Downtown Walk - Red Dots

1. 323 W Michigan Ave. Old Stone Barn/Town Hall, Greek Revival, 1857 l Originally built as a stage coach stop and livery stable, it then became the first gas station/garage in Marshall. It was converted into a combination police station/fire station/Town Hall by Harold C. Brooks in 1930. Now it serves as Marshall City Hall and the Choose Marshall Welcome Center. PUBLIC RESTROOMS

2. Brooks Memorial Fountain Greek Revival, 1930 l Gifted to the city by Harold C. Brooks for its 1930 centennial celebration as a memorial to his father. This fountain is a replica of Marie Antoinette’s Temple of Love from Versailles, France and features a light show.
This park was the site of the first county courthouse (1837-75), a bandshell, and then a pool (1885-1929) where several sturgeon lived.

3. 411 W Michigan Ave. Crary Hall Condos, Beaux Arts, School 1923-1977 l Three schoolhouses have occupied this site, two of which were destroyed by fire. These are the first condominiums in Calhoun County.

4. 102 S Parkview St. National House Inn, Greek Revival, 1835 l The oldest operating inn in Michigan. Its believed this is also the first brick building in Calhoun County and was constructed with bricks fired on-site.

5. 424 W Michigan Ave. Sibley House, Federal, ca 1840 l The crow-stepped gable ends on either end of the roof are a Dutch characteristic most notably found in New York. Originally a single-family residence, it was remodeled in 1946 into several apartments.

6. 107 N Kalamazoo Ave. Weeping Mulberry Tree l This Weeping Mulberry was brought to Marshall from China with the hopes of supporting a silkworm industry. The industry failed because Michigan winters are too cold for the worms to survive, but the tree remains.

7. 107 N Kalamazoo Ave. Honolulu House Museum, Italian Villa, Polynesian, Gothic Details, 1860 l Built by Judge Abner Pratt, a U.S. Consul to the Hawaiian Islands. The museum shows off a 19th century home and contains outstanding paint-on-plaster decorations.
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8. 107 N Park St. Crary-Frink House, bank, Italianate, 1841 l Constructed by Judge Pratt as a wedding gift for his daughter, Bellona, when she married his law partner, Isaac Crary. Crary helped plan Michigan’s public school system and was Michigan’s first U.S. Representative to Congress. He was elected three times to Congress and twice to the legislature, serving as speaker in 1846.

9. 108 N Park Ave. The Crary Fragment, retail, Greek Revival, 1834 l This structure was the rear wing of Isaac Crary’s first home in Marshall. The front portion of the house was moved to 111 North Linden Street in 1912. Together, they are the oldest “residence” still standing in Marshall.

Crary’s law office (1832) was the first frame building in Marshall and stood just south of this fragment, on Michigan Avenue. In 1895, the law office was moved to 316 South Linden Street and is now a private dwelling.

10. 309 W Michigan Ave. Church-Marshall-Sherman House, retail, Italianate, 1873 l This house and store combo were originally located closer to where the fountain now stands, within the circle. It was the town doctor’s office and residence from the time it was built until 1972, when it stopped being a home.

11. 307 W Michigan St. Bailey & Church Drug Store, retail, Italianate, 1866 l This may be the oldest building in downtown Marshall and was also moved from the fountain circle. It is the last commercial building that still has an original sheltering roof over the sidewalk, a style popular in 19th century Marshall.

12. 305 W Michigan Ave. First Baptist Church, Religious Gothic, 1851 l Baptists were established in Marshall in 1840 but they worshiped in private homes, Mechanics Hall (now Stagecoach Inn), a schoolhouse, and the courthouse until this church was built. This is the oldest church building in Marshall.

13. Corner of Michigan Ave and Grand Street Sycamore Tree l This species is the largest growing hardwood in the United States, reaching over 100 feet in height and up to 8 feet in trunk diameter. The unusual mottled bark with patches of green and white make this an interesting tree throughout the winter.

