Norton Mound Group, is a prehistoric Goodall Focus mounds site near Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

.

According to the National Park Service's Statement of Significance: "These are the most important and best-preserved Hopewell mounds in the western Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

 region. The Norton Mound Group was the center of Hopewellian culture

Hopewell culture

The Hopewell tradition is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BCE to 500 CE. The Hopewell tradition was not a single culture or society, but a widely dispersed set of related...

 in that area, from ca. 400 BCE to 400 CE. Excavations in 1874 revealed numerous burials rich in grave offerings, and later excavations in 1963-1964 provided information on mound construction methods. At one time some 40 mounds were present, and though fewer than half remain today, these are well-preserved in a Grand Rapids city park."

The historical significance of this site was recognized in 1957 when it was listed on the Michigan Register of Historic Sites.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 in 1965.

According to the National Park Service, "Severe erosion, flooding, and nearby development threaten the Mound Group."

"The Public Museum of Grand Rapids

Public Museum of Grand Rapids

The Grand Rapids Public Museum was founded in 1854 as the "Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History" in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is among the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum includes a cafe, a gift shop, and a 1928 Spillman Carousel, which is situated in a pavilion over the...

 has been awarded funding to complete a Cultural Landscape Management Plan that will assess the site's condition. Public awareness of the NHL has increased due to ongoing development of the Millennium Park

Millennium Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Millennium Park is the largest urban park in West Michigan, located on the southwest side of Grand Rapids. Millennium Park connects four of the major cities in the area together, including Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Grandville, and Walker...

."

It is located between Indian Mounds Drive and Interstate 196

Interstate 196

Interstate 196 is a long freeway spur route in the US state of Michigan linking Grand Rapids, Holland, South Haven, and Benton Harbor. I-196 is known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, or simply the Ford Freeway, in Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan Counties, after the 38th President of the United States,...

near Grand Rapids.

The Norton Mounds site is currently closed to the public.