Ann Arbor’s Bicentennial Celebration and Smart Tours

Ann Arbor’s Smart Tours,

Welcome to Ann Arbor’s SmartTours, celebrating the Bicentennial of the founding of Ann Arbor in 1824. Your smartphone can give you access to fifteen self-guided online tours, each with its own theme. Each of the 177 tour sites includes a photograph and a narrative describing its significance to Ann Arbor

Tours are noted as most appropriate for walking, biking, and/or driving. Many of the sites on the tours are private property and may be appreciated only from a public street. Please be respectful of the privacy of building owners and do not trespass.

Ann arbor bicentennial website

The Ann Arbor Bicentennial celebrates the rich history and cultural heritage that make our city the dynamic and vibrant place that it is today. As we look back on the past 200 years, we are proud of the progress we have made and the community we have built.

We are excited about the future, and the opportunities that lie ahead. We welcome you to join the celebration!

explore Historic Ann Arbor

Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley's "Historic Ann Arbor: An architectural Guide" includes 375 of the city's outstanding structures. McCauley says the project grew out of research he did on his own home and a desire to update Wineberg's earlier book on Ann Arbor architecture.

The book really looks beyond the physical aspects of these buildings and tries to tell the story of the people that lived or worked in them.  The co-authors hopes this will increase community interest in these buildings to ensure they are preserved for the future.

Dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor will celebrate its Bicentennial in 2024. The Ann Arbor Historical Foundation was established in 1969 to to preserve historical sites, neighborhoods, buildings and records in the area.to promote our heritage and share Ann Arbor stories. How do we do that?

• Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit Program

• Publishing Local History Books

• Encouraging Young Historians - Ray Detter Award

• Generous Support from the Community - donate online!

• Got a Question about Ann Arbor History or Buildings?

Jones School Centennial Celebration Historical Marker

The Committee for the Jones School Centennial Celebration is coordinating a community-wide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the opening of Jones School to recognize and honor the local history of this building and the once historically Black neighborhood where it is located. One of the many exciting plans includes placing a historical marker at 401 N. Division on Ann Arbor, now Community High, honoring the history of Jones School and the community. Click here to contribute towards the historical marker - it would be greatly appreciated!

Ray Detter Local History Award for Students

The community's "Ray Detter Local History Award" is given each year to a student, or group of students, who has been involved in a project dealing with local history. Your participation in and completing of a project makes you eligible to apply for a cash award of up to $1,000. All Ann Arbor high school students, individually or in teams, are invited to submit an application for this year's Local History Award, with the winner(s) announced at the end of the school year. As examples, possible projects could include, but are not limited to: Document an historic site in Ann Arbor using history and/or photos.Assist with Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit tours (https://aadl.org/aastreets).Develop material for a local historical museum: e.g., Kempf House Museum, Cobblestone Farm, Museum on Main Street.Produce media that promotes local history, e.g. Community TV segment.Contribute to local history efforts at the Ann Arbor District Library.Or develop your own idea!

How to apply:

Provide your name, contact address, phone number, and email. Be sure to indicate which Ann Arbor school you attend.Write a brief statement describing your local history project and the benefits it provides to our community. Include a statement to indicate the project is your own work.Submit project materials in hard copy, digital, or with links to online resources.Include one letter of support, with the letter writer describing their familiarity with your project and why you should receive the award. For questions or more information, contact Project Chairperson Chris Crockett at christinecrockett8@gmail.com. We invite applicants to review their project with a committee member anytime prior to the final submission date.

Submit your completed project by April 30th, 2022 by email or in person to Project Chair Christine Crockett at 506 E. Kingsley Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. All applicants will be notified of the committee's decision by May 15th. History Award Evaluation Criteria Does it tell a powerful story? (40% of final evaluation)

History Award Evaluation Criteria

• Does it tell a powerful story? (40% of final evaluation)
  Is the story interesting and creative?
  Does the submission reach a broad community?

• Accuracy and Quality of Research: (30% of final evaluation)
  Is information in the project accurate or is some information wrong or misleading?
  Does the project reflect research using multiple sources or does it only use one source or the internet?

• Proficiency: (20% of final evaluation)
  Does the project demonstrate a proficiency with the media used?

Overall Aesthetics (10% of final evaluation)

Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit Program

The Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit Program began at the grass roots level as an idea developed by local residents interested in the past and future of downtown. The Ann Arbor Historic District Commission is the official project sponsor, and the program is endorsed by the Downtown Development Authority, City Council and the four downtown merchant associations. These groups endorsed the exhibit program and provided seed capital which was matched by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Humanities and contributions from local individuals, businesses, groups and foundations.

The overall design concept emerged from an intense, all-day brainstorming session attended by over twenty Ann Arbor area design professionals. Since then, a team of designers and historians has continued to develop exhibit concepts. The Historic District Commission accepted the design prototype and the first exhibit was installed at Courthouse Square in June 1999. It includes four transparent glass frames, 13 wall displays, and three bronze artifacts. Work is progressing on a series of over thirty additional wall panels to accompany the glass frames in both the downtown and campus areas. More bronze artifacts will be installed as time and funds permit.

Project historians continue to work with the Ann Arbor Public Schools to develop curriculum materials based on the exhibits and with the Ann Arbor District Library staff on incorporating the exhibits into their website.

The program has received several awards for the excellence of its design, at the state level from the Historical Society of Michigan and from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, as well as an award from the International Downtowns Association.

Complete exhibit listings and locations, along with the project history and a map, are available on the Ann Arbor District Library website by clicking here.