14. Grand Street Park Marshall Mural, painted by Kimber Thompson, 2017 l Picturing iconic Marshall businesses along the top, the letters depict: (M) American Museum of Magic, (A) Brooks Memorial Fountain, (R) Honolulu House, (S) Adam Crosswhite, an escaped slave saved from slave catchers in Marshall, (H) Education Oak carving, honoring the creation of the American public school system, (A) The Governor’s Mansion, honoring the conviction that Marshall would become the capital of Michigan, (L) Capitol Hill School museum, and (L) the Marshall Historical Museum, a former GAR Hall.

15. 216 W Michigan Ave. Walters Gasoline Museum and Interurban Mural, painted by David McKee, 2010 l The operation of the Jackson-Kalamazoo branch of the electric railway, known as the Interurban, ran from 1889 to 1929. Train rails were laid down in the center of Michigan Avenue and first a steam, and later an electric, train transversed the rail several times a day. Passenger service ended at midnight on December 1, 1928, and the final freight service was on July 1, 1929. The electric railway line declined due to the rise of automobiles and the Great Depression.
The Gasoline Museum is located in the old Interurban depot (in the old baggage room), and features gas station memorabilia and other collections.

16. Peace Park Sister City Mural, painted by Kimber Thompson, 2019 l Michigan established a sister-state relationship with Shiga Prefecture in Japan in 1968 to promote cultural exchange, including student exchanges and goodwill missions. This mural depicts many points of interest in Koka, Marshall’s sister city (established in 2005) including; local architecture and rice fields, Tanuki raccoon dogs (welcome symbols, much like Marshall’s pineapples), origami cranes, Taiko drummers, and Ninjas on a tatami mat background. Koka city is the birthplace of the Ninja.

17. 201 W Michigan Ave. Stagecoach Inn, Greek Revival, 1845 l Established in 1838, this is one of Michigan’s oldest stagecoach stops, now a bar and restaurant. The building has housed retail stores, a Mechanics Hall, and hotels on its upper floor. In 1930, Michigan’s governor Fred Green watched the Marshall bicentennial parade from the balcony after flying into Brooks Airfield (just south of town), which was constructed to land his plane.

A Mechanics Hall was a 19th-century institution that served as a community hub for education, social reform, and cultural events. These halls offered technical libraries, trade classes, and lectures on science, promoting industrial education and progress during the Industrial Revolution.

18. 149-151 W Michigan Ave. Opera House, retail stores, Italianate, 1869 l In April 1870, the Eagle Opera House opened on the third floor of this building and hosted a variety of live performances through 1903. Notice the high roofline.

F.A. Grace was a scenic artist that painted the Honolulu House and also this opera house, paintings which remain to this day in the dusty attic space.

19. 143 W Michigan Ave. Wagner Block, art center, Second Empire, 1870 l Martin Wagner (Marshall mayor, patent broker and third owner of the Honolulu House) had famous Chicago architect John Mills Van Osdel design this building

Van Osdel was a peer of Frank Lloyd Wright and is considered “the first Chicago architect”. He worked there from 1837 until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when much of his work was destroyed. Van Osdel designs that are still standing in Chicago include the Palmer House, Tremont House and the Page Brothers Building.

Second Empire architecture (ca. 1855–1885) is a highly ornate, Victorian-era style defined by its signature mansard roof which allows for a fully functional top-floor attic space. Also notice the high ornamentation around the window openings.

20. 137-141 W Michigan Ave. Fire Station, hardware store, Italianate, ca 1870 l In 1909, Henry Ford had a breakdown while driving through town and stopped at 137 W. Michigan Ave. for repairs by the Udell Bros.

The first fire company in Marshall was established in 1840, moving to 141 W. Michigan Ave. in 1855. The first fire engines were drawn by firemen, horses took over in 1870. It moved to Town Hall in 1930.

From 1887 to 1938, farm implements were sold from 139 W. Michigan Ave. In 1939, it became a hardware store. Herman Hardware merged all three space in 1975,

21. 124 W Michigan Ave. First National Bank of Marshall, bank, Art Deco, ca. 1925 l In 1840, Charles T. Gorham founded a private bank at this site. After printing over 2 million dollars worth of U.S. national ,currency, his bank closed in 1934, but not before building this impressive Art Deco structure.

