These 19 Michigan properties joined National Register of Historic Places in 2023

Nineteen properties across Michigan were recognized in the National Register of Historic Places in 2023, the state said.

Fifteen properties and four historic districts, including six in Detroit and three in Grand Rapids, were listed in the National Register. The federal government register lists districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance, state officials said. Properties in Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties were among those recognized.

"The SHPO has the distinct honor to be able to work with so many communities and individuals across the state to help elevate Michigan sites to the National Register of Historic Places," said  Ryan Schumaker, State Historic Preservation officer in a statement.

The 19 properties help to tell a more complete history at the local, state and national levels, and provide opportunities for economic investment in communities, Schumaker said.

Nearly 2,000 properties in Michigan have been listed in the National Register, a program of the National Park Service that is administered by each state, officials said. More than 96,000 properties across the nation have been recognized since the program began in the 1960s, according to the news release.

The State Historic Preservation Office administers the designation in the National Register in Michigan. Each location is referred to as a "property," whether it is a single building, site, structure or a historic district composed of hundreds of individual buildings, state officials said.

The former John Grace School in Southfield was described as "well-constructed," and "community anchor" that has remained a symbol despite changing neighborhoods and development.

Completed in 1955, with a blend of traditional Romanesque Revival architecture with the Mid-Century Modern movement of the period, St. Matthew Parish in Detroit was lauded for its large stained glass and mosaics.

First Congregational Church in Wyandotte similarly was touted for its "carved wood and highly decorative stenciling treatments." The interior of the church was done in 1903.

In addition to possessing "historical integrity," a property must be at least 50 years old and must be historically significant when evaluated in relationship to major events or trends in the history of its community, state or nation, officials said.

"Each of these historic places is significant on its own, but what is all the more impressive is the story they tell together," said Todd Walsh, national register coordinator for the State Historic Preservation Office. "Through these historic places — and so many others in our state — we can expand our understanding of where we call home as well as the stories, struggles and accomplishments of those who came before us."

Michigan's 19 properties listed in National Register in 2023: