Downtown – Marshall, Michigan
Marshall once aspired to be the state capital of Michigan. They were passed over in favor of another small agricultural town – Lansing. Owning to a central location on the Territorial Road (later paralleled largely by Interstate-94) the commercial activity and attendant quality of buildings is remarkable. Marshall has had a strong preservation ethic for a small town, repeatedly being recognized nationally for excellence in preservation.
We’ve been to Marshall many times before. What captured us right away on this visit was a handsome brick arcaded block. At five-stories tall it was among the tallest in Marshall. The wall masses were divided by pilasters running from the ground floor to the attic story just below the cornice. Built in 1913, it served as the Masonic Temple. When we visited a Dance Studio was on one of the lower floors.
The light poles in Marshall were surprising and distinct from any place we’ve ever seen. A tapered metal pole is topped by a globe open to the sky. Four projecting arms just beneath the apex of the pole and globe have brackets with four smaller globes pointed to the ground. A small design flaw is the downward pointing globes also collect dripping water that then serves as a magnet for grime, so there are little spots on the bottom of these globes. While we visited during the day, surely these light poles are enjoyable to see at night with the five globes appearing to float while casting light to guide people through town.
The United States Post Office in Marshall is an enframed block with two fluted Doric columns (archaeologically incorrect, as Doric should not be fluted) in antis and a sizable pediment overhead. Interestingly, none of this detail was mentioned in the Michigan Historical Marker on the site which spoke instead about how postsmasters were politically appointed until Civil Service reforms of 1883. George Ketchum, cofounder of the city of Marshall, became the area’s first postmaster. He was followed in 1833 by the Rev. John D. Pierce, who later became Michigan’s first state superintendent of public instruction. The Post Office building, constructed in 1933 was under the Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore with Howard F. Young and William B. Stratton as architects for this particular project.
The core of the historic downtown is defined by multiple buildings of varying heights. One block, in particular had the tallest three-story building at one corner, and the shortest two-story building at another corner. They gave witness to how the architectural ambition grew along with the resources and need to undertake large and large building projects.
Not too far away another block was distinguished by two-story buildings of a consistent height. While less dramatic, each building distinguished itself from the others, while maintaining a similar scale and massing that makes it more comprehensible, if not a little less visually interesting.
“paper & i” was a business with a wonderful assortment of products, all very well staged in their storefront. What impressed us even more is how they took responsibility for a neighboring storefront that was vacant, and very creatively used discreet vinyl stickers with the logo and a multi-colored arrow to direct people to their building. Even more creative is how they staged both of the display windows on either side of the vacant building entrance, including the most creative display for a music festival that I have ever seen with the poster positioned akimbo (to attract the eye) and sheet music laying beneath it further emphasizing the theme.
Herman’s Annex was another business that caught our eye, not so much for what was inside but for the prismatic glass in the transom outside. Reflected in the display window of the photo above are some of the Adirondack chairs on the sidewalk outside and available for sale, as well as for a quick test sit by pedestrians.
Another store that I missed the name of had some wonderful staging inside. Everything was positioned very nicely.
The Stagecoach Inn is a Greek Revival building constructed in 1838. Positioned on the Territorial Road that follows Indian trails once connecting current day Detroit and Chicago. The first proprietor was Mr. Zenos Tillotson. As early as 1846 he operated stagecoach lines from Ann Arbor to Niles using Marshall as a main stop on the line. At the time of our visit in 2013 this was the oldest continuously operated inn between Detroit and Chicago. The stagecoach no longer passes by but the culture and heritage persist.
We noted this alley could benefit from a splash of color and lighting. Curious how a square of bricks are alternated with concrete slabs.
This pocket park is somewhat dated and would benefit from better paving, borders to keep the mulch in, and plants other than green shrubs. Color, variety, and texture all would be welcome additions.
Tactical urbanism was evident with this pallet garden and pallet seating. One can easily imagine the planter of the garden enjoying watching their plants grow, just as much as passersby.
The Brooks Memorial Fountain Park was built in 1930 by Harold Brooks and modeled after the Temple of Love in Versailles, France. The fountain displayed ninety-six different combinations of color and water effects in a ten-minute cycle. The fountain was installed during Marshall’s Centennial Celebration. In 1976 the community restored the fountain as an American Bicentennial project.
One last feature is a curious plaque in script recounting the Eagle Brewery Beer Pump. At one time there were three breweries and one ale house in operation in Marshall. Eagle Brewery was started in 1886 and owned by Joseph Grammer. They produced 10,000 barrels of beer a year from the brewery in Marshall. Horses delivered kegs of beer to Marshall’s seventeen bars. This local production and consumption was a legacy before Prohibition upended things.
Wayfinding Signage
We were dazzled by the wayfinding signage in Marshall. What we saw there was among the best of any signage, including for much larger cities.
The lozenge shaped sign was suspended from an arm connected to one of the solid massive metal square light posts. The curvature of the sign against the angles of the post, immediately created a sense of contrast and helped the sign stand out. The curvature of the bracket reflecting the curvature of the sign further enhanced the artfulness and visibility.
At the top of the sign was an identification of Historic Downtown Marshall, albeit with a more contemporary photo of one of the older buildings. The date of establishment of Marshall in 1830 was also touted. It goes to show that not everything historic has to be stodgy.
A crucial detail was the logo of Marshall Main Street. Projects like this often do not happen without the thought and intention of an ongoing program dedicated to the vitality of the community. Main Street represents this commitment in Marshall and for over a thousand communities throughout the U.S.
The key map of the approximately fourteen blocks fronting Michigan Avenue helps to orient visitors. We rotated it to display better on this website. On the sign in public it was vertical filling the sign board.
The directory broke out Retail and “Food, Drink, and Entertainment.” No offices, no services. That is fine. Clearly this was directed at people who primarily want to dine and shop which is reasonable. There are other ways to get the more detailed information about all the other businesses. Each business had a number beside it corresponding to a number on the map.
The Annual Events Calendar at the bottom was another innovation that I greatly appreciated. From the Winter Blues Festival in February to Michigan Week and the Memorial Day Parade in May to the Annual Historic Home Tour in September on the weekend following Labor Day – this presented a series of regular events that people might hope to visit for and participate in. A link to the website with a community calendar with all events was also provided.
One last detail that might seem inconsequential to many, but which we appreciated a lot was a customized brochure holder with maps for self-guided walks and a shopping and dining guide. This further encourages people to circulate and explore. The construction of the holder with transparent lid and body, allows for people to easily see the full front of the materials inside. The flap above gives protection from the weather. Finally, mounting on the post by the wayfinding sign allows people to essentially take the sign with them.