Architecture for the Centuries
An abundance of lumber made it as easy to build monumental structures as it did to build monumental ships. Lumbermen and shipbuilders who came to Bay City from the East Coast to seek fame and fortune brought with them a love of fine architecture and a desire to live well. They built the expansive homes, commercial buildings and churches that Bay City people still live, work and worship in much as our forefathers did almost 150 years ago.
Local experiences in lumbering and shipbuilding led to further innovations in home construction. Two Bay City brothers, William and Otto Sovereign, took a nod from the pre-cut kit boats designed and manufactured here and founded the Aladdin Homes Company. Soon the mail-order homes industry was thriving in Bay City with ready-cut home kits designed and sold by the Aladdin, Lewis-Liberty and Sterling companies. Many models were constructed throughout the community so manufacturers could offer tours to potential buyers, making Bay City a living catalogue of mail-order home design.
Downtown Bay City Historic District
Maritime Legacy