Marlborough Historic District
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Marlborough Historic District | |
 Great Northern Portland Cement Co, c. 1907 | |
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 Interactive map | |
| Location | Pleasant Plains Township, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°51′40″N 85°50′17″W / 43.86111°N 85.83806°W |
| Area | 80 acres (32 ha) |
| Architect | Howard H. Parsons, Great Northern Portland Cement Co.; Marlborough Land & Investment Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000630[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 7, 1972 |
| Designated MSHS | October 10, 1971[2] |
The Marlborough Historic District is a cement factory located on James Road in Pleasant Plains Township, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[1]
In the 1890s, the Great Northern Portland Cement Company constructed a cement plant at this site to produce cement from the local marl.[2] Production boomed, and in 1902, the company also began construction of a nearby village, dubbed Marlborough, for plant workers. By 1905, Marlborough had 400 citizens.[3] However, problems quickly arose, as the produced cement was inferior, production was costly, and the enormous energy demands of the plant required construction of the largest power plant in the Lower Peninsula.[2] The Great Northern Portland Cement Company entered receivership in 1906, and the village houses were sold for salvage. The plant was dynamited for scrap iron,[2] and by 1910 only the ruins of the plant remained.[3]
