Allegan, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Allegan is a city in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat
of Allegan County
. The city lies within Allegan Township
, but is administratively autonomous.
Allegan was named by Michigan historian Henry Rowe Schoolcraft in 1837 to sound like a Native American word. Land was purchased from government to form the downtown business district; village organization came in 1838 with city incorporation authorized in 1907.
Allegan is located in the south-central portion of the county. To the west and northwest is the Allegan State Game Area
for which the city is considered a gateway. In all other directions Allegan is surrounded by farmland.
Allegan's dense forests and river geography served as a source of water power, trade routes for steamboats and timber production. Once cleared, Allegan became a center for business, industry and expansive farmland.
The men after whom Allegan's downtown streets were named - Elisha Ely, Samuel Hubbard, Charles Christopher Trowbridge
, Pliny Cutler, and Edmund Monroe - patented land in the area in 1833. They considered the site a prime location for industry, due to its potential for water power (since it straddled the Kalamazoo River
) and water bound transportation. By 1835, a dam and sawmill had been established.
In 1886, a one-lane bridge was built over the Kalamazoo River
to connect limited highway M-89 to the downtown area. The bridge fell into disrepair and was going to be removed until a group of activists raised the money to restore the bridge in 1983. Now a highlight of Allegan, the one-lane bridge is used in the city logo and is considered an important part of the city.
In 1914, Allegan entered the automobile (race car) industry as the manufacturing site of Howard E. Blood
and Louis Chevrolet's
unique chain-drive Cornelian automobile
. The venture was short-lived, however, with fewer than 100 Cornelians actually produced.http://www.villageprofile.com/michigan/allegan/03his/topic.htmlhttp://www.google.com/search?q=cache:xLxpYRN1oWQJ:www.detnews.com/joyrides/laramie/chapter4.htm+%22Louis+Chevrolet%22+Allegan&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=firefox-ahttp://vtauto.org/magicmotoring.php?ID=78
Easter/Passover Weekend 1967, some scenes from the movie Ciao! Manhattan
were filmed at the old Allegan County Jail, now the Allegan County Jail Museum. Ironically, Paul America
, one of the actors in the underground film, was jailed the following year in upstate Michigan, facing twenty years to life on an obscure marijuana charge. http://www.warholstars.org/news/march2006a.html
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city is located at 42.53°N, 85.85°W, and has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (11.81%) is water.
of 2000, there were 4,838 people, 1,831 households, and 1,186 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,270.9 per square mile (490.3/km²). There were 1,947 housing units at an average density of 511.5 per square mile (197.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.44% White, 4.71% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races
, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.85% of the population.
There were 1,831 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,539, and the median income for a family was $45,833. Males had a median income of $35,417 versus $25,669 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,075. About 10.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
, the largest maker of private label over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in the world. The Perrigo company was founded here in 1887. In 2005 it employed 5,848 people in the United States, England and Mexico
. Until 2009 Allegan was the longstanding manufacturing base of the Haworth (company)
Seating Plant; the City of Allegan lost a major UAW-organized Rockwell manufacturing plant in the early 1980s. The city is served by Padgham Field
, a small general aviation airport with one paved asphalt runway and one turf runway. Grand Rapids
and Kalamazoo
are larger metropolitan points of access to Allegan County; generally access by commercial airlines would require a trip to or from Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo.
erected by the King Iron Bridge Company (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1886. Used as a two-lane bridge until discussions about its demise began in 1970s, the City of Allegan experienced an unprecedented and consistent outcry not to demolish its most prominent downtown trademark. City planners often commented the downtown district would be better served by a more modern, two-lane structure, a common progressive view that has resulted in the demise of thousands of historic structures nationwide. As a result of community efforts and the successful application for federal grants, the Second Street Bridge was renewed for likely another century of service. The only noticeable modifications are the installation of wood in the decking of the bridge, reduction of traffic to one lane and the installation of traffic lights at both ends. Allegan received national recognition in the form of The National Historic Preservation Award, one of fifteen such recipients in the United States. Focus on preservation of the downtown business district and timeless residential homes has continued as a theme in Allegan since the two-year bridge restoration (1981–1983).
styled courthouse. The previous courthouse, a magnificent structure incapable of meeting the growing office space needs of the city, was leveled in favor of a modern structure that serves as Allegan County's courthouse today. Many of Allegan's senior residents can recall the old courthouse with reverence, and vividly contrast apathy that consumed the courthouse with activism that saved the Old Iron (Second Street) Bridge.
