Maybury State Park

Maybury State Park

Park office, Beck Road entrance
Map showing the location of Maybury State Park

Location within the state of Michigan

Location Lower Peninsula, Wayne County, Michigan USA
Nearest city Northville, Michigan
Coordinates 42°25′44″N 83°32′06″W / 42.42888°N 83.535°W / 42.42888; -83.535Coordinates: 42°25′44″N 83°32′06″W / 42.42888°N 83.535°W / 42.42888; -83.535
Area 944 acres (382 ha)
Established 1975
Governing body Michigan Department of Natural Resources
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=469&type=SPRK

Maybury State Park is a state park in Northville Township, Wayne County, Michigan composed of 944 acres (382 ha) of gently rolling terrain, open meadow, and mature forest. The park gives people in the nearby metropolitan area an opportunity to get involved in outdoor recreation activities in a state park setting.

History

Long before the park became a haven for picnickers, the isolated woods and farm fields held more than 40 buildings—infirmaries, houses, children's playgrounds and school—in a quarantined city for thousands of Detroit's highly infectious tuberculosis patients.[1] Wealthy retired real estate tycoon William H. Maybury spearheaded Detroit's construction of the facility so thousands of TB sufferers could be removed from the city, and where the beautiful surroundings might help nurse some back to health.[2] From 1919-69, the site served as a quarantine and recovery center for people suffering from what was called "consumption." Most of the buildings were torn down before the land became Wayne County's first state park in 1975. Many of Maybury's paved walking trails are on former walks and roadways, although just four stone and brick doctors' residences remain, including one that serves as park headquarters.

Facilities

Activities

Maybury Farm

In 2003 the DNR asked the Northville Community Foundation to take over the operations of the Maybury Farm, which had been closed in 2002. An agreement was reached and the farm reopened in September 2005.[3] In February 2003, a fire destroyed the main barns, some of the farm's equipment and killed many of the farm's animals. A public fundraaising campaign led to the rebuilding of the farm including moving 125-year-old barns from a nearby town. The reopened farm provides educational programming, sheep shearing, hay rides, corn maze and other public farming demonstrations.

Activities

References

  1. ↑ Barbara G. Louie (2001). Northville Michigan. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2359-0.
  2. ↑ Maybury Sanatorium
  3. ↑ Maybury Farm Northville Community Foundation
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