UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ITA Tl:t 1969 .

Form 10-300(July 1969)ITA Tl:tUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE ichiganNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESINVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM(Type allentri s- complete applicable sections)Curvmod CastleCITY OR TOWN:\Jt.J'OSSOSTATEz0(Check One)00DistrictSite00000TO THE PUBLIC Building0 tertainment0000[;) yMuseum0Public Acquisition:0000Yes:OccupiedIn Process[X UnoccupiedBeing Considered0Preservation win progressPark0Pri vote Residence Other (Sppci[J JTransportationIX] Restricted0Unrestricted0No0Commentsunoccup eReligiousScientificz:3.chigan, a uunicipal CorporationwwCity HallOtmssoSTATE:!S.chig nRTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS , ETC :registry of DeedsShiavras see County CourthouseSTATECorunnaLans.ichigan

( Ch clr On )CONDITIONf) Excellent00GoodFair00D terloratedRuins(Checlr One)0AlteredGj: Unaltered0Unnpoaed(CitecJt One)0MonelOrltlllol SiteOIEICRIBE THE PRIEIIENT AND ORIGINAL. (lflrnOWIV PHYIICAL. APPIEARANCIECUM-Jood Castle is a romantic reproduction of the French manoir style,said to be 1 , se 1 011 :orma.n chateau. The single detached structure asan irregular plan nth extended spires .?.t three corners . The close-eavedgable roof of the central block has a slA.te covering . Tc-ro· chimneys linkedat the base extend from the rear gable facade . :&terior -vmll covering onthe central bloc c and spires is yelle -J stucco , 1dth decoretive fieldstoneprojecting from the walls at Hidely spaced random intervals . The mainblock has tt-Jo- sash casement -vlindows Hi thout mullions , -vli th trans oms .A shed roof projects from the mRin gable facade over the main entrance between the paired spires in the froat of the building . The semielliptical structural opening for the main entrance is framed lli thdecorative rough fieldstone voussoirs placed at inte vals in the stucco.he aired spires at the corners of the main gable facade havewindows with semi- circular surrounds , conical roofs , and deep abacuslike overhangs j ust beloH the roof eaves . The higner spire has wind9 rgsset in the overhanging upper portion. The upper portion in each of t paired spires is supported by rounded brackets .The spire which extends from one corner of the rear gable facadedeparts from the appearance of the rest of the building with fachHerkwalls and rectangular ldndo-v;s .Steps and a curved \-ralliray lead do-vm from the :l!".ain entr ance. TheCurl-Jood Castle is elevated a few feet above the surrounding grounds , itsl·rindovrs looking out over a bend in the Shia-vrassee River.mmz-f:::ac:n-f0:z;

PI:"IOD (Checlr One o' M e ee ApprofWiete)0Pre-Columbian I015th CenturyA"EAI OF ure0p,.hl1torlcArt0ww00lndultry18th CenturyE20th Century19th Centurylond1cope0Communication 0MilitaryliEJCon . nc-merce I,ICANCOOEducationEngineeringArchitecture:f) LiteratureTATEMI: T OF Siz16th Century17th Century(Checlr One or More ee tureSoc ia 1/HG'mon·itorion' TronsDOrllat ic nvames vurwood gave h mself over fromtwo consuming paS'SiOfi.s - writing and the out-of-doors . He left behind himmore than thirty successfUl novels, a fondly remembered reputation asone of America's firs spokesmen for conservation, and a castle , theCurt,mod Castle, symbol of an era, a pla-ce, and an unusual man.1q Cunmod ras born in Ot-10sso, Aichigan, in .1:.§1.a. By the age of eightyears , he was already pouring himself into his hunting and his vll'iting .Elcpelled before he vTas able to complete high school, Curwood left lchiganto tour the South on a bicycle , stopping along the way to trap furs andpeddle patent medicines . During his early adult years , the young writerreturned to {ichigan to complete two years of study at the University ofHichigan and to vTOrk as a reporter and later as an:· editor on . . the staffof the Detroit ews- ribune .In 1.907, Curt·mod left the ·evrs- Tribune and returned to his nativeOwosso to devote himself to his O Tn writing : Curwood was determinedto become a successful novelist. His first published novel, The Courageof CaEtain Plum ( 1.908) , launched Curwood on a career vThich Hould carryhim through more than thirty novels , many of vThich fixed nevT salesrecords and all of which together netted the ,.,.rriter mare than a milliondollars in royalties .In l222 Curwood spent 50 , 000 of his new wealth to build a Normanastle on the banks of his beloved Shtawassee River. The author walkedfrom his home a fevT blocks away each morning and spent his days t.rritingin this fantastical uorkshop f er the rest of his life.Curwood' s 1-rriting, dated and superficial by contemporary standards ,nevertheless spoke for and to the pre- l'orld 'lar II reading public ina manner unparalleled by much of the writing of the period. Curwood reliedheavily on a consistent fare of simple, boldly heroic characteri ationsand settings laced in the vigorous terrain of the northw·estern AmericanvTilds . He proudly pointed out toHard the end of his life that everythinghe had ever written -vras wholesome and uncontroversial .James Curwood was an early member of the hichigan Conservation Commission, and he has been called a pioneer in the American ecoiog ca1movement.Curt·rood' s most popular novels sold 1-1ell abroad as well as domesticallyand several of them ·Hent on to inspire box-office smash movie scripts .His -vmrk 't·ras even said to be accepted in ?ranee on a level with the workof Upton binclair and Jack London, perhaps gaining something in thetranslation. In all of his writing , Curwood urged that vigorous physicalexperience in the out-of- doors was a panacea for all man's ills , eventhe vigorous physical experience of war, " the thrill of man killing man. "

