Ionia Downtown Commercial Historic District
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Ionia Downtown Commercial Historic District | |
 West Main between Steele and Dexter, looking east | |
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 Interactive map | |
| Location | Roughly W. Main and Washington Sts., from Dexter to Library Sts., Ionia, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°58′57″N 85°4′1″W / 42.98250°N 85.06694°W |
| Area | 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Italianate, Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001437[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1984 |
The Ionia Downtown Commercial Historic District is a primarily commercial district located roughly along West Main and Washington Streets, from Dexter Street to Library Street, in Ionia, Michigan. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[1]
Ionia was first settled in 1833 by Samuel Dexter, who recruited a group of about 63 people from New York to join him. Aided by the local Ojibwe, they settled in and cleared fields, then built log cabins and soon a sawmill. Other commercial activities soon followed, with a furniture factory and brewery active by the late 1830s. In 1835/36, Ionia became the official county seat, and the federal land office was established in the area in 1836. These led to the opening of hotels and stores in the growing community. The village itself was first platted in 1841, including what is now this commercial district on the northern side. The oldest structure in the district - the St. John's parish house - dates to this time period.[2]
The railroad reached Ionia in 1859, hastening commercial activity. This included an increased demand for Ionia sandstone, and by the 1870s there were eight hotels in the city, serving travelers arriving by railroad. Much of the building stock in the district was built starting around this time, as Ionia grew in the late nineteenth century.[2]