era windfall received by Union Army General Benjamin Dudley Pritchard
. Pritchard's apprehension of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis
led to a $100,000 bounty that would forever alter the Allegan residential district. Pritchard shared his reward with troops who, like Pritchard, chose to settle in Allegan. With financial gifts from Pritchard and the continued growth of Allegan as a center for business, the valuable downtown properties were populated with stately homes of impressive architecture. Many of these homes remain, with only minor modification, today. Owners of distinctive Allegan homes are often well-versed in the history of their houses, with stories passing from owner to owner, generation to generation. It is not uncommon to hear exactly which political power, war hero or business magnate stayed within the walls of these beautiful Allegan homes.
The downtown business district of Allegan falls among some of the best preserved small-town residential districts in America. Dozens of homes built in the 19th century and early 20th century remain much as they existed at their construction; homes with porches suitable for carriage ingress and egress are spectacularly preserved. Largely unchanged in layout for well over a century, the Allegan business district remains a unique presentation of shops, professional offices and yet another example of architectural community renewal.
acts on its stage. In the 1930s, the Regent received an Art Deco
facelift, including a cream-colored vitrolite
facade with red and green highlights. The six second-story windows have been closed up and covered with vitrolite with abstract decoration on them. The late Streamline
era marquee, with its only decoration being a large white star, is lit with neon and light bulbs.
After decades entertaining the people of Allegan, the Regent closed in the early 1980s. It was threatened with demolition by 1990. The non-profit Old Regent Theatre purchased the theater the same year and restored it to its 1930s glory in 1996. In 1997, during a violent rainstorm, the roof collapsed causing massive damage just an hour after the last movie of the night let out. Since then, the Old Regent has been painstakingly rebuilt and restored once again, including recreating historic panels in the auditorium and the original 1930s carpeting. The building was rewired electrically, and new curtains were hung.
The original 20x30 foot screen was salvaged, but needed to be repaired. It is now one of the largest screens remaining in Michigan.
South Pacific
was screened at the Old Regent's second grand-reopening in 1999. Along with first run films, the theater also shows classic films and has a children's matinee on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
On September 13, 2007, the fully restored marquee was completed and Trowbridge St. now glows under the colorful neon of the beautifully restored Art Deco masterpiece.
Traditionally the Allegan Community Players have called The Griswold Auditorium home. The auditorium was built in 1929 through an $100,000 endowment left by the late Marilla Griswold and has remained virtually unchanged ever since its completion.
In the summer of 2008 the group was reinvigorated when they produced Broadway the Big Picture. With a cast of over 50, including performers of all ages, the players regained their place in the community as an outlet and teaching module for all ages. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
, White Christmas
, and A Christmas Carol
rounded off their comeback year.
The Allegan Community Players have announced their 2009 season. In July Broadway the Big Pictue: Take 2 will take the stage. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with floor show will be held on Halloween
weekend at The Griswold.
Their summer production will take the stage at the Allegan Public Schools Performing Arts Center.
The players built a set for The Allegan County Fair Idol Contest where they were also competition judges.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Allegan County
Allegan County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...
. The city lies within Allegan Township
Allegan Township, Michigan
Allegan Township is a civil township of Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 4,050.The City of Allegan is within the township, but is administratively autonomous.-Geography:...
, but is administratively autonomous.
Allegan was named by Michigan historian Henry Rowe Schoolcraft in 1837 to sound like a Native American word. Land was purchased from government to form the downtown business district; village organization came in 1838 with city incorporation authorized in 1907.
Allegan is located in the south-central portion of the county. To the west and northwest is the Allegan State Game Area
Allegan State Game Area
Allegan State Game Area is a forest attracting campers, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, horse trail riders and hunters. It is located in west-central Allegan County, Michigan. One gateway is just west of the city of Allegan. It is more commonly referred to as Allegan Forest.It has two...
for which the city is considered a gateway. In all other directions Allegan is surrounded by farmland.
Allegan's dense forests and river geography served as a source of water power, trade routes for steamboats and timber production. Once cleared, Allegan became a center for business, industry and expansive farmland.
History
Charles Christopher Trowbridge
Charles Christopher Trowbridge was an explorer, politician, businessman, and ethnographer of Native American cultures who lived in Detroit during the 19th century...
