The Shelby Township Historical Committee has a Historic Building Marker program open to any home or business more than 50 years old with historical or architectural significance. The marker consists of a cast aluminum plaque that displays the date of the structure's construction and the township logo. Unlike many designated "historic districts," the marker program is voluntary and does not impose any property restrictions.

Apply for a marker:

With the number of historical buildings in Shelby Township, our community can lose historical properties forever without a clear record of the location's history. The marker program is a way of enlisting community involvement to preserve Shelby Township's past.

How to apply for the Historic Marker:

Request a Historic Marker application from the Shelby Township Historical Committee through the township Clerk's Office at 586-731-5102. Supporting documents are necessary to document the history of your home. Upon accepting your application, the committee will present you with a Historical Marker commissioned exclusively for your home.

How to research your home's history:

1. Start at the township assessor's office. Request a copy of your home's current assessment using the parcel number recorded on your deed. The construction year is usually part of the assessment record but may not be correct if it has been razed and rebuilt or moved.
2. Names, dates, and primarily addresses or phone numbers of previous owners are invaluable in researching the history of your home. Write to former owners and ask them for information, and include your phone number. Many people are glad to know someone appreciates their old family home and can provide names, dates, anecdotes, photos and papers.
3. Go to the library and look at old county atlas books to find the location of your house. Record the year and listed owner. Search county directories and microfilm records of the U.S. Census and survey reports, arranged by township and section, obtain more detailed information on the occupants. Check local history books and compare illustrations of historic homes to your home's construction and style, but remember, in rural areas, houses were often built 10 years or more "behind the times" of their design. Many homes are subject to remodeling to follow current design trends and may appear newer.
4. Ask the Historical Committee. The committee members will be happy to talk about the history of your home or neighborhood.
5. Check with your title insurance company to see if an abstract of the title is available. There will usually be a fee, but it will save much work. Continue your search at the county clerk's office. Expect to spend a great deal of time searching deed books and cards if you do not have an abstract. Start by researching your purchase of the property and record the documents. Then explore the index cards for the name of the former owner, look it up in the deed book, and continue the process backward. If your house changed hands many times or sold by land contract, you may not be able to trace all the owners. Record as much information as possible.
6. Sort and index your documents. Create index cards or a table listing buyer, seller, date of sale, liber and page numbers for each property transaction. Index all supporting documents, including photos, newspaper clippings, references from microfilms and books. Arrange them in chronological order.
7. Order a copy of the original "Land Patent" describing the land's sale from the U.S. Government to the original purchaser. The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management charges a nominal fee if you can provide the legal description, date of sale, and name of the purchaser. If you do not have that information, give the property's legal description to the BLM, and it will charge a research fee to find that information for you. The extra time spent looking at deed ledgers is well worthwhile.