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MADISON HEIGHTS — The official historical museum for the city of Madison Heights will soon hold its first open house of 2025, allowing guests to enjoy a range of exhibits, with relics dating back to the late 1800s.
This year also marks an important milestone for the city. Madison Heights was incorporated as a city in 1955, which means 2025 is the city’s 70th anniversary. To celebrate, the city will be holding an open house each quarter, and each will focus on different topics.
The first open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, March 8, inside the Heritage Rooms in the lower level of Madison Heights City Hall, located at 300 W. 13 Mile Road.
Guests can access the museum from the Madison Heights Public Library, attached next door, or past the doors on the northern entrance to City Hall, across from the police station. An elevator there leads to the lower level.
During the open house, there will be a tribute to the late Bill Huffman, one of the city’s original organizers and past mayors, as well as an exhibit on the neighborhood that once existed where a Meijer now stands.
“It’s very informal — no presentations or anything. Just myself and other members of council, and members of the Huffman family and others, helping guide people through the museum,” said Mark Bliss, mayor pro tem of Madison Heights. “If our residents haven’t been to the Heritage Rooms, this is the perfect opportunity to come. I promise it’s worth it. It’s a family-friendly place, and you can experience it in your own way at your own pace.”
The museum is maintained by the Madison Heights Historical Commission, with Bliss as its council representative, and Sean Fleming as the council alternate. The commission is chaired by former City Councilwoman Margene Scott, who holds the record for most years served on the council. The Heritage Rooms are dedicated in honor of her and her late husband, Jack Scott.
The rooms include an authentic re-creation of the one-room Kendall School that once stood in the early 1900s, back when Madison Heights was still part of Royal Oak Township. The classroom comes complete with chalk slates at each desk, old-fashioned toys and games, and a 48-star American flag, as well as a research library in an adjacent office.
That library is stocked with yearbooks and other memorabilia from all three school districts — the Madison Schools, Lamphere Schools and Bishop Foley Catholic High — and features a table where one can use a magnifying glass to comb through materials, making connections.
And that’s just the start. An even larger room across the hall is packed with even more items, like a wood-burning stove from the late 1800s, a treadle sewing machine from the early 1900s, dresses and kitchen appliances from the ‘20s through the ‘40s, radios and TVs and typewriters from the ‘50s through the ‘60s, aerial photos showing how the city developed from its earliest years, and election literature and yard signs spanning decades.
There are even exhibits in the hallway outside, such as photos of mayors and councilmembers from throughout the city’s history, and a glass cabinet with photos and keepsakes pertaining to hometown legend Jim Myers (1937-2017) — the namesake of the stadium at Madison High School, where he once taught and coached football, wrestling and track.
Myers is an inductee in both the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame and the Michigan Football Coaches Hall of Fame, but he was perhaps best known around the world as George “The Animal” Steele, a heel wrestler in the WWF, then the WWE. He even starred on the silver screen alongside Johnny Depp in the 1994 Tim Burton film “Ed Wood,” where he played the Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson.
During the open house March 8, there will also be a dedication to another prominent member of the community, Bill Huffman (1924-2019). Huffman served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and later continued his public service in a different way, first as mayor of Madison Heights (1961-63) and then as a state representative (1963-74) and state senator (1975-82). Members of his family will bring scrapbooks detailing moments from his life, and answer questions about him.
The Historical Commission also continues to work on other initiatives, the most ambitious of which is an online database that will digitally archive materials depicting the city’s past.
To this end, the Historical Commission is asking the public to share any pictures or footage they may have from events such as parades, festivals, town hall meetings and sporting events — anything that provides a snapshot of the community at another point in the time. The committee will borrow the items and make digital copies, returning the originals.
The Historical Commission is also interested in conducting videotaped sit-down interviews with long-time residents and employees in the city, asking them about the city’s past and the conversations of the time. Ultimately, the goal is to digitize and tag everything, so that the materials will be easily searchable in archives at the city’s website.
To submit materials for this project, or to arrange an appointment touring the museum during hours outside the open house, call the Madison Heights Public Library at (248) 588-7763.
Roslyn Grafstein, the mayor of Madison Heights, said via email that the city has grown into “a diverse and dynamic community” in its 70 years.
“This anniversary is not just about reflecting on our history, but also about embracing our future with the same spirit of progress that has always driven us. Seventy years ago, few could have imagined that we’d be planting rain gardens to address increasing 100-year floods, or adding colorful murals to our parks to strengthen our sense of community,” Grafstein said.
“Our Historical Commission plays a vital role in preserving this legacy,” she added. “More than just a collection of artifacts, our historical museum brings our city’s story to life, offering insight into the challenges and triumphs that shaped Madison Heights. … By preserving our history, we honor those who came before us, and ensure that future generations remain connected to their roots.”
