Before there was a Plymouth Historical Society, city leaders were talking about the need for a museum as early as 1943.

William Powell, a local resident, may have been the trigger for a museum in Plymouth. Powell visited the office of City Manager Clarence Elliott to offer some artifacts that he felt should be preserved. Elliott was happy to accept the items but had nowhere to properly store or display them.

“You know, I think we should have a museum here in Plymouth. There are many things in the city which should be preserved for all time in a museum of some kind. I’m not just sure whether it should be a city museum or whether the idea shouldn’t be taken up by some of the patriotic organizations who might take over one of the old early American houses here in the city as the permanent location of a Plymouth museum,” said Elliott in the Plymouth Mail of October 1, 1943.

Five years later, the Plymouth Historical Society was formed. Members received and stored donations from Plymouth’s past in their attics and basements. As the years went on, the society saw the need to bring the collections together under one roof, where they could be properly preserved.

In 1961 the City of Plymouth leased the Orson Polley house to the Plymouth Historical Society to be used as a museum. The first Plymouth Historical Museum opened to the public in May 1962. Meantime, the society was fundraising for a permanent museum building.

Two large grants allowed for the purchase of land adjacent to the Polley house and for the construction of a purpose-built museum. One grant for $33,870 was from the Edward C. Hough-Mary Hough Kimble Foundation; the second grant of $100,000 was from Plymouth resident Margaret Dunning.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 10, 1972, using a three-handled shovel wielded by Society President George Burr, Dunning, and Clarence Moore, a museum volunteer. A year later, the museum building was dedicated but the inside was not complete.

The new Plymouth Historical Museum – dubbed the Dunning Memorial Building in honor of Margaret Dunning’s parents – opened to the public on Saturday, February 14, 1976.

The first sight that visitors would have encountered when they entered the new museum was a re-creation of Main Street Plymouth circa 1900. Facades of familiar businesses allowed a peek into the past, showcasing the massive collections donated for generations, thus paving the way for the preservation of our local history. Clarence Elliott would be proud.

The Plymouth Historical Museum is spotlighting Michigan history during 2026, with two special exhibits celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. The first highlights the years 1776 to 1900 and runs through June 7; the second will focus on the years 1900 to 2026 and runs July 1-November 1. The Museum is located at 155 S. Main Street in Plymouth and is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children 6-17.