List of the oldest buildings in Michigan

This article attempts to list the oldest extant buildings in the state of Michigan in the United States. Some dates are approximate and based upon dendochronology, architectural studies, and historical records.

To be listed here a site must:

date prior to 1850; or
be the oldest building in a region, large city, or oldest of its type (church, government building, style, etc.)

List[edit]

List of Oldest Buildings in Michigan
Name	Location	Date of Construction	Type	Notes
Officer's Stone Quarters of Fort Mackinac	Mackinac Island	1780	Military	Oldest structure within the fort and oldest building in Michigan.
McGulpin House	Mackinac Island	c. 1780	Residential	Architectural style could predate 1780. Relocated in 1981. Rare example of French-Canadian architecture in Michigan. Oldest house in Michigan.
Biddle House	Mackinac Island	c. 1780	Residential/fur trading	Restored in 1959.^[1]
William Tucker Residence	Harrison Township	C.1784	Residential	After being kidnapped and raised by a local Chippewa tribe from age eleven to age eighteen, William Tucker was given 18 square miles of land by the tribe, who later helped him build a log cabin on the land to become his residence. The home has since been refaced with brick, but parts of the original structure remain intact beneath.^[2]
Navarre-Anderson Trading Post	Frenchtown Charter Township	1789	Trading post	Oldest building in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
Cookhouse at Navarre-Anderson Trading Post complex	Frenchtown Charter Township	1810	Cookhouse, food preparation
Robert Stuart House	Mackinac Island	1817	Residential	Home of American Fur Company agent Robert Stuart.
John Johnston House	Sault Ste. Marie	1822	Residential	Home of North West Company fur trader John Johnston. Oldest building in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
John W. Hunter House	Birmingham	1822	Residential
James H. Murray House	Linden	c. 1823	Residential	Greek Revival house of James H. Murray.
Mission House	Mackinac Island	1825	School/residential	Missionary constructed by William Montague Ferry and operated by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to spread Christianity to Native Americans.
Sheldon Inn	Canton	1825	Residential/inn
Fort Gratiot Light	Port Huron	1825	Lighthouse	First lighthouse constructed in Michigan.
Edward Loranger House	Frenchtown Charter Township	1825	Residential	Considered to be one of the oldest unaltered structures in Michigan.
Charles Trowbridge House	Detroit	1826	Residential	Oldest documented building in the city of Detroit.^[3]
Musgrove Evans House	Tecumseh	1826	Residential	Oldest building in Lenawee County.
Elmwood	Sault Ste. Marie	1827	Indian Affairs	Relocated and renovated in 1979.
William Starkweather House	Plymouth	1828	Residential	Built by Plymouth's first settler, William Starkweather, the house at 150 S. Union Street, is the oldest house in Plymouth. It is still functional and occupied.
Mission Church	Mackinac Island	1829	Religious	Oldest surviving church In Michigan.
Barn at Joshua Simmons' farm	Livonia	1829	Farm building
Wing–Allore House	Monroe	1829	Residential	Former home of Austin Eli Wing and his descendants. Now a funeral parlor.
Ward-Holland House	Marine City	1830	Residential	Former home of shipbuilders Samuel Ward and Robert Holland.
Funke-Bregger Livery	Bangor	1830	Residential	Former Stagecoach Livery
Land Office	White Pigeon	1831	Government	Former United States General Land Office agency on the Sauk Trail.
Caswell House	Troy	1832	Residential
Murdoch Log House	Berrien Springs	1832	Residential	Original county seat of Berrien County.
Thunder Bay Island Light	Alpena	1832	Lighthouse
Walker Tavern	Cambridge Township	c. 1832	Residential/tavern
Commandant's Quarters	Dearborn	1833	Military	Originally a U.S. Army supply depot.
Bagley Inn	Bloomfield Hills	1833	Residential/tavern
St. Mary's Church	Monroe	1834	Religious
Joseph Campau House	Detroit	1835	Residential
Governor John S. Barry House	Constantine	1835	Residential