, Pliny Cutler, and Edmund Monroe - patented land in the area in 1833. They considered the site a prime location for industry, due to its potential for water power (since it straddled the Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...
) and water bound transportation. By 1835, a dam and sawmill had been established.
In 1886, a one-lane bridge was built over the Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...
to connect limited highway M-89 to the downtown area. The bridge fell into disrepair and was going to be removed until a group of activists raised the money to restore the bridge in 1983. Now a highlight of Allegan, the one-lane bridge is used in the city logo and is considered an important part of the city.
In 1914, Allegan entered the automobile (race car) industry as the manufacturing site of Howard E. Blood
Blood Brothers Machine Company
Blood Brothers Machine Company was a universal joint manufacturing firm with factories in Allegan and Kalamazoo, Michigan.In 1914, the Blood Brothers purchased the Allegan Mirror Company and ventured into the racing car industry with the production of the unique chain drive Cornelian driven by...
and Louis Chevrolet's
Louis Chevrolet
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was a Swiss-born American race car driver of French descent, co-founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911 and later, the Frontenac Motor Corporation in 1916 which made racing parts for Ford's Model T.-Early life:Born in 1878 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a center of...
unique chain-drive Cornelian automobile
Cornelian automobile
The Cornelian was a 1914 American automobile built expressly for racing. It had chain drive and was the smallest such configuration to be raced at the Indianapolis Speedway.-Manufacture:...
. The venture was short-lived, however, with fewer than 100 Cornelians actually produced.http://www.villageprofile.com/michigan/allegan/03his/topic.htmlhttp://www.google.com/search?q=cache:xLxpYRN1oWQJ:www.detnews.com/joyrides/laramie/chapter4.htm+%22Louis+Chevrolet%22+Allegan&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=firefox-ahttp://vtauto.org/magicmotoring.php?ID=78
Easter/Passover Weekend 1967, some scenes from the movie Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan
Ciao! Manhattan is a 1972 American avant garde film starring Edie Sedgwick, one of Andy Warhol's Superstars. Although not a documentary, the film centers around a character very closely based on Sedgwick, and deals with the pain of addiction and the lure of fame.-Film overview:Written and directed...
were filmed at the old Allegan County Jail, now the Allegan County Jail Museum. Ironically, Paul America
Paul America
Paul Johnson , better known as Paul America, was a member of Andy Warhol's Warhol Superstars group who starred in one Warhol-directed film, My Hustler...
, one of the actors in the underground film, was jailed the following year in upstate Michigan, facing twenty years to life on an obscure marijuana charge. http://www.warholstars.org/news/march2006a.html
Geography
Allegan County is the 18th largest physical county in Michigan (at 827 square miles) and enjoys 25 miles (40.2 km) of Lake Michigan coastline. The City of Allegan, as the other towns and the county itself, enjoys numerous parks, natural areas and access to multiple opportunities for lake activities and water sports. Allegan's largest annual celebration, widely reputed as the largest county fair in Michigan, is the Allegan County Fair each September. Allegan's local newspaper, locally-owned and in publication since 1858, is the Allegan County News.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city is located at 42.53°N, 85.85°W, and has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (11.81%) is water.
Transportation
M-40M-40 (Michigan highway)M-40 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from US Highway 12 near the Indiana state line in Porter Township north through Paw Paw and Allegan to end in the outskirts of Holland...
M-89M-89 (Michigan highway)M-89 is an east–west state highway in the US state of Michigan. It runs from near Ganges Township to Battle Creek. M-89 passes through Allegan County, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, and Calhoun County. It also briefly crosses the southwest corner of Barry County.-Route description:M-89 begins...
M-222M-222 (Michigan highway)M-222 is the current designation of a state trunkline route in the US state of Michigan. The route was formerly signed as M-118 and connects the city of Allegan with the US 131 freeway near Martin.-Route description:...
A-37
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,838 people, 1,831 households, and 1,186 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,270.9 per square mile (490.3/km²). There were 1,947 housing units at an average density of 511.5 per square mile (197.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.44% White, 4.71% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.85% of the population.
There were 1,831 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,539, and the median income for a family was $45,833. Males had a median income of $35,417 versus $25,669 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,075. About 10.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
The largest employer is the Perrigo CompanyPerrigo
Perrigo Company , is the largest manufacturer of private label over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in the United States. The company’s shares are traded on the NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; as a result of the merger with Agis Industries the company is a constituent of the TA-25...