22. 105 W Michigan Ave. Garden Theater, retail, Beaux Arts, 1915 l The Garden Theatre was built Bill Arthur and had 545 seats. In addition to silent movies, boxing, and wrestling matches, vaudeville shows came on a regular circuit. The first "talkie" movie in Marshall was “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolsen in 1930.

The next year, William G. Thick purchased the building. His sons Bob (20) and Garth (16) would accompany organist Maureen Purcell with their trumpets as she played the Barton Theater Organ (purchased in 1927). The organ can now can be heard at The Mole Hole, 150 West Michigan Avenue, where it gets regular play time.

The Garden Theatre building has been reconfigured many times. With two floors and multiple entrances, several different businesses can occupy it at the same time. Over the years it has sold clothing and shoes, cigars, Armenian rugs, pianos, and housed the Marshall Post Office, a Western Union Station, and a young Dr. Heindenreich’s dental practice.

The Garden Theater served as the first home for the Marshall Civic Players, from 1957 until 1970, after which the building was sold and the MCPs moved to the Franke Center for the Arts.

23. 101 W Michigan Ave. Cronin Block, bar, Italianate, 1873 l By 1907, Jay Cronin was not only operating a bakery but also a store that sold clothing, groceries and shoes. His daughters, Elizabeth and Virginia, continued operating the store until 1974.

24. 107 E Michigan Ave. The American Museum of Magic Museum, Vernacular, 1950 l The American Museum of Magic was founded in 1978 by Robert Lund and his wife, Elaine, showing his impressive private collection of magician archives and artifacts. After surveying the collections, renowned magic historian, author, and illusionist Jim Steinmeyer marveled at these archival holdings and called AMM the “Smithsonian of American Magic.” This collection is internationally known amongst magicians. Worth special mention is an authentic Houdini Milk Can and an impressive collection of poster art.

Vernacular architecture refers to buildings built and designed by residents (not architects) to fulfill local needs, using locally-sourced materials and reflecting local traditions (examples: log cabins and adobe homes).

25. 209 E Michigan Ave. Tasty Cafe, retail, Italianate, ca. 1870 l The Tasty Cafe was the site of a fatal bombing in 1967. A mailman left a parcel on the front counter, which exploded upon opening, leading to an exciting police investigation. Details and consequences can be discovered in Blaine Pardoe’s book Secret Witness, available at New Story Community Books, 114 West Michigan Avenue.

26. 223 E Michigan Ave. Bogar Theater and Bobar, Art Deco, ca 1925 l William G. Thick sold the Garden Theater in 1956, but kept the other movie theater that he had purchased in 1939, named the BoGar (after his sons Bob and Garth). It was renovated in the 2000s to from one screen into two screens with plush seats.

27. 202 E Michigan Ave. U. S. Post Office and U.S. Postal Museum, Greek Revival, 1933 l The first postmaster in Marshall was town founder George Ketchum in 1831. Mail was kept in a cigar box in his log cabin until it could be delivered. The second postmaster was Charles Smith, appointed in 1833. He had the first store in the village, located on what is now the lawn just south of the Honolulu House. The office moved with Smith to his new store, near what is now 209 W. Michigan Avenue (see #25), across the street from the current Post Office. While there, he had a pet bear cub that would climb a flag pole.

Howard F. Young (1889-1934) worked on several projects in Marshall at the behest of Harold Brooks, including Brooks Memorial Fountain and City Hall in 1930, and this Greek Revival US Post Office in 1932, one of his last projects.

With its entrance on the side of the building, the US Postal Museum is the private collection of former Marshall Postmaster Michael Schragg. Taking up the entire basement of the building, this museum takes you on a journey through US history as told by how we have communicated over the years. The Marshall Post Office is named after Michael Schragg, the last Federal building that will ever be named after a living individual.

