Navarre-Anderson Trading Post
Encyclopedia
The Navarre-Anderson Trading Post is a former trading post
complex located at 3775 North Custer Road in Frenchtown Charter Township
along the River Raisin
in Monroe County
, Michigan
. It was listed as a Michigan Historic Site
on June 16, 1972 and also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on July 31, 1972.
The main building on the complex dates back to 1789, making it the oldest surviving wooden residential building in the state. The complex was established by the early French settlers Francois Navarre and John Anderson, who were among the first to settle the area of present-day Monroe. In addition to the main building, which also served as a house, the cookhouse
building was built in 1810. The original barn is no longer standing, but a 1790s replica was built on the complex.
The complex was originally located several miles downstream in the present day Old Village Historic District
. When advancing development threatened this historical complex, it was moved in 1894 and again in 1971. The complex was restored back to its appearance from what it looked like 1799. Today, the complex is owned by the Monroe County Historical Museum and is open to the public for special events and group tours.
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
complex located at 3775 North Custer Road in Frenchtown Charter Township
Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan
Frenchtown Charter Township is a charter township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,777 at the 2000 census. Frenchtown is the second most populated township in Monroe County after Bedford Township...
along the River Raisin
River Raisin
The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States that flows through glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agricultural and industrial center of Michigan. The river flows for almost , draining an area of in the Michigan counties of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw,...
in Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
, 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"....
. It was listed as a Michigan Historic Site
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is in charge of the listing of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of Michigan, including buildings, lighthouses, bridges, historic districts, and many other properties deemed important to the history of Michigan...
on June 16, 1972 and also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 31, 1972.
The main building on the complex dates back to 1789, making it the oldest surviving wooden residential building in the state. The complex was established by the early French settlers Francois Navarre and John Anderson, who were among the first to settle the area of present-day Monroe. In addition to the main building, which also served as a house, the cookhouse
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
building was built in 1810. The original barn is no longer standing, but a 1790s replica was built on the complex.
The complex was originally located several miles downstream in the present day Old Village Historic District
Old Village Historic District (Monroe, Michigan)
The Old Village Historic District is a commercial and residential historic district consisting of the downtown area of the city of Monroe in Monroe County, Michigan...
. When advancing development threatened this historical complex, it was moved in 1894 and again in 1971. The complex was restored back to its appearance from what it looked like 1799. Today, the complex is owned by the Monroe County Historical Museum and is open to the public for special events and group tours.