Support the work of the AAHF with a Donation!

We appreciate your past donations and your encouragement as we find ways to celebrate our local history. Please donate generously to our general fund to underwrite our past efforts and future endeavors. You can now make a gift online by clicking on the donate button below. . And, as always, you can also make checks payable to the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation and mail them to P.O. Box 7973, Ann Arbor, MI 48107.

Want to donate just for the Jones School Historical Marker? Click here

A Fascinating and Comprehensive Guide to Ann Arbor's Commercial, Residential and Academic Architecture

Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide
by Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley
Published 2014 by the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation
$35.00       ISBN-13: 9780991346608

Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide is a guidebook to Ann Arbor, Michigan's most significant historic buildings and neighborhoods. From the earliest farmhouses, through the Victorian era, art-deco treasures and mid-century modern, Historic Ann Arbor offers black-and-white photos and well-researched background information on 375 of Ann Arbor's most historic and remarkable structures.

This beautifully designed large-format (7" x 9") paperback features 40 architectural treasures associated with the University of Michigan, in addition to commercial, public and industrial buildings, and distinctive private homes.

How to Purchase Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide

Local retailers:

Booksweet •  1729 Plymouth Rd.  •  Ann Arbor, MI 48105  •   734-929-4112  •  www.shopbooksweet.com

Downtown Home and Garden  •  210 S Ashley St.  •  Ann Arbor, MI 48104   •  734-662-8122  •  www.downtownhomeandgarden.com

Literati Bookstore  •  124 E Washington St.  •  Ann Arbor, MI 48104  •  734-585-5567  •  www.literatibookstore.com

Nicola's Books  •  Westgate Shopping Center  •  2513 Jackson Ave.  •  Ann Arbor, MI  48103   •  734-662-0600 •  www.nicolasbooks.com

The Mail Shoppe  •  317 S Division St.  •  Ann Arbor, MI 48104  •  734-665-6676  •  www.mailshoppe.com

The Museum on Main Street  •  500 N. Main St.  •  Ann Arbor, MI 48104  •  734-662-9092  •  www.washtenawhistory.org

Barnes & Noble – Ann Arbor  •  3235 Washtenaw Ave.  •  Ann Arbor, MI 48104  •  734-973-0846  •  www.barnesandnoble.com

Online:

Nicola's Books  •  A local, independently-owned Ann Arbor bookseller that offers easy, secure online purchase by credit card, with a variety of shipping options, including free in-store pickup •  Order Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide from Nicola's books

Amazon.com  •  Available online at www.amazon.com

Mail Order:

You may purchase the book from the The Mail Shoppe of Ann Arbor by downloading this PDF Order Form and mailing it to the address indicated on the Form, along with your payment by check, or credit card information.

Authors Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley

Patrick McCauley is a lifelong resident of the Ann Arbor area, growing up in Salem and Superior Townships. Real Estate, home building, and house restoration have been a part of his life as far back as he can remember, and he works in Ann Arbor as a Realtor with the Charles Reinhart Company.

 He is a graduate of the University of Michigan (class of 2000) with a bachelor’s degree in history. His love of historic architecture began during his 25 years of working on historic homes with his family’s house painting and home restoration business. He has bought and restored three neglected historic homes in Ann Arbor since 2001, winning a Rehabilitation Award from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission (HDC) in 2009 for his efforts.

McCauley has been a volunteer at both the Kempf House Museum and Cobblestone Farm Museum, and served as Chair of the Germantown Historic District Study Commission. He currently serves on the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission, having held the position of Chair and Vice Chair, and is also on the board of the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation. He lives with his wife Andrea Kinney in a historic Greek Revival home on Ann Arbor’s north side.

Susan Cee Wineberg was born and raised in Chicago, where she acquired her love of all things architectural, old and new. Her home was a mid-century Modern townhouse designed by a student of Mies van der Rohe. She came to Ann Arbor in 1964, worked as an archaeologist in Turkey, and obtained advanced degrees in Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology. The Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial and American Bicentennial fueled her interest in local history and in 1993 she obtained an MS in Historic Preservation at Eastern Michigan University.

Susan has served as President of the Washtenaw County Historical Society (1994-1999); on the Historic District Commission three times; as Chair of the Awards Committee of the HDC for 20 years; and on numerous committees, including the Downtown, Landmark, Individual Historic Properties, Lower Town, Old Fourth Ward, and Germantown Historic District Study Committees. She has written extensively on Ann Arbor and published Lost Ann Arbor in 2004, in addition to the second edition of this book, formerly entitled Historic Buildings, Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1992. She lives with her husband Lars Bjorn in an 1850 Greek Revival house in the Old Fourth Ward Historic District.

Contact authors Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley by clicking here.

Like the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation Facebook Page for timely updates, photos and snippets of Ann Arbor's history, and to share information with other members of our community. We also have a special Facebook Page just for our book, the Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide Facebook Page, where you  can see excerpts, connect with other history-minded folks, and stay up-to-date on author appearances and signings.

Facebook/Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide
Facebook/Ann Arbor Historical Foundation

Contact The Ann Arbor Historical Foundation and/or Authors Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley

Fill in the Contact From below, then hit the "Submit" button at the bottom.

A2 History Question? Ask Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley

If you have a question about Ann Arbor history, neighborhoods, buildings or architecture this is the place to ask! You will hear back from Susan Wineberg or Patrick McCauley within 2 weeks. Fill in the Contact From below, then hit the "Submit" button at the bottom.