Most of Pearl Beach was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Below: maps from 1914 on and the census since 1990.
This area along the North Channel connecting Anchor Bay to the Saint Clair River was settled as early as 1796 when a dozen private land claims were made by the French. A now-defunct post office began operating here under the name Pearlbeach on August 2, 1898. Harry Bryant, who was an agent for the Detroit and St. Clair Railroad, served as the first postmaster.
The Colony Tower Complex was built in Pearl Beach along the North Channel in 1925. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a designated Michigan State Historic Site.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
