Most mining towns turned to cities have their own historic districts to boast of. This is also the case of Houghton, Michigan who has their very own Shelden Avenue Historic District.

Basically a commercial area in the Shelden, Montezuma, and Lake Avenues, the Shelden Avenue Historic District features 43 contributing historic buildings in its 22-acre area. The site is significant as it has the largest concentration of commercial buildings with architectural significance in the western Upper Peninsula. Like other historic districts, you can find a wide variety of architectural styles and designs here including Sullivanesque, Richardsonian Romanesque, Late Victorian, and Prairie school just to name a few.

The Shelden Avenue Historic District is a US Historic District with some selected properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.