South Range Community Building Explained

South Range Community Building
Location:Trimountain Ave., South Range, Michigan
Coordinates:47.0697°N -88.6433°W
Built:1935
Added:April 09, 1981
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:81000310

The South Range Community Building is a community center located on Trimountain Avenue in South Range, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

History

During the depths of the Great Depression, the unemployment rate in the southern Keweenaw Peninsula was over 75%. The South Range Community Building was built in 1933-35 and funded by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration as a way to employ the miners and craftsmen of the area.[1] The building was intended to function as both a social and governmental hub for the community of South Range, and it continues to serve this purpose today.

Description

The South Range Community Building is a one-story rectangular brick building with a facade of sandstone trimmed with brick.[1] It sits on a mine rock foundation, and is surmounted by a hipped roof with a three front gables flanked with side gables.[1] Three entrances are centered below the three front gables.[1]

Inside, the building contains village offices and a multi-use auditorium.[1] The center entrance on the first floor has been converted into a fire station.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: South Range Community Building . Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. June 20, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120601092034/http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/5932.htm . June 1, 2012 . dead.
  2. Web site: South Range Community Hall . Keweenaw Free Guide . June 21, 2011.