Department of Conservation, Fourth "Jiennial .:leport 1.927- 28 , p . 1.Address , :.ichigan .Jtate Representative ".illiam ;;. . allenger, August lJ ,t970 , in Historic .: ite File, .·.ichigan .istorical Conur.is '". io'1, .unsing.Johnson, .tUlen, Dictiona - of American :3io raph , IV (21. vols . ; eH York:Charles .;jcribners ' vons , 1.930 , 22-2) .Detroit Free ress , ::arch lJ , 1.966.:u:ansing) State Journal, :!overnber 24, 1.966 E :::0c::Jim Schutze, Assistant: istoria rs.ORGANIZATIONSTREET AND NUMBER:)40 5 :rorth loganCITY OR TOWN :Lansing0%LichiganAs the designated State Liaison Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusionI hereby certify that this property is included in theNa t ional Register.in the National Register and certify that it has beenevaluated ac c ording to the criteria and procedures setforth by the National Park Service. The recommendedlevel of signi.ficance of this nomination is:NationalDate1815/3/71State0Local0nStP 3

Form 10-JOOo(July 1969)UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICENATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESSTATECOUNTY13-chiganShia1,;asseeINVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM(Continuation Sheet)(Number all entrlea)8. 2.CU!'\·mod predicted that exercise, clean living, and good diet 1-J"Ouldcarry him to a ripe age of more than a hundred ye rs . On August t3, 1.927,at the age of forty-nine, Curwood died of blood-poisoning.Since then, the romantic Curwood Castle h s served the people ofOv10sso , to ':Jhom it 1·18.5 left in the author's \-rill, in a number of capacities.DJ.ring r.:orld ·:ar II, it was used as a youth center, and,until recently, theCwosso Union chool District used the building for administrative officespace. The castle is idle no J, but local civic and historical groups havepledged their support and effort to its preservation.- - --- -. ·-·------- - ·-·· ·- -- ·-- ·-·---·- - - - - - - - --- --- -- - --

Sources Michigan Dept. of State Hi hwa8calea 1 inch 2400 feetgysDates 1967Form 10-301(Dec. 1968)UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICEHATIOHAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESSTATEMichiganCOUNTYShiawasseePROPERTY MAP FORM(Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map)z01-u a:::1-224 John StreetCITY OR TOWN:OwossoSTATE:enzwwenTO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS1. Property broundories where required .2.North arrow.3.Loti tude and longitude reference .I

STATE OF MICHIGANNATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSIONE. M. LAITALAChairmanCARL T. JOHNSONWILLIAM G. MILLIKEN, GovernorROBERT C. McLAUGHLINDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCESAUGUST SCHOLLEHARRY H. WHITELEYSTEVENS T. MASON BUILDING, LANSING, MICHIGAN 48926RALPH A. MAC MULLAN, DirectorMay 3, 1971\\Dr. William J. MurtaghKeeper of the National RegisterOffice of Archaeology and Historic PreservationNational Park Service801 19th Street, N. W., Room 618Washington, D. C.20006Dear Dr. Murtagh:Enclosed are twelve (12) sets of nomination forms for the NationalRegister of Historic Sites, as allows:1.First Presbyterian Church of Blissfield, Lenawee County2.Harper Hospital, Wayne County3.Fort Street Presbyterian Church, Wayne County4.Lapeer County Courthouse, Lapeer County5.John J. Bagley Memorial Fountain, Wayne County6.Governor Robert McClelland House, Monroe County7.Horticultural Laboratory Building, Ingham County8.Colonel Frank J. Hecker House, Wayne County9.Loren Andrus House, Macomb County10.Schoolcraft House/Elmwood, Chippewa County11.· Curwood Castle, Shiawassee County12.Jackson Mine, Marquette County

Dr. MurtaghMay 3, 1971- 2 -. These sites have been approved by the Historic Prese ation Advisory Coun il,and are herewith submitted for nomination to the National Register ofHistoric Sites by Dr. Ralph MacMullan, the State Liaison Officer.Sincerely,. m '\Office of Planning ServicesandChairman, Historic PreservationTask ForceNFS:JAB:glcEnc.cc: D. ChaputC. Clelandr

ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTERSTATE1971Date EnteredNameLocationlava ao CountyCWO SOt i : ig 1D.9'11Co\m1:yEa8t. Lal3Gr!Qd ton City Historic DistrictronPortcit\9', tlchiqcco tyst:tn· Town b.\p,COUnty .s:tlin n,"iehiganichigan:-.ro. County a., U.o'l\ignat Countyerront il e,: tchig-Hon. Robert P. GriffinAlso Notifiedtate .iaison. Of.fic! hilip na.rtMrsamwtllsteinHon- Charles rlaDeuy:Dirltor J.s uvey JeJUG, O'in L. scRecreation Department of turalIJOn!!u.UdiMic:higLansin9,Director, Northeast Region arusin:mm9/2/71BASIC FILE RETAINED IN HR4 926aourc a

3. Fort Street Presbyterian Church, Wayne County 4. Lapeer County Courthouse, Lapeer County 5. John J. Bagley Memorial Fountain, Wayne County 6. Governor Robert McClelland House, Monroe County 7. Horticultural Laboratory Building, Ingham County 8. Colonel Frank J. Hecker House, Wayne County 9. Loren Andrus House, Macomb County 10.