Brighton Area Historical Society

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Brighton Area Historical Society

Welcome to Your Past www.brightonareahistorical.com

06/11/2026

Flag Day Special Program at CoBACH
this Sunday, June 14, 1-3pm:

Visit the CoBACH Center this Sunday and experience a great FREE exhibit on the history of our beautiful flag sponsored by the Brighton Area Historical Society.

There will also be running presentations
on the proper etiquette for displaying the flag. Flag traditions will also be shared during the friendly and informal presentation.

The CoBACH Center is located next to Brighton’s downtown Millpond at 202 W Main St.(see photos)

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06/09/2026

Brewery Becker, A Beautiful Building!
A Gorgeous Gateway to Brighton From the West. Photos from 1907 and 2026:

Today’s Brewery Becker building was built in 1873 just after the arrival of the railroad into Brighton in 1871. In its early days it was known as the Western House Hotel. The building was being considered for demolition in the early 2000s. Thankfully the Becker family got involved and gave the structure a complete rehabilitation.

The building is attractive both on the interior and exterior. However, in summer the real beauty is the exterior patio known as the Biergarten. Experience a relaxing time and bring several friends and enjoy the beauty and solitude of the outside tavern. One visit and you will make it your new evening entertainment venue for an evening with friends. You might run into some famous people who stopped by to check out the beauty and to enjoy some great crafted beer!

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06/07/2026

Photo Help Needed- Students at Lower Elementary School on Rickett Road:

The Lower Elementary was built in 1907. Located adjacent to the original 1868 high school. The school still exists in its repurposed state as an apartment today(see photos).

Do you know any family members listed on the photo? Do you know any early Brighton families that may be able to shed light on these children’s names?

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06/06/2026

Retro Brighton Logo Tee Shirts for Alumni!
Congratulations Class of 1976!
50th Anniversary!

Pick up your retro teeshirts for $25 at Wallflower Mercantile, 316 W Main St. (Former D & C location). Get a Christmas gift for a classmate!
Hours: Sat 10am-6 pm, Sun 11-4 pm
Mon-Fri 10-6 pm.

Wallflower Mercantile generously supports the Brighton Area Historical Society with a $5 donation with each teeshirt sale!

Retro Logo Teeshirts for your favorite memories! Check the photos!

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06/03/2026

CoBACH Center Exhibit:
250th Salute to Flags!

Help celebrate our Nation’s 250th Anniversary this summer. Visit the City of Brighton Arts, Culture and History (CoBACH) Center as you peruse the downtown shops and enjoy the beauty of the Millpond.

You will see different flag styles in your visit to the CoBACH Center. The displays will inform you of the different periods when these flags were used.

If you were wondering, Brighton was settled by the Maltby brothers in 1832. In another six years Brighton’s Big 200th Anniversary will be celebrated in downtown Brighton.

The summer hours for your FREE visit to the CoBACH Center are:
Wed-Fri, 5-8 pm;
Sat 11-5 pm;
Sun 2-5 pm

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06/02/2026

Photo ID Help Needed: Holden School

Hopefully you might know some of these students in 1935 that are numbered or can forward Facebook post to anyone that can help identify these students. See two attached Holden School photos of different years with names that may help.

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06/01/2026

Brighton Aerial View, c 1930-40:

Check out the Kyle Pinney aerial photo of Brighton’s west side. Can you help with the date of the photo using the landmarks of that time? When did St George build the minister’s house? The house adjacent to the church in the photo was previously owned by Philip Conrad and before him the Jacob Euler family owned it. That house was removed for the ministers house at some point.

The St George image was prior to the church being refaced with brick. Do you know when it was refaced?

An interesting fact about this church building built in 1884 is that it was relocated to this site in c1921-22. The historical record indicates the church was disassembled board by board from its first location at Bauer Rd and Little Crooked Lake Rd and rebuilt on W Main St. The original St George Church was built in 1849 and lasted until 1884 at the Bauer/Little Crooked site.

