on M-50, consisting of 102–128 West Chicago Boulevard and 101–154 East Chicago Boulevard. There are a total of 31 contributing properties and eight non-contributing properties.
The two-block-long district consists primarily of two to four-story Italianate
buildings dating primarily from 1850–1900. In 1824, Tecumseh pioneer Musgrove Evans plat
ted the village with the intent of Chicago Boulevard (then known as the Chicago Road) to be the main thoroughfare through the village. After being settled, Tecumseh was designated as the county seat of the newly established Lenawee County. Its growth also relied heavily on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
line running through the area. Tecumseh developed rapidly as the county seat from 1826–1838. The government then moved to Adrian
, and Tecumseh's expansion halted. Because of this lack of later development, much of the downtown area has been preserved. The railway line still runs through the center of the district but has long been in disuse.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
comprising the downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
commercial area of the city of Tecumseh
Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
in Lenawee County
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is in charge of the listing of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of Michigan, including buildings, lighthouses, bridges, historic districts, and many other properties deemed important to the history of Michigan...
on January 16, 1976 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 17, 1986.
Settled in as early as the 1820s, the Tecumseh Downtown Historic District centers on the intersection of Evans Street and Chicago Boulevard (M-50
M-50 (Michigan highway)
M-50 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. Although designated as an east–west highway, it is nearly a diagonal northwest-southeast route...
). Evans Street contains only two contributing properties
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
from 115–125 South Evans Street, while no portions of North Evans Street north of M-50 are included in the district. The majority of the district is on M-50, consisting of 102–128 West Chicago Boulevard and 101–154 East Chicago Boulevard. There are a total of 31 contributing properties and eight non-contributing properties.
The two-block-long district consists primarily of two to four-story Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
buildings dating primarily from 1850–1900. In 1824, Tecumseh pioneer Musgrove Evans plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the village with the intent of Chicago Boulevard (then known as the Chicago Road) to be the main thoroughfare through the village. After being settled, Tecumseh was designated as the county seat of the newly established Lenawee County. Its growth also relied heavily on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana...
line running through the area. Tecumseh developed rapidly as the county seat from 1826–1838. The government then moved to Adrian
Adrian, Michigan
As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
, and Tecumseh's expansion halted. Because of this lack of later development, much of the downtown area has been preserved. The railway line still runs through the center of the district but has long been in disuse.