Clarkston Historic District Resurvey Project

AWARDEES: City of the Village of Clarkston; and Clarkston Historic District Resurvey Committee

Clarkston Historic District Resurvey Project, Clarkston

Clarkston was founded nearly 200 years ago. The village prospered into the early 1900s, resulting in a fine collection of vernacular and high-style homes and businesses. In the mid-20th century, the community became better connected to growing metropolitan areas, spurring additional growth.

The Clarkston Village Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and established as a local historic district the following year. Early historic district documents did not require the same level of detail as today, making them less useful when making present-day preservation decisions. Several buildings constructed during the mid-20th century were considered to be too new in 1980, and weren’t included in the initial district, even though they would be considered historic today.

To solve this, the volunteer Clarkston Resurvey Committee documented and reevaluated all of the resources located within the village’s historic district over a period of four years. Beyond simply documenting buildings, the committee sought to learn more about the village’s shared history by researching deed and cemetery records and collecting oral histories and photos from their fellow citizens. Despite the challenges of continuing the project during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clarkston Historic District Resurvey Project is a model for citizen-led efforts to better document and celebrate the historic buildings within our communities. It has renewed the village’s interest in its own history and provides an opportunity to better steward this shared past.

Clarkston Historic District Resurvey Project

AWARDEES: City of the Village of Clarkston; and Clarkston Historic District Resurvey Committee

Congratulations!