Howell Downtown Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

From the record

“The Howell Downtown Historic District is a primarily commercial historic district located along five blocks of Grand River Avenue in the center of Howell, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.”
Wikipedia article Howell Downtown Historic District, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 14 National Register listings published here for Livingston County · listed in 1987 · category: District.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. Roughly bounded by Clinton, Barnard, Sibley, and Chestnut Sts., Howell, 48843
When was it listed? February 1987
Category. district
City. Howell city
National Register reference number. 86003363 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

26 since 2018

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 26 fires within 5 miles of Howell Downtown Historic District between 2018 and 2020, burning about 135 acres in total. 6 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Equipment and vehicle use	18
Natural	6
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
23 August 2019	Equipment and vehicle use	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0001001 - 2019
9 July 2018	Natural	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0000735 - 2018
19 July 2018	Equipment and vehicle use	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0000781 - 2018
15 July 2018	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0000758 - 2018
1 July 2019	Equipment and vehicle use	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	BRIGHTON AREA FD 0001026 - 2019
26 June 2019	Equipment and vehicle use	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0000692 - 2019
17 June 2019	Natural	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0000656 - 2019
14 June 2019	Equipment and vehicle use	1.0 acres	Michigan Department of Natural Resources	HOWELL AREA FD 0000642 - 2019

Every fire recorded in Livingston County

Mines and quarries near this property

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Howell Downtown Historic District: 5 producers, 1 past producer. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Coal Shale Clay Pit	Clay	Past Producer
D and J Sand and Gravel	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Livingston County Road Comm. Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Livingston County Road Comm. Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Livingston County Road Comm. Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Livingston County Road Comm. Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer

Every working recorded in Livingston County

Storms near this property

60 of 68 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Howell, the town this property stands in, in 68 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 57 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 2 lightning, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$40,000	Trees and power lines reported down throughout Livingston county.
October 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$40,000	A large tree was blown down onto a house and a barn was blown over.
October 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$25,000	A 16 inch diameter tree fell onto a boat and trailer. Several large trees also fell onto a home.
August 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$10,000	Multiple trees and power lines reported down.
October 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$10,000	A 40 X 60 foot outbuilding was destroyed by a wind gust.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$8,000	A local newspaper reported several trees blown down in Howell and included a picture of a work van pinned beneath the trunk of a large tree on Barnard Street. Total damage to the vehicle was roughly estimated at $8K.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$7,000	Numerous trees and power lines reported down.
April 2002	Lightning	Howell	$5,000	Lightning struck the cap off the top of a well and followed the well-line into the basement of a nearby home. The bolt blew out a hole in the basement wall.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$5,000	no account filed
November 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$5,000	no account filed
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$5,000	no account filed
May 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$2,000	Wires were reported down.
April 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	$1,000	Trees and eight to ten inch diameter tree limbs were reported blown down.
June 2005	Lightning	Howell	$1,000	The Howell Fire Department reported that a car was struck by lightening as it traveled on M-59 around 620 pm EDT. Lightning hit the vehicle's radio antenna, then shorted out the electrical system and flattened a tire.
March 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Two large trees and large tree limbs downed.
August 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Trees were reported down across Central Livingston County, particularly in and around Howell.
August 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Four downed trees and 10 to 12 large limbs downed between Latson Road and N Eager Road along M-59.
August 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Large tree limbs down.
August 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Numerous trees reported blown down across Livingston County.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Numerous trees and power lines reported down near Howell.
August 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Large tree limbs reported down.
September 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A local business concrete wall was blown down.
June 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Trees reported down over the powerlines.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Multiple large limbs and a couple trees reported down.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A tree was reported down.
October 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Multiple large trees down.
November 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Several trees and tree limbs reported down.
November 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A few downed pine trees.
August 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Several 6 inch tree branches reported down.
September 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Trees reported down.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Large tree limbs reported down.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Two trees reported down.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Several 6 inch diameter tree limbs blown down.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Two trees were reported blown down.
June 2009	Flash Flood	Howell	-	Multiple reports of a half of a foot of standing water on area roads, including: M-59, Byron, Grand River, and Oak Grove Road.
April 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Law enforcement reported a tree down at Grand River and Fleming Roads.
May 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	An amateur radio operator measured a 74 MPH wind gust.
May 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A trained spotter reported trees down.
May 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A National Weather Service employee reported 10 large tree limbs down across the north side of Howell.
May 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	An amateur radio operator reported trees down.
May 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A trained spotter estimated a 60 MPH gust.
July 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Law enforcement and a local newspaper reported several trees down in Marion Township.
July 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A National Weather Service employee reported large tree branches down.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	A trained spotter reported a tree and power lines down.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Thunderstorm winds downed a tree and several large limbs near Howell.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Road Commission reported a tree blown down.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Road Commission reported a tree blown down.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Road Commission reported a tree blown down.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Trees were reported blown down.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	The newspaper reported that thunderstorm winds uprooted an 80 foot willow tree.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Livingston County Central Dispatch reported several trees blown down onto power lines.
September 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Livington County Central Dispatch reported that several large trees were blown down in thunderstorm winds.
July 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	Sheriff Department reported numerous trees blown down in the city, some onto houses.
September 2021	Hail	Howell	-	no account filed
April 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	no account filed
May 2014	Hail	Howell	-	no account filed
August 2013	Hail	Howell	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Howell	-	no account filed
July 2012	Hail	Howell	-	no account filed
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Howell	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Livingston County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Livingston County Courthouse	0.1 miles	1976
Ann Arbor Railway Station	0.1 miles	1971
John H. and Martha Durfee Galloway House	0.2 miles	2006
William K. and Nellie Sexton House	0.5 miles	2013
George Louk Farm	2.7 miles	1995
Frank J. Hecox House	3.2 miles	1994

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 86003363 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Livingston County	All 14 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.