Marantette House	Mendon	1835	Residential
Sharon Mill	Manchester	1835	Agricultural
Raisin Valley Friends Meetinghouse	Adrian	1835	Religious
Ticknor-Campbell House	Ann Arbor	1835	Residential
Old Tavern Inn	Niles	c. 1835	Tavern	Oldest business in Michigan^[4]
Hubbard-Kesby House	Milford	c. 1835	Residential
Botsford Inn	Farmington	1836	Tavern
Calkins law office	Grand Rapids	1836	law office
Orrin White House	Ann Arbor	1836-1840	Residential
St. Marks Episcopal	Grand Rapids	1836	Religious
Rogers Mansion	Wyoming MI	1836	Residential	Oldest house in Kent county.
Indian Dormitory	Mackinac Island	1837	Residential/school	Constructed as a dormitory for Native Americans visiting the Indian agency on Mackinac Island. Now known as the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum.
St. Ignace Mission	St. Ignace	1837	Religious	Oldest Roman Catholic church in Michigan. Relocated in 1954.
Franklin Cider Mill	Franklin	1837	Agricultural
Trombley House	Bay City	c. 1837	Residential	Oldest frame house still standing in Bay County. Relocated to Veterans Memorial Park in 1981.
Andrews-Leggett House	Commerce Township	c. 1837	Residential
Indian Dormitory	Mackinac Island	1838	Residential/ Governmental
Rogers house	Wyoming, MI	1838-1839	Residential	originally built in 1838, burned down and rebuilt in 1839. https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2015/05/the_rogers_mansion_said_to_be.html
Governor's Mansion	Marshall	1839	Residential	House built by Whig politician J. Wright Gordon in a campaign to make Marshall the state capital.
Berrien Springs Courthouse	Berrien Springs	1839	Governmental	Oldest courthouse in Michigan.
Judge Robert S. Wilson House	Ann Arbor	c. 1839	Residential
South Manitou Island Lighthouse	South Manitou Island	1839-40	Lighthouse
President's House, University of Michigan	Ann Arbor	1840	Residential	The oldest building at Michigan's oldest university, the University of Michigan.^[5]
Old Presque Isle Light	Presque Isle	1840	Lighthouse
Smith's Chapel	Niles	1840	Religious
Governor Robert McClelland House	Monroe	1841	Residential	Former home of Robert McClelland.
Joshua Simmons House	Livonia	1841	Residential	Another house on the farm may have been built in 1826
Dougherty Mission House	Old Mission	1842	Residential	Oldest frame building in Grand Traverse County and one of the oldest in northern Michigan.
Paw Paw City Hall	Paw Paw	1842	Government	Relocated in 1900.
St. Augustine Catholic Church	Hartland Township	1843	Religious
Paine Bank	Niles	1843	Commercial
Ladies' Literary Club Building	Ypsilanti	c. 1843	Residential
Abram W. Pike House	Grand Rapids	1844	Residential
Old Wing Mission	Holland	1844	Residential/ Religious	Originally a Presbyterian mission. Oldest house in Holland, Michigan.
Some buildings at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park	Copper Harbor	1844	Military	U.S. Army fort built to provide law enforcement and navigation on Lake Superior during the Michigan copper boom.
Ballard-Breakey House	Ypsilanti	1845	Residential	Construction may have started in 1830s
1244 Randolph	Detroit	c. 1845	Commercial	A rare surviving commercial building in Detroit dating from the 1840s.
Rudolph Nims House	Monroe	1846	Residential
Lapeer County Courthouse	Lapeer	1846	Courthouse	Oldest registered property in Lapeer County.
Pillar Church	Holland	1847	Religious
Sessions Schoolhouse	Ionia	1847	School	Often considered the oldest schoolhouse in Michigan. Restored in 1918.
Barracks of Fort Wayne	Detroit	1848	Military	Fortress constructed due to tensions with British Canada during the Patriot War and used during the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and much of the Cold War. Oldest remaining military structure in Detroit.
Sibley House	Detroit	1848	Residential	Original home of Solomon Sibley.
Saints Peter and Paul Church	Detroit	1848	Religious	Original cathedral of the Diocese of Detroit and campus of the University of Detroit-Mercy.
Mariners' Church	Detroit	1849	Religious	Episcopal parish church in Downtown Detroit serving foreign mariners on the Great Lakes.