, the largest maker of private label over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in the world. The Perrigo company was founded here in 1887. In 2005 it employed 5,848 people in the United States, England and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Until 2009 Allegan was the longstanding manufacturing base of the Haworth (company)
Haworth (company)
Haworth designs and manufactures adaptable workspaces, including raised floors, movable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage and wood casegoods. Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan in the United States. Haworth serves markets in more than 120...
Seating Plant; the City of Allegan lost a major UAW-organized Rockwell manufacturing plant in the early 1980s. The city is served by Padgham Field
Padgham Field
Allegan City Airport is a general aviation airport located 1 mile east of Allegan in Allegan County, Michigan, USA.The address of the airport is: 740 Grand St., Allegan, MI, 49010...
, a small general aviation airport with one paved asphalt runway and one turf runway. Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
and Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
are larger metropolitan points of access to Allegan County; generally access by commercial airlines would require a trip to or from Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo.
Waterfront Plaza
A longtime industrial town, Allegan's downtown waterfront fell into disrepair and environmental pollution by the late 1960s and early 1970s. The potential for loss of an aging iron bridge would cause the citizenry of Allegan to focus on community history, en masse, for an event that solidified Allegan's view toward community architectural preservation. The Second Street Bridge in Allegan is a whipple-trough truss bridgeTruss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
erected by the King Iron Bridge Company (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1886. Used as a two-lane bridge until discussions about its demise began in 1970s, the City of Allegan experienced an unprecedented and consistent outcry not to demolish its most prominent downtown trademark. City planners often commented the downtown district would be better served by a more modern, two-lane structure, a common progressive view that has resulted in the demise of thousands of historic structures nationwide. As a result of community efforts and the successful application for federal grants, the Second Street Bridge was renewed for likely another century of service. The only noticeable modifications are the installation of wood in the decking of the bridge, reduction of traffic to one lane and the installation of traffic lights at both ends. Allegan received national recognition in the form of The National Historic Preservation Award, one of fifteen such recipients in the United States. Focus on preservation of the downtown business district and timeless residential homes has continued as a theme in Allegan since the two-year bridge restoration (1981–1983).
BridgeFest
For several years in the late 1980s and 1990s, Allegan held a city festival called "Bridgefest" in honor of the Second Street Bridge. The "Old Iron Bridge", as it is referred to by residents, remains the most common logo and identifying characteristic of historic Allegan, Michigan. The Second Street Bridge served also as an ideal "second chance" for Allegan residents to gain footing against progressive construction. Faced with legitimate needs to modify or replace aging structures, Allegan also began taking inventory of its well-preserved architectural wealth. In 1953 the City of Allegan gave its unique architectural history a back seat to progress and demolished its then 65 year old Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
styled courthouse. The previous courthouse, a magnificent structure incapable of meeting the growing office space needs of the city, was leveled in favor of a modern structure that serves as Allegan County's courthouse today. Many of Allegan's senior residents can recall the old courthouse with reverence, and vividly contrast apathy that consumed the courthouse with activism that saved the Old Iron (Second Street) Bridge.
Historical District
Much of Allegan's historic architecture dates to an odd Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era windfall received by Union Army General Benjamin Dudley Pritchard
Benjamin D. Pritchard
Benjamin Dudley Pritchard was a United States Army officer, most known for leading the Union cavalry regiment which captured the fugitive Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, in the weeks surrounding the close of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Benjamin...
. Pritchard's apprehension of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
led to a $100,000 bounty that would forever alter the Allegan residential district. Pritchard shared his reward with troops who, like Pritchard, chose to settle in Allegan. With financial gifts from Pritchard and the continued growth of Allegan as a center for business, the valuable downtown properties were populated with stately homes of impressive architecture. Many of these homes remain, with only minor modification, today. Owners of distinctive Allegan homes are often well-versed in the history of their houses, with stories passing from owner to owner, generation to generation. It is not uncommon to hear exactly which political power, war hero or business magnate stayed within the walls of these beautiful Allegan homes.
The downtown business district of Allegan falls among some of the best preserved small-town residential districts in America. Dozens of homes built in the 19th century and early 20th century remain much as they existed at their construction; homes with porches suitable for carriage ingress and egress are spectacularly preserved. Largely unchanged in layout for well over a century, the Allegan business district remains a unique presentation of shops, professional offices and yet another example of architectural community renewal.
