Michigan Storytelling & Preservation
History Loves Company.
Documenting historic places, architecturally significant buildings, forgotten landmarks, and the people putting old spaces back to work.
History Loves Company · The Next Chapter
Let’s give these stories a home.
Help build the future home of History Loves Company in downtown Detroit: books worth keeping, gifts with a story, original films, and a place to meet people who love this city.
“I have taken this as far as I can on my own. Now I’m inviting this community to help write the next chapter.” — Chris Hubel
Downtown Detroit is our goal. A location and opening date have not yet been secured.
Help open the doors.
Choose a contribution that feels right for you. Your support goes toward the campaign’s first steps and future opening fund.
See the proposed funding plan →Take a story home.
Shop They Lied to Us About Detroit, our Bob-Lo coloring book, and more history worth keeping. Purchases support the work behind HLC.
Shop books & history →Build something with us.
Explore a founding sponsorship for your business. Let’s talk about a partnership that fits your brand and this community.
Ask Chris about sponsorship →Know someone who would love a place like this? Send them the campaign.
Contributions are handled on Spotfund. This campaign supports a business and does not offer charitable tax deductions, ownership, or repayment. Store purchases and sponsorships are separate from direct contributions. Read the campaign FAQ.
Independent shops at The Foundry
Find a shop that feels like you.
Candles, vintage discoveries, jewelry, plants, custom clothing and gifts with personality. Meet the shops, explore their own storefronts, and find your next favorite.
Explore the shops →Lovely T Candles & More · The Daisy Mae Boutique · Jagged Originals · AromaBuds & Blossoms
About History Loves Company
Every place has a story. We go find it.
History Loves Company is a Michigan storytelling and preservation brand founded by Chris Hubel. Through video, writing, real estate, photography, and community storytelling, HLC documents historic places, architecturally significant buildings, and the moments of change that define a city.
HLC connects real places to the people, objects, buildings, and memories that made them matter — from abandoned schools and forgotten mansions to downtown landmarks and historic homes.
The Foundry in downtown Pontiac is where those stories get a physical home.
What HLC Covers
Historic Places
Buildings, neighborhoods, landmarks, estates, schools, downtowns, and places worth remembering.
Preservation Stories
The fight to save buildings, reuse old spaces, and protect the character that makes communities different.
Detroit & Michigan History
Deep dives into Michigan history, Detroit stories, Pontiac landmarks, forgotten industries, and local legends.
Historic Real Estate
Historic homes, preservation-minded ownership, rare properties, and the stories real estate can tell.
Founded By
Chris Hubel
Chris Hubel is a Michigan storyteller, filmmaker, real estate agent, and preservationist. He founded History Loves Company to document the places that shaped Michigan — and to make sure those stories reach people before the buildings are gone.
He is also the founder of The Foundry, a creator marketplace and community gathering place inside the historic Riker Building in downtown Pontiac, and a licensed Realtor with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate specializing in historic, distinctive, and commercial properties.
Since 2017, Chris has combined cinematic video, photography, historic research, and story-driven marketing to help people understand not only what makes a place valuable — but what makes it meaningful.
Chris’s Work
History Loves Company
Michigan storytelling & preservation media brand
The Foundry
Creator marketplace & community space, downtown Pontiac
Historic Real Estate
@properties Christie’s International Real Estate
The Forever Home Project
Historic preservation & workforce recovery initiative
Stories We Keep
Newsletter — Michigan history, preservation & Foundry updates
The HLC Universe
One story. Many ways in.
🎥
Watch
Cinematic documentary episodes on YouTube covering historic places, preservation, and Michigan stories.
Browse Episodes →📰
Read
The Stories We Keep newsletter — Michigan history, preservation updates, new arrivals, and Foundry news.
Subscribe →🛒
Shop
Prints, apparel, artifacts, and objects connected to Michigan history, preservation, and the places HLC documents.
Shop the Archive →🏛️
Visit
The Foundry in downtown Pontiac — where the stories become a physical space you can walk into.
Plan Your Visit →🏠
Buy or Sell
Historic, distinctive, and commercial real estate in Michigan — represented by Chris Hubel.
View Listings →📚
Learn
The Michigan Preservation Field Guide — free from HLC. Learn to identify, document, and understand historic buildings.
Get the Free Guide →Where the Story Lives
The Foundry is HLC in the physical world.
35 W Huron Street, Suite 101 · Historic Riker Building · Downtown Pontiac, Michigan · Open Tue–Sun
Stories We Keep
Get the stories before they disappear.
Michigan history, preservation stories, new episode alerts, Foundry announcements, and Sunday Drops — delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe to Stories We Keep →