[1] It contains 72 structures, primarily brick commercial buildings, ranging from one to three stories in height and dating from 1874 (and likely earlier) to the 1960s.

[3] In 1853/54, General Ralph Ely purchased land along the Pine River and settled there with his wife and children.

[4] These last two buildings were constructed by Ammi Williard Wright, a lumberman who adopted Alma as his base of operations.

[4] Wright has a large influence on the development of the district, not only because he was directly responsible for some of the most important structures in the district (in addition to the Opera House, Wright built the First State Bank Building, the original Masonic Home/Sanitarium, and his personal residence), but also because he established some of the largest businesses and industries in Alma in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Due in large part to the growth of the city, more buildings were constructed in the district in the 1890s, most of which were brick and stone.

[3] The boom was in large part due to the increase in the industrial base, with agricultural firms such as the Central Michigan Produce Company, the Alma Sugar Company, and the Libby, McNeill, and Libby pickle canning plant opening.

In addition, the founding of the Republic Motor Truck Company in 1913, and its subsequent expansion to support World War I production, drove the increase in Alma's fortunes.

The commercial district followed suit, extending its boundaries both east and west along Superior, as well as south along State, as more structures were built.

However, after the war, production of trucks and Republic's sales decreased dramatically, and as the company's prospects fizzled, Alma's population plateaued.

The Alma Downtown Historic District covers some portion of eleven city blocks along Superior and State Streets.

[4] Wright had originally planned to construct a smaller building to house his general store, which had burned in 1876.

However, after a few years of delays, and changing business partners, Wright built this impressive structure, which housed five commercial bays on the ground floor, and an opera house, initially called "Barton's Hall," which occupied the two upper floors of the building.

The Opera House Block is a three-story Italianate commercial building constructed of cream-colored brick.

All the storefronts have recessed central entries; the three eastern stores still have most of the external finishes, including square cast iron columns.

[7] The Wright House is a massive 2-1/2 story brownish-gray sandstone Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a tiled gable and hip roof.

Gables, bays, and porches decorated with balustrades, columns, and stone carving project from the exterior.

[3] Between 1897 and 1902, Pollasky had George S. Young construct this brick building, using a design from Saginaw architects Haug and Schuermann.

A semi-round turret sits on the corner of the building; it is lacking its original upper story and conical roof.

However, the remainder of the second floor retains a high degree of integrity, containing the original double-hung windows with limestone sills and lintels, as well as pressed metalwork with wreaths and garlands near the roofline.

The Alma Public Building is a two-story red brick Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a hip roof and a prominent clock tower at the northwest corner.

The Masons were slow to accept, and faced with maintenance costs of his huge building, Wright dropped the asking price to one dollar in 1911.

Eventually, the Masons felt the need for a new campus, and in the 1930s a new complex north of Alma was constructed, and the Sanitarium building was demolished.

The Masonic Home Hospital Wing is a 2-1/2 story Neoclassical structure built of red-brown brick and trimmed with limestone.

[3] It is a large square plan brick International Style building with a deeply recessed corner entryway.