portage creek bicentennial park

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI

GENEALOGY & LOCAL HISTORY

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Stuart Manor, Portage Bicentennial Park

PORTAGE CREEK BICENTENNIAL PARK

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KALAMAZOO VIEWS

Celery Flats Interpretive Center

Milham Park

PORTAGE BICENTENNIAL PARK

Bicentennial Park

Park Links

Kalamazoo County Parks

BICENTENNIAL PARK

The PORTAGE CREEK BICENTENNIAL PARK was built to preserve and showcase the importance of Portage Creek in the city’s development. The Park includes a trail system, the Celery Flats Interpretive Center, and a Historical Area.

The Celery Flats Interpretive Center about celery farming in the region, including a working farm area, is described with photographs on the Celery Flats Interpretive Center page.

The Historical Area features the 1846 era Stuart Manor, an 1856, one-room schoolhouse, a 1931 grain elevator, the Hayloft Theatre, and various summer festivals.

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Park Map

Celery Flats Interpretive Center

Entrance to the Historical Area

The Stuart Manor

Stuart MANOR:

BUILT IN 1846 BY WILLIAM WELCH. THE OLDEST HOUSE IN PORTAGE WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED ON WEST MILHAM. A ONE - TIME RESIDENCE OF U.S. SENATOR CHARLES STUART. THE HOUSE IS RUMORED TO HAVE BEEN USED FOR THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.

A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF 4 SQUARE GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE. THE HOUSE WAS RELOCATED AND RESTORED IN 1994. THE MANOR IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF PORTAGE.

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The Hayloft Theatre

HAYLOFT THEATRE:

THE HAYLOFT THEATRE BARN WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1902. FROM 1919 INTO THE 1940'S. THE BARN WAS PART OF A WORKING FARM OWNED BY THE SOLOMON SCHIEDEL FAMILY. THE BARN WAS PURCHASED IN THE 1940s AND DEVELOPED INTO THE HAYLOFT THEATRE BY MARY AND VERN MEYERS. THE THEATRE WAS CLOSED IN 1952. IN 1992, THE HAYLOFT THEATRE WAS RELOCATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL SITE ON EAST MILHAM AVENUE TO THE CELERY FLATS HISTORICAL AREA PREMIERING THE FIRST NEW PERFORMANCE IN FORTY YEARS ON AUGUST 6. THE HAYLOFT THEATRE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF PORTAGE.

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District No. 8 Schoolhouse

DISTRICT NO. 8 SCHOOLHOUSE:

BUILT IN 1856. THIS ONE - ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE WAS FORMERLY LOCATED ON OAKLAND DRIVE SOUTH OF SHAVER ROAD ON LAND DONATED BY MR. & MRS. HARVEY BOOTH. THE SCHOOLHOUSE REMAINED IN USE UNTIL 1947.

A FINE EXAMPLE OF GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE. THE SCHOOLHOUSE WAS RELOCATED TO THE CELERY FLATS HISTORICAL AREA IN 1950. BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED. THE SCHOOLHOUSE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF PORTAGE.

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note the outhouses behind the school

for views of another Kalamazoo County School House see Strong School Vicksburg

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Portage Grain Elevator and Feed Mill

PORTAGE GRAIN ELEVATOR/FEED MILL:

THE OLDEST COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE STILL STANDING IN PORTAGE. THE FORMER PORTAGE GRAIN ELEVATOR WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF SHAVER ROAD AND CENTRE AVENUE. THE TILE BLOCK BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1931 TO REPLACE THE WOODEN STRUCTURE, WHICH BURNED IN 1930. AREA FARMERS USED THIS ELEVATOR / FEED GRAIN MILL UNTIL IT WAS SOLD TO A CEMENT COMPANY IN 1952. THE GRAIN ELEVATOR WAS RELOCATED TO THE CELERY FLATS HISTORICAL AREA IN 1990, AND THE FACADE HAS BEEN ACCURATELY RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. THE STRUCTURE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF PORTAGE.

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The Portage Grain Elevator on its original site in 1913