The Welfare Building

The Welfare Building was constructed in 1906 as a recreation facility for the workers of the Glazier Stove Company. It featured a swimming pool, a billiard hall, a basketball court, a theater, and a reading room. Chelsea native Frank P. Glazier, who was the Michigan state treasurer from 1904 to 1908, founded the stove company in 1891. Because Chelsea, a predominantly rural community, lacked skilled labor, most of the company’s workers commuted weekly via a special train from Detroit. In 1907 Glazier declared bankruptcy. The building was sold to the Lewis Spring and Axle Company, which manufactured the short-lived Hollier Eight automobile. Since 1960 the building has housed the Chelsea Standard.