The Welfare Building
The Welfare Building was constructed in 1906 as a recreation facility for the workers of the Glazier Stove Company. It featured a swimming pool, a billiard hall, a basketball court, a theatre and a reading room. Chelsea native Frank P. Glazier, who was Michigan state treasurer from 1904 to 1908, founded the stove company in 1891. Because Chelsea, a predominantly rural community, lacked skilled labor, most of the company's workers commuted weekly via a special train from Detroit. In 1907 Glazier declared bankruptcy. The building was sold to the Lewis Spring & Axle Company, which manufactured the short-lived Hollier Eight automobile. Since 1960 the building has housed the Chelsea Standard.
Marker can be reached from North Main Street (Michigan Route 52) north of Jackson Street, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
