Historic Preservation
The Washtenaw County Historic Preservation Program is housed within the County's Office of Strategic Planning. The program includes the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission and its staff. To date the staff has conducted several historic preservation projects, spanning nearly three decades of identification, documentation, and analysis. Recently, a number of these projects have been partially funded by grants provided by the State Historic Preservation Office's CLG grant program. These include the Washtenaw County Thematic Survey, 1996-1997; and the HistWeb project, 2002 to present. Follow the links below to learn more about the cultural and economic benefits of historic preservation, the work of the Historic District Commission, and our ongoing efforts to preserve local history.
Current Activities and News
Local Historic Districts
The Washtenaw County Historic District Commission is always accepting applications for potential Local Historic Districts.
County History and Resources
Washtenaw County was formally established January 1, 1827, several years after the first pioneering settlers arrived to an untouched region cut by several Native American foot paths and travelers. According to Chapman's History of Washtenaw County (1881), the Legislative Council of Michigan Territory defined the boundaries of Washtenaw County in 1822. Washtenaw is a variant of Wash-ten-ong, a Chippewa name for Grand River. The Huron River valley was originally home to a large Native American population. In 1680, the French explorer La Salle passed eastward through this region canoeing from Portage Lake down the Huron to Lake Erie. French fur traders and Jesuit missionaries soon followed.
The land was diverse, ranging from flat lake bottom land in the southeast to rolling hills filled with small lakes to the northwest. Woodlands punctuated with small oak openings (once referred to as arbors) filled the space in between. Four years after Michigan became a Territory in 1805, Godfrey, Pepin and La Shambre established a trading post known as Godfrey's, on the Pottawatomie Trail in what is now Ypsilanti. Many pioneers saw economic opportunity by harnessing river power for sawmills and gristmills. Major Benjamin Woodruff, who purchased 160 acres of land in 1823 in Ypsilanti Township, is commonly acknowledged to be Washtenaw's first settler. A year later John Allen collaborated with Elisha Rumsey to plat the town of Ann Arbor (originally Annarbour), named for Allen's wife, Ann, and the burr oak opening present on the site.
Early area transportation networks developed from the rivers and Native American Trails. In 1827, the Chicago Military Road was built along the Great Sauk Trail (now Michigan Avenue from Ypsilanti through Saline and to Clinton). Two years later, the Territorial Road to St. Joseph (now US-12 parallel to I-94) was built. The completion of the Michigan Central Railroad's Detroit-Ann Arbor connection in 1839 symbolized the beginning of a new era of immigration, economic accessibility and growth for Washtenaw County.
Since its founding, the County has grown in population, accommodating settlers from New England, New York, and southern Canada; and immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and other parts of Europe. The County has ranked among the top counties in Michigan for agricultural production, and become known for its sheep and as the home of the University of Michigan. The University, founded in Detroit in 1817, moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. In Ypsilanti, the Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) was established in 1849. It is the oldest teachers' institution west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The County established its county seat in the City of Ann Arbor, but it also has several other cities and villages, including Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Milan, Dexter, and Manchester. It is filled with interesting architecture, beautiful landscapes, and many stories. To learn more about its history, please check out these references and web links.
Historic District Commission and Local Historic Districts
A Local Historic District is an entity that protects the integrity of a historic resource or group of resources. In 1970, the state of Michigan passed the Local Historic Districts Act, PA 169, which safeguards a community's heritage by allowing local governments to adopt an ordinance that contains design review guidelines based on national standards. A Historic District Commission is selected to implement the ordinance, and provide support to each resource. The Washtenaw County Historic District Commission (WCHDC) was created in 1974 and currently oversees twelve Local Historic Districts. Its mission is to protect the historic buildings, sites, objects, and landscapes of Washtenaw County and to promote a culture of historic preservation.
The primary functions of the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission are to:
- Identify, document and inventory historic county resources
- Foster protection of historic resources by the establishment and maintenance of historic districts
- Provide educational programs and information regarding Washtenaw County history and historic preservation issues
- Recognize significant heritage sites through a program of historic markers
- Support local and state historic preservation organizations
WCHDC Ordinance (pdf)
HDC Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Commission Members
Washtenaw County's Local Historic Districts- including complete HDC Commission Reports!
Local Historic District Annual Staff Report, 2008
Local Historic District Tool Kit
General Information
- Local Historic District Act, PA 169 of 1970 (pdf)
- Washtenaw County Historic Preservation FAQ (pdf)
- Michigan Historic Preservation Tax Incentives (pdf)
- Washtenaw County Local Historic District Poster (doc)
- National Register of Historic Places FAQ (doc)
- Michigan State Historic Preservation Office Criteria for Establishing a Local Historic Resource (pdf)
- Michigan State Historic Preservation Office Geneology of a House (pdf)
- Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
Getting Started
- Application for Local Historic District Designation (doc)
- Application for Local Historic District Designation (pdf)
- Application for work in a Historic District (pdf)
- Outline of procedure for review of work in a Historic District (pdf)
- Steps for Historic District Designation (doc)
- Michigan State Historic Preservation Office Designation Process Flow Chart (pdf)
Historic Preservation Tool Kit
The following resources provide more information on the various incentives available to historic property owners.
