Built 1830 Designated MSHS April 10, 1986 Area 400 m² | NRHP Reference # 88003234 Opened 1830 Added to NRHP 7 February 1989 | |
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Location 113 West Chicago Road (US-12)
White Pigeon, MI Architectural style Greek Revival architecture | ||
The General Land Office in White Pigeon, Michigan is the oldest surviving land office in Michigan. It is designated as a Michigan State Historic Site. The United States land offices were the federal government agency that was primarily responsible for the sale and of public land to individual purchasers. Michigan's first land office was established in Detroit in 1804. The US Land office in White Pigeon was the third office to open in Michigan.,
The White Piegon land office was located on the Chicago Road (Sauk Trail), which linked Chicago and Detroit. The first settler in Kent County, Michigan to buy land from the office was Louis Campau in October of 1833.
The U.S. started issuing land in Michigan after the Treaty of Chicago, in which the Potawatomi and other tribes turned over their land, was signed in 1821. The White Pigeon land office operated for about 4 years from 1831-1834. During that time over a quarter million acres of land were sold from this office at a rate of $1.25 per acre.
The land office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 7, 1989.
The White Pigeon land office is the oldest building in Southwest Michigan and one of the oldest in the state.
Design
The land office was built in the Greek Revival architectural style; the architect is unknown. It is located in downtown White Pigeon.