The State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, announced the addition of seven properties and historic districts to the National Register of Historic Places. A Bay City neighborhood is on the list.

The historic districts listed include an expansion of the Center Avenue Neighborhood Historic District in Bay City. Three individual properties and four historic districts from Dickinson to Jackson Counties were added to the nation's list of historic structures and archaeological sites worthy of preservation. 

"Listing in the National Register of Historic Places achieves a level of recognition that is important to property owners and communities," said State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. "The designation of these properties and districts provides public recognition of their historic and architectural distinction and also opportunities for property owners to use federal historic preservation tax credits for rehabilitating the income-producing buildings. The preservation of historic buildings preserves community identity. By rehabilitating and reusing these structures we contribute to economic growth without destroying what makes each community unique."

The most recent listings include:

Center Avenue Neighborhood Historic District (Boundary Increase and Additional Documentation), Bay City. This new designation greatly expands the existing Center Avenue district to include a much larger residential area roughly bounded by N. Madison, Green, and Center Avenues., 4th, 5th, 6th, & 10th Streets, Carroll Road and Nurmi Drive. This nearly 1,000-building district contains a highly diverse and architecturally distinguished collection of homes and other buildings dating from the 1860s to the 1960s.

Upper Twin Falls Bridge
Over the Menominee River, Breitung Township, Dickinson County, Michigan, and the Town of Florence, Wisconsin

Williamston Downtown Historic District
First blocks of East and West Grand River Avenue and South Putnam Street, Williamston, Ingham County

Hanover High School Complex
105 Fairview St., Hanover, Jackson County

Drake, Benjamin and Maria (Ogden), Farm
927 N. Drake Rd. (Oshtemo Charter Township), Kalamazoo vicinity, Kalamazoo County

Grand Rapids Storage and Van Company Building
1415 Lake Dr. SE., Grand Rapids, Kent County

Boyne City Central Historic District
South from Boyne River to Main St., east from Front Street along Ray and
Water Streets, Boyne Ave. to Pearl St., Boyne City, Charlevoix County

In addition to the seven new listings, the Grand Circus Park Historic District designation was updated to take note of buildings built or renovated after 1930 and down to 50 years ago, 1962. This will make available to property owners in the district the federal rehabilitation tax credits now available to the owners of earlier buildings dating from prior to 1930, thus encouraging the preservation of structures representing significant Modern design.

Michigan has more than 1,600 listings in the National Register of Historic Places, including some 250 districts made up of more than 20,000 properties. The State Historic Preservation Review Board considers nominations to the register three times per year.

The review board forwards nominations to the keeper of the National Register, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The State Historic Preservation Office coordinates the National Register Program in Michigan.

For information on the National Register of Historic Places and other programs of the State Historic Preservation Office, visit www.michigan.gov/shpo or call (517) 373-1630.

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