McCord Renaissance
Center was named after an early Benton Harbor pioneer, Seely
McCord. Mr. McCord came to Benton Harbor in 1880 from a farm
community near Chicago primarily to grow fruit. He had
married Abbie Brewster from Blue Island, Illinois. Abbie was a
direct descendant of Elder William Brewsterm spiritual
leader of the Plymouth Colony.
In 1888 McCord and partner, Edgar
Ferguson started to make bricks. It soon became one of the
largest plants in southwest Michigan , with a daily output
of 60,000 bricks. Two years later they added tile to their
production. The plant had the latest equipment. It was
located below Morton Hill on Paw Paw.
McCord with Dr. George Edgecumbe
started the Benton Harbor Normal in 1886. It was first
located where the St. John's Catholic Church is now. Later
it was moved to Green Street. McCord contributed both time
and money to the school.
McCord owned a great deal of land
on the east and south sides of Benton Harbor. One section
was north of Territorial as far as the Paw Paw River. They
milked as many as forty cows and was considered a show place
for that time.
McCord built a beautiful brick home
of Green Street where the First Presbyterian Church now
stands. It was named Sunnyside. Several years after moving
in wife, Abbie died leaving four children. He no longer
wished to live in the house and gave it to the college next
door to be used as a boarding house for the students. The
house was later sold to Dr. Martha Stevens and became the
Sunnyside Sanitarium.
McCord married Maud Eastman,. whose
father owned Eastman Springs. Three children were born to
them. One died in infancy. Following the
death of Eastman, McCord built a streetcar line to the
Springs from the Graham and Morton docks. The streetcars
were pulled by mules. This was later sold to colonel Worth
Dean (who started what is now NBD).
McCord started a paper mill in
Watervliet, which involved building a dam on the Paw Paw
River. this venture later failed.
He took an active part in the
organization of the First Presbyterian Church in 1892. It
was then located on Territorial near the Morton
School.
The McCord home was at 782
Territorial, known as the Yellow House. Seely McCord died in
1923 at the age of 70. He was honored by having Seely McCord
School and the two streets to the east and west of the building, Seely and McCord named for
him.
