COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Coldwater City Council on Monday night approved a resolution to sponsor a Michigan Historical Marker application for the Coldwater Community Center at the Beach House at 11 E. Chicago Street.
Initiated by former owner Mark Putnam, the project entails the city covering the estimated $2,747 marker cost if approved, with the marker officially becoming property of the State of Michigan.
City Manager Keith Baker says the building already is located in a National Historic District
The building was constructed in 1859 for Dr. John Henry Beech, a prominent physician, Civil War surgeon, educator, and former mayor of Coldwater. The City of Coldwater acquired the building in 2020, and a nonprofit group officially opened the Coldwater Community Center at the Beech House in 2024.
The application now moves to the Michigan Historical Commission in September, making it the next step towards potential preservation grants and formalizing required adherence to historical rehabilitation standards for the site.
The city will continue following strict standards for exterior alterations to the building, a practice already in place due to its location in the historic downtown district.
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