Walking Tour of Historic Mill Race Village, Northville Preview

1

Barr Sculpture

Designed in 1992 by renowned local sculptor David Barr, this sculpture representing a Victorian era boy at play welcomes visitors to the Village.

2

Interurban Station

Built in the late 1800s at Haggerty and Baseline (Eight Mile) roads, the Interurban was moved to the Village in 1990. This small building served as the waiting room for the Farmington Line’s high-speed electric transit system that ran through Northville from 1898 to the late 1920s and was part of a much larger transit system. Once the railway closed the station was used as a children’ playhouse for the Bertoni family, who donated it to Mill Race in 1990.The Interurban Station was refurbished in 2019 thanks to a Grant from the Northville Community Foundation.

3

J. M. Mead General Store

Built between 1830 and 1850, the original structure was the last timber-framed building standing in downtown Northville. Taken apart board by board and reconstructed using some of the original materials, the reconstructed store was completed in 2010. The main floor houses the Museum Store.

4

Cady Inn

The Cady Inn was built around 1831. It was moved to the village from Cady Street in Northville in 1987. Cady Street was named for Daniel L. Cady, one of the earliest residents of Northville. According to local lore, this building was used as an Inn and a stagecoach stop. Prior to 1860, the main southern entrance to town was by way of the Cady Street Bridge. Local lore also states that during the Civil War when many slaves fled west, Salem township was safe haven for these slaves and the Cady Inn may have been used as a stop along the Underground Railroad to get to Salem. After the Civil War the Cady Inn had other uses, such as a stage coach stop and apartments. The building was occupied until 1987, when it was donated to the Northville Historical Society and moved to where it now stands.The building currently houses the Northville Historical Society business office and Archives. It is used regularly for meetings, parties, and special programs.

5

Hirsch Blacksmith Shop

The blacksmith shop was built on Main and Hutton St in Northville by Mr. Hirsch, a Northville resident who moved from New York in the 1860s. Unfortunately, the shop was demolished in 1930. Mill Race decided to rebuild this replica of the shop in 1983. This replica now contains a working forge, where in the summer on Sundays local blacksmiths demonstrate smithing. The other side of the building holds a museum with a rotating exhibit space, currently about Northville in the 1800s.

6

Wash Oak School

Moved to the Village in 1975, this building served Washtenaw and Oakland counties as a one-room school from 1873 to 1966. It was originally located on the west side of Currie Road, between Seven and Eight Mile roads. Unfortunately, only 30 years after the school opened, it burned down. This was the only school in the Salem area, so it was quickly rebuilt. This school taught students from 3rd through 12th grade, and spanned across Washtenaw and Oakland Counties. The school remained open and active until 1966. Today it is still used as a classroom in the Village for visiting elementary classes. Please add contact the office if you are a teacher and you're interested in having your students spend a day in the one room school house.

7

New School Church

Built in 1845 in Salem Township by a splinter group of the Presbyterian Church of Northville, it served as a church for only four years. Later, it was used as a school, a township hall, a Salvation Army barracks and as Northville’s library. In 1891 it was returned to the building's original owner, Mary Lapham. Mary was an active member in the Northville Women’ Club, and the building was used to host their meetings, and Northville’s first public library. When it was scheduled for demolition, in order to save the historical site the Northville Women’ Club rallied together and formed the Northville Historical Society.The Northville Historical Society was formed in 1964 to save this building from demolition. It was donated to the Society and moved to the Village in 1975. It is available to rent for weddings, parties, and meetings.

8

Hunter House

This classic greek revival house with half-gabled wings was built on Main Street and Griswold in 1851 by Stephen Hunter. The style of home is often called “hen and chicks” because of the shape of the house. The home is a perfect representation of a middle class family in the Victorian era. The home was passed through the Hunter family for many years and was donated to Mill Race in 1972 by the city of Northville. It's original location was the south side of Main Street at Griswold. The house serves as a house museum, furnished with items typical of the period.

9

Yerkes House

This gothic style home was built by Sarah (Cady) Yerkes and William Purdy Yerkes, children of early Northville settlers. William Yerkes was an extremely influential man in Northville’s history, eventually serving as Northville’s first mayor. The home originally stood on the south side of Cady Street between Church and Center streets. The nine-room house features traditional Carpenter Gothic style. The house is well known for its ‘floating staircase’ because the staircase has no visible supports.In 1975 the Yerkes house was scheduled for demolition The land was owned by the Northville Downs, and the owners donated the building to Mill Race before it could be torn down, and the Yerkes house was moved to its current location soon after.

10

The Gazebo

Modeled after late Victorian Era style gazebos, it was added to the Village in 1979 and is available to rent as part of our wedding package.

12

The Bridge

Added to the Village in 1975, the bridge was modeled after the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA, the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War in 1775.

13

Bell Pier

Built in 2008, the pier supports a 24” bell manufactured by the American Bell Foundry of Northville in operation from the 1890s through the 1930s, a company known world-wide for its dinner bells and bells for churches, schools, farms, and factories.

14

Ford Valve Plant

The Ford Valve Plant was built in 1919 as a part of Henry Ford’s “Village Industries” initiative. Village Industries was meant to integrate manufacturing into rural communities, this was the first, and longest lasting, factory to implement this system. The factory ran on mostly hydroelectric energy, from the waterwheel. The building was resigned to art deco style in 1936 by Albert Kahn. The Valve manufacturing facility was active until 1950, when it was turned into office buildings.