Rawsonville

Michigan's ghost towns are copper and iron towns of the Upper Peninsula, plus lumber camps the pine barons abandoned.

Rawsonville is an unincorporated community on the boundary of Washtenaw County and Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Small parts of the historic community of Rawsonville lie under Belleville Lake, which is an artificial reservoir created in 1925 when the Eastern Michigan Edison Company built the French Landing Dam and Powerhouse along the Huron River. Often it is claimed that most if not all of the Historic Town was flooded, however this is only partly true. Rawsonville was dedicated as a Michigan State Historic Site on October 27, 1983.

The on-the-ground condition of Rawsonville is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Rawsonville is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Rawsonville is roughly 42.2153, -83.5517 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.