Ludington United States Coast Guard Station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ludington United States Coast Guard Station | |
 Station c. 1930 | |
   | |
 Interactive map | |
| Location | 101 S Lakeshore Dr, Ludington, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°57′12″N 86°27′34″W / 43.95333°N 86.45944°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1933 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000264[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 17, 2010 |
The Ludington United States Coast Guard Station is a Coast Guard facility located at 101 South Lakeshore Drive in Ludington, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[1] The building is planned to be used as a maritime museum slated to open in early 2017[2]
The town of Ludington (originally known as "Pere Marquette") was first platted in 1867. Population almost immediately boomed, in large part due to the planned construction of the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad, which was completed in 1874. Ludington had over 2500 residents by that time, and the completion of the railroad spurred both passenger travel and freight shipment out of the harbor.[3]
In 1878, as shipping increased, Congress authorized four Lake Michigan life-saving stations, including one at Ludington.[4] A station was built on the peninsula south of the harbor[5] in 1879.[6] The first crew came to the station in 1880.[5] In 1884, the station was moved to the present site on the north side of the harbor, and a new structure built. However, by the 1930s, the station had outgrown the 1884 building.[3]
Plans for a new building were drawn up in 1932, and in 1933 the original station was moved to become a private residence.[6] Over the next year, the set of building currently at the site were constructed.[6] The Ludington station is nearly identical to the station built at Frankfort around the same time. In 1948, the Ludington station became headquarters for Coast Guard Group Ludington, which in 1955 absorbed the Grand Haven Group. However, in 1971 Coast Guard Group Ludington moved to Muskegon, and the Ludington facility was used as a search-and-rescue center, and in 1972 the boat launch ramps were removed and replaced with a concrete dock.[7] Although the station declined in importance, its mission was re-evaluated in the wake of 9/11, and plans were made for a new station building.[3]
In 2003, ground was broken on a new station nearby,[4] and the Coast Guard moved the next year.[8] In 2007, the City of Ludington and the Mason County Historical Society agreed to create and operate a maritime museum in the 1933 building. The General Services Administration deeded the station to the city in 2010, and the future design began. Exterior renovations were made, and the 1933 station reopened as a maritime museum on Saturday, June 10, 2017.[9]
