Hancock in Houghton County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Hancock / Town Hall and Fire Hall
Registered Michigan Historic Site
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2017
1. Hancock (marker side 1)
Hancock
The Quincy Mining Company platted Hancock in 1859, a decade after the company began mining Keweenaw copper. While many copper towns boomed and busted within a short period of time, Hancock remained stable, incorporating as a city in 1875. By 1897 Hancock’s four thousand citizens wanted a government building that would reflect the city’s prosperity and stature. The Quincy company sold this lot to the city in 1898 and in January 1899 the Town Hall and Fire Hall opened.
Town Hall and Fire Hall
The Marquette firm of Charlton, Gilbert and Demar designed Hancock’s Town Hall and Fire Hall. Completed in 1899, the building housed city offices, the fire department, and the marshall’s office and jail. Built of Jacobsville sandstone with stepped and curved gables, it exhibits Richardsonian Romanesque, Dutch, and Flemish influences. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Erected 1999 by Michigan Historical Center, Michigan Department of State. (Marker Number L519.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.
Location. 47° 7.604′ N, 88° 35.09′ W. Marker is in Hancock, Michigan, in Houghton County. Marker is at the intersection
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 321 Quincy Street (within shouting distance of this marker); The Finnish American National Historical Archive & Museum (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Main / Suomi College (approx. 0.2 miles away); The First Finnish Newspaper in America (approx. ¼ mile away); Industry (approx. half a mile away); Copper Range Railroad Depot 1899 (approx. half a mile away); Growth and Change (approx. 0.7 miles away); Trinity Episcopal Church (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hancock.
More about this marker. This is a two-sided marker: Hancock (side 1) and Town Hall and Fire Hall (side 2).
Regarding Hancock / Town Hall and Fire Hall. Michigan State Historic Site (1977), National Register of Historic Places in (1981)
Also see . . .
1. Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall. Many buildings in Houghton County still reflect how prosperous the area was when mining was king at the end of the 19th century. One of the easiest to spot on US-41 in Hancock after crossing the Portage Lake Lift Bridge is the Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall, a towering building of red sandstone that has been honored
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2017
2. Town Hall and Fire Hall (marker side 2)
2. Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall. The Hancock Town Hall is a two-story building constructed of rock-faced red Jacobsville Sandstone set in even courses, exhibiting Richardsonian Romanesque, Dutch, and Flemish architectural influences. It has a gable roof and a square tower with belfry at one corner; the tower originally had a steep conical roof. The main facade is dominated by a broadly arched window filled with diagonally paned glass and flanked by smaller windows. Built: 1899. Architect: Charlton, Gilbert & Demar. (Submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2017
3. Hancock / Town Hall and Fire Hall Marker (wide view; marker located near City Hall entrance)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2017
4. Hancock City Hall (old fire station door detail)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2017
5. Hancock Police Department (front architecture detail; formerly the Fire Hall)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 2, 2017
6. Hancock City Hall (wide view; marker visble at left)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 7, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
