Love in The D

Jonathan. Detroit. My musings about the city I love; THE 313.

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Michigan Bell and Western Electric shared a building on Detroit's east side in the late 1920s. Western Electric stored and distributed equipment while Michigan Bell housed and serviced their vehicles. That structure was soon deemed too small to accommodate the growth experienced by the city at the time. Smith, Hinchman & Grylls' lead designer, Wirt C. Rowland, an extremely busy man at the time, was commissioned to design a much larger facility. This is one of the finest examples of Art Deco in the area. A 12-story central tower is flanked by 6-story wings on both sides. Western Electric used the building as its headquarters until 1958, when the company relocated to suburban Plymouth. In 1959, Michigan Bell began using the structure to make the popular Yellow Pages volumes. Two years later, the iconic "Yellow Pages" sign was installed along the front of the building. You may also remember the "Weather-Phone" sign, a translucent white plastic sign that provided motorists on the Lodge with weather forecasts. When redevelopment on the building started, the sign was deemed structurally unsound and removed. Michigan Bell sold the building in 1995, though the company continued to utilize it until 1999. In 2009, the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO), a local non-profit human services agency, purchased the property. Work began to convert it into 155 one-bedroom apartments for formerly homeless adults. The facility also provides care for those suffering from mental health illnesses, addiction and other issues. Amenities include a gymnasium, library, computer room, art and music rooms and a chapel. The building also serves as the NSO's headquarters. Renovations were completed in 2013. #Detroit #Westside #HopeVillageDetroit #ArtDeco #Modernism #WirtRowland #SmithHinchmanandGrylls #OakmanBoulevard #archi_ologie #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #WorldArtDecoMonth (at NSO Bell Building) https://www.instagram.com/p/CrYbekNLRKS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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As far back as 1933, Edwin S. George recognized that a house of worship was needed in the area surrounding his home. He established the George Foundation for that very purpose. In 1947, the Kirk in the Hills congregation was established by the Presbytery of Detroit. That same year, Mr. George donated his 41-acre estate, which is situated on Island Lake. Wirt C. Rowland submitted preliminary designs for a church building pre-World War II. However, Rowland's untimely death in 1946 resulted in changes; the church went with George D. Mason & Company to complete the plans. Eugene T. Cleland was the lead architect. The cornerstone for the new building was laid in 1951, the same year Edwin S. George died. His remains are interred under the narthex of the building's sanctuary. Beginning in 1952, services were held in the undercroft during construction until a horrible fire destroyed most of the roof. Following the fire, the parish worshipped at a local high school. More than a decade after forming, Kirk held its first services in the sanctuary on November 23, 1958. The building is modeled after Melrose Abbey in Scotland. In terms of ecclesiastical architecture, it is a towering achievement. Kirk in the Hills also marks the end of an era. It was among the last churches built in the great Gothic tradition in the United States. #MetroDetroit #BloomfieldHills #OaklandCounty #GothicRevival #EcclesiasticalArchitecture #WirtRowland #GeorgeDMason #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Kirk in the Hills) https://www.instagram.com/p/CrGih6FrkXn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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This structure, located on East Bethune, between Woodward and John R, is all that remains of the then-Hamlin Avenue Police Station, designed by Louis Kamper. Built in 1898, it served as headquarters of the 9th Precinct - this building housed the Mounted Division. Unfortunately, when the 9th Precinct closed in 1954, the main building was subsequently demolished. The Mounted Division stayed behind. The old stables have been on the market for several years. #Detroit #NorthEndDetroit #Chateau #FrenchRenaissanceRevival #VictorianArchitecture #LouisKamper #archi_ologie #deserve2preserve #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SavingPlaces (at North End) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqnc660OlgZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Built in 1849-50, the historic Workers' Row House is a wooden tenement built to house immigrants, primarily from County Cork, Ireland, escaping that country's dire potato famine. The Row House has managed to survive almost 2 centuries of the ever-changing urban landscape of Detroit. 🇮🇪☘️ #Detroit #Westside #CorktownDetroit #WorkersRowHouse #Tenement #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_the_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatter #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Workers Row House Corktown Detroit) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp6Tgv0jBgi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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544 East Frederick Avenue was built in 1890 for John J. Owen, a contractor/builder. Like its neighbor at 580 East Frederick (Warren House/Dunbar Hospital), it was built by the Vinton Company. Bertha Alena Hansbury was born in Detroit in 1888. Reportedly, she was born on the site of the Fox Theatre. Hansbury was the product of multi-ethnic parents, a White mother and Black father. After attending the city’s public schools, she attended the prestigious Detroit Conservatory of Music. She then studied music abroad in Germany. In 1925, Hansbury and her husband, William H. Phillips, purchased the former Owen home. Hansbury, an accomplished pianist, founded the Hansbury Music School, which catered to the needs of African American children in the area. At the same time, Hansbury also ran a boarding school inside the home called the Bertha