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05/24/2026

Memorial Day Parade, Monday, 10 AM
Downtown Brighton
“A Time To Honor and Remember”

Please join the community this Monday to recognize the dedication made by men, women and their families to our country. Memorial Day is dedicated to those service members who never returned and were unable to enjoy their families and freedoms we enjoy today. This is not a day of celebration. We must remember and honor their sacrifice!

The Veterans Parade starts at 10am and concludes at the Veterans Memorial where a short program will continue at the AMP. Remember our veterans are ambassadors for those service members that did not return. Always show them honor and respect!

Prior to and after the parade the Brighton Area Historical Society will have a special FREE one day Civil War exhibit in the COBACH Center from 9am-1 pm. You will see an awesome museum quality exhibit featuring an exceptional private collection of rifles, hand guns, swords, uniforms, and personal effects. Stop in and check out the artifacts and get all your questions answered. Bring the kids, and the grandparents for a fun learning experience!

The City of Brighton Arts, Cultural and History (COBACH) Center is located adjacent to the AMP and Veterans Memorial at 202 W Main St.

05/20/2026

OVC Bank/Millpond Vegetation Cleanup Day, May 15, 2026:

The Brighton Area Historical Society’s Headstone Restoration Team returned to the cemetery/millpond bank to remove excessive vegetation. The Honor Society team from Cheryl Stockwell Prep Academy led by faculty advisor, Nick Cavaleri, joined the work squad.

The BAHS work squad:
Tony Ferreyra, Steve Black, Tom Brennan, Ed Vitez, Mindy Kinsey, Jim Vichich, Mike Johnson, Nancy Fredenburg, and Jerry Damon.

The controlled vegetation work was a continuation of the very successful restoration efforts started about 10 years ago when the BAHS transplanted a hillside of lilies to stop water erosion of the soil from the bank into the millpond. Several small oak trees including a few young maple trees were identified and marked so as not to be removed with the excess vegetation.

Included in the work was the application of D2 to all the white marble headstones by the students. D2 is an enzyme liquid that is spritzed on the headstones and gradually removes mold/mildew and is the standard in National Cemeteries.

There are before and after photos of the cemetery/millpond bank. It is difficult to see the improvements unless you enlarge the images. The real improvements will be noticed this summer because the junk vegetation won’t obscure the beauty of the 1838 cemetery and its attractive headstones from the Tridge areas. The timing goal was to attack the vegetation just before it really shot out the leaves and new spring growth.

Thank you to the volunteers with the strong civic belief to help to improve the beauty of our city!

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05/18/2026

Brighton’s 200 Block of Main St,
Then and Now, 80 Years of Growth:

This is your retro view of the same setting separated by 80 years of progress. The southside of Main St has all new buildings that have been built over the past 80 years.

The white building, left of center, was built in the late 1950s. Today, you can purchase your wedding dresses there in the White Dress Shop.

West (to the right) of the that building is the Emporium. This structure was built by the firemen in the early 1950s to become the new fire station. This lot was occupied by trees and vegetation and was about 8 feet below today’s street level. Very little excavation was required for building the basement to the fire hall.

The brown building with the canopy to the right is today’s awesome Italian restaurant, Ciao Amici’s. This building was built in the late 1940s by the veterans and was the home of the American Legion. This lot was also below grade and home to trees and vegetation. Many Brightonites will recall E. D. Ewing Furniture being located there for many years.

The Allor building is the large white building on the right and recently opened. Construction started in 2024 and this site was formerly the parking lot next to Ciao Amici. The 5/3 Bank is located on the first floor and the new restaurant Kasi is found on the top floor.

The old c1940s photo shows the W.G. Cook house that was built about 1910. This home was relocated to 230 N First St in the mid 1940s. The car seen on Main St would be located approximately in the front middle of the Allor building in the 2026 photo.

Brighton has changed over the years and the Brighton Area Historical Society works diligently to preserve memories of the past. We enjoy sharing the story through photos.

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Address

PO Box 481
Brighton, MI
48116

Website

http://www.BrightonAreaHistorical.com/

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