The Eagle River Historic District is a historic district located in

Eagle River, Michigan Eagle River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Keweenaw County. Its population was 65 at the 2020 census, which makes it by far the least-populated county seat ...

, roughly covering Front Street, 2nd Street, 3rd Street, 4th Street, 5th Street, and Main Street. The district was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1984.

History

The community of Eagle River, founded in 1843, is one of the oldest settlements in the

Keweenaw peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula ( , sometimes locally ) is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, leading to its moniker of "Copper Country." As o ...

.Eagle River Historic District
from the state of Michigan, retrieved 8/12/09 When

Keweenaw County Keweenaw County (, ; , ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, the state's northernmost county. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,046, making it Michigan's least populous county. It is also the ...

was organized, Eagle River was named the county seat. Its location on the shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

made Eagle River a natural port, and it served as a major shipping hub for the copper mined in the Keweenaw in the mid-19th century.

Description

The Eagle River Historic District includes most of the remaining structures that date from the early settlement of the community. These include early industrial plants as well as county buildings, commercial buildings, and private residences. The earliest buildings, dating from the 1840s and 1850s, are located along East Main Street. These buildings, both commercial and residential, are simple rectangular structures, typically with symmetrical facades, gable roofs, and rear extensions. Other significant buildings include the town hall/school; the Keweenaw County Courthouse, Sheriff's residence, and jail; and the

Eagle River Lighthouse The Eagle River Light is a decommissioned lighthouse at the mouth of the Eagle River in the community of Eagle River on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. History With the discovery of the "Cliff Lode" in 1845 and the subse ...

. The district also includes stone and frame buildings structures that were once a fuse factory and brewery.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places listings in Keweenaw County, Michigan Geography of Keweenaw County, Michigan Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Colonial Revival architecture in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Keweenaw County, Michigan