Hansbury Little Folk's School. Unfortunately, the Hansbury School was short-lived and didn't survive the economic strife of the Great Depression. In the 1930s, the home was the site of the Household Guild, the first state-licensed employment agency for blacks in Detroit. In the 1970s, Hilanius Phillips, who was the city's first black head city planner (and the grandson of Bertha Hansbury), championed the establishment of the East Frederick Avenue Historic District, which included structures of great importance to the African American community in Detroit and to the development of the Cultural Center. Multiple attempts to convert the home into a museum have stalled. #Detroit #CulturalCenter #MidtownDetroit #QueenAnne #VictorianArchitecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #deserve2preserve #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SavingPlaces (at Cultural Center Historic District, Detroit) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpOpvtcD_Ev/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Daniel Sullivan was born on June 26, 1867 in Detroit to Daniel and Julia Sullivan. He attended the city’s schools as well as the Detroit Business University. In 1887, at age 20, young Daniel began working for his father's coal and coke business. The junior Sullivan would spend 47 years with the firm, eventually becoming president, after his father's passing. On October 6, 1890, Sullivan married Catherine Thompson. Ms. Thompson was the sister of William B. Thompson, Mayor of Detroit (1907-09, 1911-13). The couple had 2 daughters, Catherine and Frances. A building permit was issued on June 3, 1898 for a home on a corner lot at Avery and Calumet streets. The builder was Stephen Linder. The home is the epitome of American Queen Anne architecture. The Sullivan family lived here from 1899 to 1918. In 1919, Mr. Sullivan relocated to 424 (1530) West Boston Boulevard, where he spent the remainder of his life. Daniel Sullivan died February 11, 1934, at the age of 66. In 2012, the Sullivan residence became the headquarters of Icrontic. Founded in 2000, Icrontic is a website that covers technology, gaming and Internet culture. #Detroit #Westside #WoodbridgeHistoricDistrict #WoodbridgeDetroit #QueenAnne #VictorianArchitecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_the_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Woodbridge Neighborhood) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpFw5dJL8F-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Charles W. Warren was a successful businessman in the city during the late 19th century - he was a real estate developer as well as a jeweler. Warren had a home built in an upper-class area east of Woodward. Built in 1892 by the Vinton Company, the home is a mix of the popular Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival styles. Following the first World War, a massive influx of black Americans seeking to escape the cruel realities of the south traveled north and west in search of a better life. This has come to be known as the "Great Migration". Detroit's African-American population soared to more than 30,000 in 1917. Unfortunately, segregation was almost as prevalent up north as in the south. Hospitals in Detroit often denied care to blacks. In 1918, 30 African-American physicians formed the Allied Medical Society. The following year, the AMS purchased the Warren House, converting it into the Dunbar Memorial Hospital, the first of its kind to serve Detroit's black citizens. The hospital also sponsored nurses training classes and internships for graduate students. Dunbar was named in honor of the great poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first black poet in the United States to obtain national prominence. In 1928, the hospital relocated to a larger facility several blocks east and was renamed Parkside. Charles C. Diggs, Sr., who would later be elected Michigan's first African-American democratic state senator, purchased the home shortly after Dunbar moved out. Mr. Diggs was also a mortician. His famed House of Diggs funeral home began here before growing into what was said to be the state's largest funeral home at one time. #Detroit #CulturalCenter #MidtownDetroit #QueenAnne #RomanesqueRevival #VictorianArchitecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #deserve2preserve #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SavingPlaces (at Dunbar Hospital) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co8JylcPavr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A hallmark of Nettleton & Kahn's domestic work were the elaborately carved porticos, which can be found on several homes throughout the area. The Headley residence is my favorite of these designs. #Detroit #NorthEndDetroit #JacobeanRevival #RenaissanceRevival #EnglishArchitecture #AlbertKahn #GeorgeWNettleton #NettletonandKahn #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at North End) https://www.instagram.com/p/CosTpwsvN9O/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The Jacobean Revival residence of florist George Headley at 82 King Street, built in 1898, was designed by the firm of George W. Nettleton and a young Albert Kahn, both of whom were previously employed by the offices of Mason & Rice. The home is currently an adult care facility. #Detroit #NorthEndDetroit #JacobeanRevival #RenaissanceRevival #AlbertKahn #GeorgeWNettleton #NettletonandKahn #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at North End) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoiGOvov8ar/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Designed by the the prolific firm of John Scott & Company, the McAdow House is a Renaissance Revival-style mansion built in 1891 for Perry & Clara McAdow, a couple that made their fortune in the goldmines of Montana. Since 1913, the home has been owned by the First Unitarian-Universalist Church, first as temporary place of worship, then as a parish house when it's building on the corner of Cass and West Forest was completed a few years later. Cass Corridor Commons, an amalgamation of community organizations, is also headquartered here. #Detroit #CassCorridor #MidtownDetroit #WarrenPrentisHistoricDistrict #RenaissanceRevival #VictorianArchitecture #JohnScottandCompany #CassAvenue #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Perry McAdow House) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSSUHZrkAo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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More winter goodness from the Kunsky residence, C. Howard Crane's Palmer Woods masterpiece. #Detroit #Westside #NorthwestDetroit #PalmerWoods #TudorRevival #TudorCottage #CottageStyle #EnglishArchitecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Palmer Woods) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoL5nFONOok/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The William McGrath House at 110 West Forest Avenue was built in 1877. Along with partner David Short, McGrath platted the surrounding land as McGrath's Subdivision. Henry T. Brush, the ill-fated architect, designed many of the city's lost mansions during the mid Victorian period. The home itself is a wood frame Stick Style/Eastlake dwelling. It is one of the oldest surviving homes in the North Cass Corridor. #Detroit #CassCorridor #StickStyle #EastlakeStyle #VictorianArchitecture #HenryTBrush #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Warren–Prentis Historic District) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn8fk25jYzv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Years before he was a Civil War hero and, eventually, President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant was a young Army officer stationed in Detroit. From 1849-50, Ulysses lived with his wife, Julia, in this modest Greek Revival abode. The home was built in 1837 and originally located at 253 East Fort Street, between Rivard and Russell. That area would come to be known as Black Bottom, the fabled, predominantly African-American neighborhood that was razed to make way for the Lafayette Park development in the 1950s. In 1936, threatened with demolition, the Michigan Mutal Liability Company purchased the home and relocated to the now-former Michigan State Fairgrounds, where it was presented as a gift to the state. For decades, the Grant home was decorated in period furnishings and open to the public. However, since the Michigan State Fair ended its run at the State Fairgrounds in 2008, the historic structure sat in a state of neglect. In 2018, it was announced that the structure would yet again be moved, this time to the Eastern Market, close to its original location. In the summer of 2020, the landmarks was cut in half horizontally and relocated to the corner of Orleans and Wilkins streets, near the Dequindre Cut. Plans are to rehabilitate the home and transform it into an education/resource center. Donations to the project can be made at michiganhistory.org. #Detroit #Eastside #EasternMarket #BlackBottomDetroit #LafayettePark #GreekRevival #UlyssesSGrant #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #deserve2preserve #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SavingPlaces (at Eastern Market) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmrduvRLQBj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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1411 Burns Avenue was built in 1910 for Herbert J. Conn. The architects were the firm of Malcomson & Higginbotham. This is one of 3 homes in Indian Village I found to be attributed to Mr. Conn. #Detroit #Eastside #IndianVillageDetroit #ArtsandCraftsArchirecture #MalcomsonandHigginbotham #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MotorCityShooters (at Indian Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZK0VPvnE9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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2548 Field Street, located in the historic Islandview neighborhood, was built in 1907. It was designed by Peter Dederichs, a prolific local architect better known for his many church commissions during the late 19th/early 20th century. Colonial Revival with a turret?! Yes please! #Detroit #Eastside #IslandviewDetroit #TheVillagesDetroit #PeterDederichs #ColonialRevival #Neoclassical #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Islandview, Detroit) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClGm7vorpk1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The iconic Second Empire mansion at 3966 Trumbull Avenue has a long, varied history. Built in 1875, it was part of the Hodges Brothers Woodbridge Farm development. During most of the 20th century, it was a hospital in one form or another, first as a maternity hospital (Marr), then as a general hospital (Trumbull General). In the 1950s, Trumbull General Hospital became a hospital for Detroit’s black community, at the height of segregation in this country. After being vacant and rundown for decades, the home was renovated and converted to apartment. In 2016, the property made news internationally when it was purchased by legendary pro skater, Tony Hawk. Included are photos from Detroit Street View on Twitter. #Detroit #Westside #WoodbridgeFarm #WoodbridgeHistoricDistrict #WoodbridgeDetroit #TrumbullAve #SecondEmpire #VictorianArchitecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #MansardMonday #TheAmericanHome #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Woodbridge Neighborhood) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkqffmvrU4-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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3914 Trumbull Avenue was built in 1890 for Abraham S. Kinney, a clothing patternmaker. It was designed by Almon C. Varney, one of Detroit's most prominent architects during the Victorian period. Varney designed several homes in the Woodbridge district. #Detroit #Westside #WoodbridgeHistoricDistrict #WoodbridgeDetroit #RomanesqueRevival #VictorianArchitecture #ACVarney #TrumbullAve #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_the_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #TheAmericanHome #houseportrait #BrickStory #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Woodbridge Neighborhood) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkMLMmnPRmD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=