Central Mine Historic District, Historic mining district in Central, Michigan.
The Central Mine Historic District is a former mining settlement with approximately 20 remaining wood-frame buildings that survive from an original 130 structures, featuring gable roofs, porches, and stone foundations. The scattered buildings show how this community was laid out during the copper mining era.
Copper mining operations ran here from 1854 to 1898, drawing roughly 1,200 residents to the settlement at its height. When the mining industry declined, most of the community dispersed and many buildings were lost over time.
The Methodist church from 1868 shows how Cornish mining families shaped this community's spiritual and social life, and it remains a gathering place for descendants and local events. You can see how immigrant traditions became woven into the everyday rhythms of village life.
A visitor center operates from mid-June through early October with exhibits and information for exploring the site on your own. Self-guided walking routes let you move through the district at your pace and see the buildings and landscape as they are today.
Two woodland trails reveal hidden house foundations and the location where the old schoolhouse once stood, showing visitors how much larger the original settlement was. Walking these paths connects you to the landscape that families once shaped and lived in.
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