Regent Theatre
The Regent Theatre opened in 1919 in what was formerly a late 19th century horse livery. It originally not only showed movies, but presented vaudevilleAudeville
Audeville is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
acts on its stage. In the 1930s, the Regent received an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
facelift, including a cream-colored vitrolite
Vitrolite
Vitrolite was an opaque pigmented glass manufactured by Pilkington Brothers in the United Kingdom and The Vitrolite Company then Libbey Owens Ford in the United States...
facade with red and green highlights. The six second-story windows have been closed up and covered with vitrolite with abstract decoration on them. The late Streamline
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
era marquee, with its only decoration being a large white star, is lit with neon and light bulbs.
After decades entertaining the people of Allegan, the Regent closed in the early 1980s. It was threatened with demolition by 1990. The non-profit Old Regent Theatre purchased the theater the same year and restored it to its 1930s glory in 1996. In 1997, during a violent rainstorm, the roof collapsed causing massive damage just an hour after the last movie of the night let out. Since then, the Old Regent has been painstakingly rebuilt and restored once again, including recreating historic panels in the auditorium and the original 1930s carpeting. The building was rewired electrically, and new curtains were hung.
The original 20x30 foot screen was salvaged, but needed to be repaired. It is now one of the largest screens remaining in Michigan.
South Pacific
South Pacific (film)
South Pacific is a 1958 musical romance film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, and based on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific...
was screened at the Old Regent's second grand-reopening in 1999. Along with first run films, the theater also shows classic films and has a children's matinee on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
On September 13, 2007, the fully restored marquee was completed and Trowbridge St. now glows under the colorful neon of the beautifully restored Art Deco masterpiece.
Allegan Community Players
Allegan is home to Michigan's oldest theatre company, the Allegan Community Players.Traditionally the Allegan Community Players have called The Griswold Auditorium home. The auditorium was built in 1929 through an $100,000 endowment left by the late Marilla Griswold and has remained virtually unchanged ever since its completion.
In the summer of 2008 the group was reinvigorated when they produced Broadway the Big Picture. With a cast of over 50, including performers of all ages, the players regained their place in the community as an outlet and teaching module for all ages. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, White Christmas
White Christmas (musical)
White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
, and A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
rounded off their comeback year.
The Allegan Community Players have announced their 2009 season. In July Broadway the Big Pictue: Take 2 will take the stage. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with floor show will be held on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
weekend at The Griswold.
Their summer production will take the stage at the Allegan Public Schools Performing Arts Center.
The players built a set for The Allegan County Fair Idol Contest where they were also competition judges.
Allegan Area Arts Council
Established in 1997, the Allegan Area Arts Council is a vibrant organization that sponsors various artistic activities in and around Allegan. In August 2008, the Arts Council sponsored a Chicago production of "Little Women" at the Griswold. In December 2008, the "Art Hop" was very well attended, and will become an annual event. In March 2009, the annual "Art in the Garden" event will take place at the Griswold Auditorium. The council's website (alleganarts.com) outlines all of its activities.City Services
Allegan maintains, impressively for a city its size, a comprehensive 24-hour hospital system (Allegan General Hospital) and is served in community policing by both City of Allegan police and the Sheriff's Department of Allegan County, also headquartered within the Allegan City limits. The County of Allegan comprises 24 incorporated townships, most maintaining their own system of city schools, emergency services and local law enforcement.Notable natives
- Ray Luther "Dad" Hale (1880–1946), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Clare HoffmanClare HoffmanClare Eugene Hoffman was a United States Representative from Michigan.Hoffman was born in Vicksburg, Union County, Pennsylvania, where he attended the public schools. He graduated from the law department of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1895...
(1875–1967), member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in the 20th century - Frank MillerFrank Miller (baseball player)Frank Lee Miller , a.k.a. "Bullet", was 27 years old when he entered the professional baseball scene on July 12, 1913, with the Chicago White Sox....
(1886–1974), Major League Baseball player - Clara Elsene PeckClara Elsene PeckClara Elsene Peck was an American illustrator and painter known for her illustrations of women and children in the early 20th century. Peck received her arts education from the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts and was employed as a magazine illustrator from 1906-1940...
(1883–1968), painter and illustrator