Welcome to Historic DeWitt (Michigan USA)

My hubby and I love exploring small towns looking for history and architecture.  Sometimes, we only have a general location for a historic building.  So, we will ask a local resident if they know where it is.   Surprisingly, many people are not familiar with the town they live in.  So, I decided to see what it would be like to be a tourist in the town where I lived and worked for many years – DeWitt, Michigan.

DeWitt (and Clinton County) were named after DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828).  He was the sixth Governor of New York and was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal.   The town’s local history goes back to 1833 when Captain David Scott established the first permanent settlement here in Clinton County.   Since then DeWitt has developed into a charming small town community rich in history and quaint architectural buildings. 

When I first arrived in DeWitt in 1979, its slogan was “Welcome to Historic DeWitt”.  Visitors would come into City Hall and ask, “What’s historic about DeWitt?”  I think that is what prompted the idea of a walking tour featuring historic houses in the downtown area.  Some homeowners granted the City permission to place informational blue-and-white signs in their front yards.  This allowed walkers to read and learn about DeWitt’s history and its citizens who shaped the town.

Included in DeWitt’s history are three historic sites with Bicentennial (1976) Markers, another site has a marker erected by the Clinton County Pioneer Society, and one building is listed as a Michigan Historic Site.  Which ones are they?  Read on to find out more …

I knew the existing “walking tour” could include more historic homes and monuments to the past.  So, I headed to the local library to find a very resourceful book “DeWitt Area History” written by Kenneth R. Coin (1983 with an updated version around 2008).  Within its pages is a chapter on “architecture” with descriptions on the various styles of homes found in DeWitt and a little history (year built, owners, etc.).  I learned a lot reading that chapter! 

So, on a warm and sunny September afternoon, I put on a pair of good walking shoes, grab my camera (because I can’t be a tourist without a camera!), a bottle of water, and a map of the downtown area (maps may be available at the kiosk located at Riverside Park on South Bridge Street).  The kiosk map provided a good start but I expanded the walking tour to include 46 stops in a 3.1 mile loop tour.  FYI – the even house numbers are on the right side of the street and the odd numbers are on the left side.  To begin, I park my car in the City’s public parking lot (corner of Jefferson and Franklin Streets) and head north on Franklin Street.