A Michigan Basement: The History Behind the Name

As Americans, we love stuff. Accumulation of belongings is something that can get out of hand fairly quickly, especially during the 1920's when using credit became the norm. As the quantity of possessions increased, homes were running out of storage space, and fast. This is a theory of why Michigan Basements came to be; people turned to their crawlspace to give them that extra room. 

You've probably seen them before, and maybe even grown up with them. The transformation of a crawlspace to a basement results in a partially dug out, dirt floor, cinder block wall, ceiling so low you can't stand up straight, basement.

Many problems occur with these types of basements as the integrity of the structure is not great. The dirt walls covered in cinder block or brick work to keep soil out of the basement, but are not strong enough to stand the pressures of any normal shifting. In many cases this brick or block is pushed off the walls and dirt seeps back in.

Not quite ideal. This could explain why you were terrified of your basement as a child, it doesn't exactly have a pleasant ambiance. 

Maybe this picture is a bit exaggerated... 

Some families used this space to store canned goods and food, others used it as a storm shelter. Later, the adventurous turned it into a laundry room or wine cellar. 

Whatever the function of your Michigan Basement, we wouldn't recommend hosting any family parties down there. But hey, you do you. It is your basement after all.