local history

In 2023, fire destroyed a Michigan school built in 1867, leaving only its brick facade; 3 years later, the site has reopened as a $175,000 public park

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 months ago012 mins

Photo credit: Niles Mayor Nick Shelton’s Facebook page A historic school building in Niles, Michigan, was destroyed in a devastating fire in 2023, only the iconic brick facade of the 1867 building remains. For many residents, the loss felt like the end of an era for a site that had served as a school, community…

In 2012, a derelict 1866 Washington house was listed on a waterfront lot worth more without it; preservationists spent 6 years buying it and 8 more restoring it before reopening it in 2026

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com2 months ago011 mins

Picture from the book ‘Granville Haller: Leader’ by Martin N. Chamberlain via Historicwhidbey.org In 2012, a crumbling 1866 farmhouse sat on a prized waterfront lot in Coupeville, Washington, listed for sale at a price that reflected the land’s value far more than the building’s. The Haller House, one of the oldest surviving structures on Whidbey…