28. 310 E Michigan Ave. Brooks Rupture Appliance, health services, Beaux Arts, ca 1870, modernized in 1912 l Brooks Rupture Appliance owner, Harold Brooks, was Marshall’s original historian and benefactor. Brooks made his fortune manufacturing and selling appliances (ie. special cushions) for people suffering from hernias out of this building. He bought buildings that might be destroyed and saved and/or re-purposed them for future generations.

Brooks was the mayor in 1930 for Marshall’s centennial celebration. He invited ALL former citizens back to see the grand parade and attend the festivities. He also built Brooks Memorial Fountain and Brooks Airfield for that celebration.

29. 100 Exchange St. The Marshall House, store, Greek Revival, 1838 l When built in 1838, this hotel was known as “the most elaborate hotel in the state of Michigan.” Only a fragment remains of the 3-story hotel which once dominated the entire block. It became Michigan’s Whig Headquarters while the National House Inn (located on the fountain circle) served as the State Democratic Headquarters.

The hotel closed in 1859, then it was a college until 1869, and finally a funeral home in the 1940s. After scavengers and fires, only one wing remains, which was also lowered to two stories. Today it has retail space on the first floor and a private resident above.

30. 402 E Michigan Ave. Marshall Historical Museum, GAR Hall, Colonial Revival, 1902 l Marshall’s GAR Hall was constructed as a meeting place for the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for Union veterans of the Civil War. Today, this building houses the Marshall Historical Museum which is designed to tell Marshall’s stories and showcase items manufactured in Marshall, including a folding bathtub.

OPTIONAL DIAMOND ROUTE
Turn down South Jefferson Street from Michigan Avenue to begin this section of the walk.

31. 115 E Green St. Marshall Masonic Lodge, Italian Renaissance, 1913 l Look to your left to see an impressive 5-story brick building. In 1848, the original charter was granted to Lodge No. 20 of Marshall (St. Alban’s was later added to the name). On the 100th anniversary of St. Alban’s Lodge in Marshall, Harold Brooks presented the lodge with an apron that is reputed to have been worn by George Washington.

32. 100 E Green St. Marshall Middle School, Classical Revival, 1922 l Across the street you will see Marshall Middle School. Early Marshall citizens Isaac Crary and Rev. John Pierce played a significant role in the formation of the American public school system. Their recommendation for public school funding and a Board of Education headed by a superintendent was written into the State Constitution of 1835. Other states copied Michigan’s wording in their state constitutions. Later, Pierce became Michigan’s first superintendent of public instruction, and Crary was Michigan’s first congressman and served on the State Board of Education from 1820 to 1852.

History tells us these men met under an oak tree to discuss their ideas. When that oak tree died in the 1980s, it was carved into the “Education Oak” statue, showing the two men under an oak tree, which is now displayed in the lobby of the Marshall Middle School.

33. 135 W Green St. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Religious Gothic, 1901 (repaired and rededicated in 1970) l The Zion Lutherans trace their Marshall history back to 1848, when Reverend Frederick Schmid first served forty Lutheran families in Marshall. Speaking his first service in German, he continued to visit Marshall every six weeks on his regular circuit through southern Michigan. By 1856, the Marshall church had their own pastor.

34. 212 W Hanover St. St Mary Catholic Parish Church, Religious Victorian, 1889 l Reverend Father Morrissy visited Marshall in 1837 and conducted the village’s first Catholic funeral. A church was built on this corner in 1853, but it was rebuilt in 1889. At least five men from Marshall have become Catholic priests.

Weighing 700-pounds, the crucifix found inside was crafted in Italy during the Covid pandemic. The 16-foot tall cross took 8 months to construct and three full days (plus a 4-story scaffold!) to mount onto the wall.

35. 115 S Eagle St. Schuler’s Restaurant and Pub, The Royal Hotel, Italianate, ca 1850 l Established in 1909, Schuler’s Restaurant and Pub, and The Royal Hotel, are known for their hospitality and excellent food. We suggest stopping in for a drink and a meal. Learn more about their history in their lobby, and be sure to pick up some fresh bread or cookies too!

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, if you find any errors please let us know by calling the Marshall Welcome Center at 269-781-5163 and asking for Kimber, or CLICK TO EMAIL.