- Historic Preservation Tax Incentives FAQ (doc)
- Levels of protection for Federal and Local Historic Preservation Programs (doc)
- Michigan Historic Preservation Tax Incentives (pdf)
- National Register FAQ (doc)
- Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation
- Washtenaw County Historic Preservation FAQ (pdf)
- What is a Historic Resource? (PowerPoint)
Heritage Tours
The Washtenaw County Heritage Tourism Map Project offers four distinct themed driving routes to guide visitors and locals through the County's cities, villages, and rural areas. The project serves to celebrate the region's rich heritage and highlights a variety of historic and cultural resources.
On the German Heritage Tour, tourists may venture onto the back roads of Freedom, Lodi, and Scio townships to witness a landscape dotted with traditional farmsteads associated with the State's largest and first German settlement. They may follow the Historic Barns Tour through Bridgewater, Manchester, and Sharon townships to see examples of nineteenth and twentieth century structures associated with one of the region's strongest industries: agriculture. Those interested in Greek Revival Architecture may choose from the North Tour, South Tour, or selected stops in western Washtenaw County to view the style as expressed through a range of building materials (from fired and adobe brick to wood siding to cobblestone) and a variety of forms typical from the early settlement through the post-Civil War periods. Finally, those interested in the local history of northeastern Washtenaw County may enjoy the Esek Pray Trail along Ann Arbor-Plymouth Road as it travels through Superior Township. This tour features a variety of exceptional nineteenth century residences, one-room schoolhouses, and other resources all tied to the family of Esek Pray, a founding leader of the State of Michigan, and his contemporaries.
The Heritage Tourism Map Project is funded in part by a Certified Local Government grant from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and supported by several local partners, including the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ypsilanti Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Saline Chamber of Commerce, Saline Area Historical Society, Washtenaw County Historical Consortium, and the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County. For more information, please contact Melissa Milton-Pung, Washtenaw County Principal Preservation Planner, at miltonpungm@ewashtenaw.org or (734) 222-6878.
HistWeb
Washtenaw County's Historic Resource Database
Since its inception in 2002, the HistWeb project has focused on the historic and architectural resources of Washtenaw County through a multi-phased approach. It has been partially funded by grants provided by the State Historic Preservation Office's CLG grant program. Phase I included incorporating data from previously existing historic resource surveys into a database and accompanying web page "HistWeb." Specifically, ten existing surveys of historic resources in Washtenaw County were digitized and made available to the public through our HDC/GIS website: www.ewashtenaw.org. HistWeb Phase I received a 2004 Government/Institution Award for Contribution to Historic Preservation in Michigan from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network.
Subsequent phases included conducting field survey work in an area not previously documented, and adding additional historic resource survey information to the website from areas most at risk or most likely to yield eligible resources; and a collaboration between a local unit of government (Village of Manchester) and the Washtenaw County Historic Preservation Program to assist the local unit in the establishment a local historic district. Data from the latter project were also added to the website.
A pervasive element throughout each phase of the Washtenaw County's "HistWeb" project has been a large-scale effort to place all information related to Washtenaw County's specific historic resources on the County's web page. The purpose is to make the information available to all, including those who may need it for planning, preservation, and other decision-making purposes. This website, in conjunction with the "Histweb" GIS-based database, makes use of this existing body of data in an informative, user-friendly way. It is hoped that the materials will increase your awareness and appreciation of the County's historic and architectural resources. This project was implemented with the support of the WCHDC and the hard work of current and former Historic Preservation staff members including:
- Melissa Milton-Pung, Principal Preservation Planner
- Past Staff Members:
Ina Hanel-Gerdenich, Architectural Historian & Rural Preservation Planner
Kathy Holtz, Historic Preservation Specialist
Anne Kreykes, Historic Preservation Specialist
Marnie Paulus, County Historic Preservation Planner
You are invited to explore the 4,000 plus Historic Resources of Washtenaw County, Michigan and learn about the rich cultural history that makes Washtenaw County unique! You can investigate these fascinating resources, view aerial imagery, and map nearby natural features using our new online mapping interface.
Start exploring here!
For more information on historic preservation:
Other Certified Local Governments in Washtenaw County:
- Ann Arbor Historic Preservation
- Saline Historic District Commission
- Ypsilanti Historic District Commission
Regional and National Resources:
- National Trust For Historic Preservation
- National Park Service
- Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
- Michigan Historic Preservation Network
- Michigan Barn Preservation Network
Contact information
Melissa Milton-Pung, Principal Preservation Planner
734-222-6878
