Tag Archives: Historic District Commission

Talking about Highland Cemetery’s Starkweather Chapel, and the history of Ypsilanti’s death industry

By Mark | December 18, 2019

The Starkweather Chapel in Ypsilanti’s Highland Cemetery, for those of you who may not have noticed, has been undergoing some much needed renovation work this past year. Here, with more on the history of the building, and the preservation work that’s been done thus far, is a conversation I just had with lifelong Ypsilanti resident […]

Posted in History, Ypsilanti | Also tagged 1841, 1883, Ainsworth Mill, animal infestation, Barry LaRue, Battle of Bunker Hill, Beezy's, big death, Bill French, coffins, Daniel Quirk, DTE, Ebay, Elijah McCoy, EMU, funerals, George McCoy, grave digging, Greek Revival, Highland Cemetery, historic places, historic preservation, Historic Preservation Office, home funerals, Huron River, J.E. Moore’s Furniture Store, Jasper Pennington, John D. Pierce, John Starkweather, Mack & Mack Furniture Store, Mary Ann Starkweather, Mason & Rice, memorial services, Normal College, Old Ypsilanti, oral history, plaster, Playboy, pornography, Prospect Cemetery, Prospect park, public art, public education, renovations, solar power, SPARK East, stained glass, Starkweather Chapel, Starkweather Hall, Starkweather House, State Historic Preservation Office, Stevens T. Mason, the funeral industry, underground railroad, Walter Loomis Newberry, water fountains, winter receiving vault, Ypsi history, Ypsi Solar, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Public Library | 6 Comments

The rehab of 209 Pearl is finally getting underway

By Mark | June 21, 2016

As it’s been a while, I thought that I should give you an update on the renovation of 209 Pearl Street. Since my last post, things have changed a bit. Most notably, we’ve chosen not to have a loft apartment on the second floor, and instead build-out more offices for Landline Creative Labs. It wasn’t […]

Posted in 209 Pearl, Architecture, Art and Culture, Landline Creative Labs, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged blood on hands, historic preservation, Jesse Kranyak, renovations | 10 Comments

Wheatpasting, flyering, public art, and other forms of communication that are illegal in Ypsilanti

By Mark | September 8, 2013

I guess, because I’ve written about the fuzzy line separating street art and vandalism before, I received a letter a few days ago from a local designer asking about the legality of wheatpasting – the act of affixing artwork or posters to walls and other structures with flour paste. Here’s his note. I’ve been trying […]