NORTHVILLIANS,

Maybury State Park celebrated its 50^th Anniversary this month (6/21). This week in the Northvillian, I will look back on the progression of the Maybury property through time.

Additionally, the Northville Historical Society and the Friends of Maybury are working on a book to document Maybury’s colorful history. If you have a memory or photos you’d like to share, they’d love to hear from you! Contact Kale at Maybury State Park (248.349.8390) or the Historical Society (248.348.1845).

The Summer Theme for The Northvillian starts this week as we celebrate local green spaces beginning with Maybury State Park. In weeks to come, we will look at 4^th of July activities in town, celebrate our gardens in the area and touch on our waterscapes, along with our summer love affair with the automobile.

Before looking at Maybury's history, let's see what's happening today:

• Quarterly Mayoral Town Hall / State of the Community for all – TONIGHT!6/24, 7:00 PM @ Genitti’s – 108 E. Main (Updates on the City of Northville’s initiatives)
• Northville 4^th of July activities
• Parade 7/4 10AM downtown - Link
• Mill Race Village events 11-2 - Link
• 31^stAnnual Garden Walk – 7/9, 9 AM – 4 PM –Country Garden Club of Northville presents six charming gardens for you to tour. Link
• Mill Race Village is now open Sundays, 1-4 PM – Stroll the newly bricked lane, tour the historic buildings, and shop in the General Store at 215 Griswold.
• Tipping Point Theatre’s Summer Season kicks off July 17^th-The Planet Ant Home Team, an improv performance with audience input. Link
• Upcoming Music/Concerts – Chamber/DDA Link, Maybury Link, Marquis Link, Northville Winery Link, NOMI Link

INFO FOR CITIZENS...
PROJECTS AROUND TOWN

• Ford Field – Phase I: (Built) New waterfall at Serenity Point. Phase II: (Summer ’25) Vista overlook, fencing, staircase upgrades, ADA entrance and in (Fall ’25) a new playscape starts becoming a reality. Phase III (2026) – Bathrooms
• Riverwalk – Riverwalk/Pathway system coming together at the Downs … 1100 trees delivered for the River Park, boulevards, entry ways & the new City Park. Bridges across Downs riverwalk section being constructed and the river will flow above ground in August. The entire park will take shape this fall.
• Downs Initiative – Construction progressing -Infrastructure, Townhomes, Apartments)
• Farmers’ Market – This Northville gathering place was provided by the Township & City working together. Visit the Farmers Market across from Custard Time (550 7 Mile), Thursdays, 8am - 2pm, May-October. Other events planned: car shows, (2^nd Saturday monthly), drive-in movies, festivals, carnivals. Etc.
• Grants that Support Northville’s Community Initiatives – Link

Let's takea look at the history of Maybury as wecelebrateits 50th anniversary as a State Park:

In our locality, we are fortunate to have not only city & township parks, but a county and a state park in which to recreate. Today I will highlight a true gem, Maybury State Park, right in our own backyard. We look forward to connecting all these parks via the trail system in the coming years.

Maybury's history through time…
Maybury State Park is truly an oasis of lush green forests, offering visitors miles of trails and a place to connect with nature. There is truly something for everyone there. Notably, for seniors and others with walking disabilities, guided-assisted trail walks offer all-terrain motorized chairs, so all can explore its topography and historical markers.

Background
Dating back to the 1820s, the area encompassed 8 farms. Starting in 1921, it served for over 50 years as a tuberculosis treatment medical center, eventually named in honor of William H. Maybury, who spearheaded its development and oversaw its construction. After the facility closed, the State acquired the land in 1971 from the City of Detroit.

Maybury has close to 1000 acres of gently rolling terrain, open meadows and mature forests. The park offers a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the year, including extensive trails for walking and biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, youth camping, fishing and a working visitor farm, along with placemaking areas to gather.

Articles going back over 40 years in The Northville Record speak about how the Scouts have used Maybury State Park for hiking, archery, running obstacle courses, educational learning and overnight camping.

Let’s take a look at some facts about Maybury when it was a Medical Center…
DID YOU KNOW–As mentioned above, before becoming a park, the grounds originally encompassed eight farms, dating back to the 1820’s then the property transitioned to a medical center and eventually a State Park. This Maybury site, for its 50 years as a medical campus, was a complex of 45 buildings on initially 944 acres. It was an all-in-one community, including:

• Multiple Buildings with open air verandas for patients served by its own powerhouse
• A children’s section and separate building along with a Doctors’ quarters & nurses’ home
• A school building & a women’s dormitory along with an auditorium/chapel & Fire House
• Bakery, tinsmith & carpenter shop, and a pasteurization plant for their dairy farm
• It even had its own Library and published the Maybury Monthly magazine.

YEARLY consumptions at Maybury during the time it was a Medical facility servicing 844 patients & 478 employees were:

• 5200 tons of coal burned in the power plant
• 60 million gallons of water used
• 1.2 million pieces of laundry washed
• 11.7 tons of soap purchased
• 1.5 miles of bed sheets laundered
• 27 tons of butter consumed
• 45 tons of flour were grown & ground onsite
• 6 tons of coffee purchased
• 31 tons of sugar used to sweeten the food

Get out and enjoy Maybury State Park during its 50^th anniversary season as the summer begins – partake in their Monday night concerts, stroll the grounds and envision the history as you walk the trails and even stop by the working farm. Look for their entries in the Fourth of July parade, too!

Enjoy your Summer!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville