Historic Water Street
Located on the 300 block of Water Street, these buildings form a timeline of Sault Ste. Marie from the 1823 addition to the John Johnston home, to the homes of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1827), and Bishop Fredric Baraga (circa 1860) and the office building of the Kemp Brothers Coal Dock (1904).
John Johnston House
British fur trader, John Johnston and his Ojibwe (Chippewa) wife arrived in the Sault in 1793, to establish himself as independent fur trader. Johnston built the house in 1823 as an addition to an earlier log building . A one and a half story, gable-roofed structure, it is of a French Canadian “pièce sur pièce” construction (grooved upright posts with horizontal board infill). Visit the house to learn about the fur trade , the Johnston family , and aspects of family life in the western frontier in the 1800s.
Henry Rowe Schoolcraft House
Called “Elmwood” by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft and his wife Jane. The house was built in 1827, and the Federal Style. Henry had arrived in the Sault as the first Indian Agent in 1822. The Schoolcrafts lived at Elmwood until 1833 when the Indian Agency headquarters was moved to Mackinac Island. Elmwood was later rented by Charles Harvey, who built the first locks at the Sault in the 1850s. Later it became the home of Sault merchant Peter Barbeau. The Indian Agency Office (west wing) of this home is open to the public.
Bishop Baraga House
Bishop Frederic Baraga came to America in 1823 to be a missionary. In 1835 he began working with the Ojibwe at La Pointe, and continued his ministry with the native peoples across the Upper Peninsula for over 30 years. Baraga was known as “the Snowshoe Priest,” because he would travel hundreds of miles between Indian missions during the harsh winters. This house, fondly called his “Palais”, was built for Baraga sometime between 1862 and 1864. He lived in the home untilthe Diocese was moved to Marquette in 1866. Suffering ill health, Baraga died in 1868. The building has been used as a parochial school, convent, and museum since then.
Kemp industrial Museum
Built in 1904, this was the office for George Kemp’s business, the Kemp Coal Dock. It was later called Kemp Brothers Coal Company when operated by his sons until 1959. In 1960 the property was given to the City of Sault Ste. Marie. The Kemp Industrial Museum was created to tell the story of the industrial history of the Sault and its people.
