More historic than 50% of U.S. towns · #362 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Most of Center Line was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1960. Below: maps from 1905 on and the census since 1930.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1878.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Center Line’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Center Line is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #362 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Center Line’s overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Center Line’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1837.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Center Line’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Historically, the land that Center Line came to occupy was swamp and wilderness until the early nineteenth century. As land became scarce, French, German, Belgian, and Irish immigrants began clearing the forests and draining the swamps. Center Line was known as "Kunrod's Corner" during the mid-nineteenth century. The theory is that the French named it "Center Line" because it was the middle of three Potawatomi trails from Fort Detroit to northern trading posts. The "center line" was the trail used from Detroit to Utica. The community received its initial start when Catholics decided to build a church so that they would not have to walk to St. Mary's in Detroit for Sunday Mass. This church (St. Clement's) was established in 1854 and attracted more Catholic settlers into the area. In 1863, the first general store was constructed by Joeseph Buechel. On July 19, 1878, Hieronymous Engelmann …
Passages that mention Center Line, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Macomb County, Michigan, containing ... biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers1882Read the page →
Read the text
Clemens Parish, of Center Line, January '27, 18(5'.); in 18S(), May 1, the foundation of the beautiful St. Clemens Church was laid, and finished and dedicated by Bishop Borgey on November (i, 1881; the church cost about flfi.OOO, which smn has been paid already. It may be said with truth that this priest loves his people; and they return his love unmeasured.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Center Line’s post office has been open since 1878.
Gone or out of use
Center Line Stationlocale
1cemetery inside Center Line
Saint Clement
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Center Line’s history
What year was Center Line founded?
In 1837, according to Wikidata. Center Line’s post office opened in 1878, and the census of 1930 counted 2,604 people here.
How does Center Line rank for history?
Center Line is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #362 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Center Line?
10% of Center Line’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1960.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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