Kerrytown in Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Main Street in the 1890s
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 30, 2020
1. Main Street in the 1890s Marker
When this photo was taken in 1893, "Lost in New York" was playing at Hill's Opera House at the southwest corner of Main and Ann streets. Down the block, Charles J. Shetterly, barber, offered billiards and hot and cold baths, and students and townspeople shopped at George Wahr's popular bookstore
Other attractions on the block included the Palace Grocery, Singer Sewing Machines, two saloons, one confectioner and fruit dealer, two more billiard halls, a milliner, the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper office, and Francis Stofflet's magazine store. None of these buildings remains.
Top image caption:
7 — Main St. looking south from Ann St., ca. 1893. Hill's Opera House is at right.
Lower image caption:
For over eighty years Hill's Opera House, later the Whitney Theatre, hosted traveling shows, dramas, musicals, vaudeville, dance, films, and lectures for the town and the university. The large public section was lavishly decorated with an Italian tile floor, red burlap walls, three handsome French candelabra, red carpets, and red leather seats. It closed in 1952.
Sponsored by
this page online
Photos courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library
Erected by Ann Arbor Historical Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.
Location. 42° 16.936′ N, 83° 44.897′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in Kerrytown. Marker is at the intersection of East Ann Street and North Main Street, on the right when traveling east on East Ann Street. Marker is on the northwest corner of the Washtenaw County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 East Huron Streeet, Ann Arbor MI 48104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Shopping on East Huron Street (here, next to this marker); The Streets Around Courthouse Square (here, next to this marker); Commerce on the "Ann Street Block" (here, next to this marker); A Former Bank and Estate on Ann Street (here, next to this marker); A Meeting Place for Ann Arbor's Black Community (here, next to this marker); The Changing Face of North Fourth Avenue (here, next to this marker); A Corner Landmark on Huron and North Fourth (here, next to this
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 30, 2020
2. Main Street in the 1890s Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 96 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 22, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
