John J. Michels House

The John J. Michels House is a private house located at 1121 E. Houghton Avenue in Houghton, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1989[2] and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1]

John J. Michels House
House in 2010
Location1121 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton, Michigan
Coordinates47°7′10″N 88°33′26″W
Area0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built1903
Built byJohn J. Michels
Architectural styleQueen Anne-style
NRHP reference No.91001018[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 05, 1991
Designated MSHSMay 18, 1989[2]

John J. Michels
John J. Michels

John J. Michels was born in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, the son of Michel and Katherine (Misen) Michels.[3] In 1880, the family moved to Houghton, where the elder Michels worked as a carpenter. John J. Michels attended school until he was 12, then began work in a furniture store. He worked in a mine and a stamping mill, and when he was 17 began carpentering at the Huron Mine. A few years later, he became a contractor and builder, and was responsible for a number of large public and commercial buildings in the area, including Douglas Public School, the Houghton Odd Fellows Hall, Houghton Presbyterian Church, the David Haas Block,[3] St. Ignatius School, Houghton High School, Dollar Bay schools, the Houghton Public Library, the Houghton Flour Mill, the Copper Range Railroad depot at Painesdale, and the Isle Royale School in Portage Township.[2] Michels was also a village trustee and a member of the Houghton County Road Commission.[2]

Description

The John Michels House is an asymmetrical, 2-1/2 story Queen Anne-style house with a gable and hipped roof.[2] The exterior was originally lapsided with wood siding, but is now covered with cedar shingles. A gabled pediment and conical tower delineate the roofline, and the house is roofed in asphalt shingles. A circular porch wraps around the first story, supported by round wooden columns and accented with beaded spindle work.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Michels, John J., House". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  3. Alvah Littlefield Sawyer (1911), A history of the northern peninsula of Michigan and its people: its mining, lumber and agricultural industries, The Lewis publishing company, pp. 1056–1058
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