A couple of attractions in Berrien County are now recipients of Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation.
Niles History Center Director Christina Arseneau tells us she got word Thursday that the Chapin Mansion Restoration and the Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Project have both been selected for the awards. She says it’s an honor to see the two be recognized by the state for honoring Michigan’s past.
“We’re excited that these are two of the things that we spend most of our time on,” Arseneau said. “The Fort St. Joseph, obviously, and we’re working very hard to rehabilitate the Chapin mansion. So this has brought some new attention to it, some new community interest, and really we’re just getting started with that.”
Arseneau says the Chapin Mansion will be opened for the season Memorial Day weekend with some tours, and an open house is planned in June.
As for Fort St. Joseph, the site dates back to the 1690s and for nearly 100 years was a hub of colonial activity that brought together settlers, soldiers, fur trappers, and nearby Potawatomi and Miami settlements.
“The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project has been going on for a little over 25 years now, and we’re still uncovering more history every year. It’s run as a field school, so it trains future archaeologists, but we also run it as a public community project.”
Henry and Ruby Chapin built the Chapin Mansion in 1882. Donated to the city of Niles in 1933, it served as city hall and is now administered by the Niles History Center. Arseneau says it’s been the host to a lot of Niles history over the years.
Arseneau welcomes the honors from the governor, telling us they put a new spotlight on two exciting things happening in Niles right now.
