The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 5401
Woodward Avenue
A woodward is a warden of a wood. Woodward may also refer to:
Places
;United States
* Woodward, Iowa
* Woodward, Oklahoma
* Woodward, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place
* Woodward Avenue, a street in Tallahassee, Florida, which bisects th ...
in the city's
Cultural Center Historic District
The Cultural Center Historic District is a historic district located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, which includes the Art Center (or Cultural Center): the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Horace H. Rackham Educatio ...
in
Midtown Detroit
Midtown Detroit is a mixed-use area consisting of a business district, cultural center, a major research university, and several residential neighborhoods; it is located along the east and west side of M-1 (Michigan highway), Woodward Avenue, nor ...
. It chronicles the history of the
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
area from cobblestone streets, 19th century stores, the auto assembly line, toy trains, fur trading from the 18th century, and much more.
History
Attorney and historian
Clarence M. Burton donated his collections to the
Detroit Public Library
The Detroit Public Library is the second largest library system in the U.S. state of Michigan by volumes held (after the University of Michigan Library) and the 21st-largest library system (and the fourth-largest public library system) in the Uni ...
in 1914, leading to the development of the Detroit Historical Museum. In December 1921, Burton brought together 19 prominent local historians to found the Detroit Historical Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the city's history. In 1927, membership offices were leased and Society treasurer J. Bell Moran was appointed to set up a museum. A curator was hired and on November 19, 1928, the "highest museum in the world" opened in a one-room suite on the 23rd floor of the Barlum Tower, now the
Cadillac Tower
The Cadillac Tower is a 40-story, Neo-Gothic skyscraper designed by the architectural firm of Bonnah & Chaffee at 65 Cadillac Square in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, not far from the Renaissance Center. The building's materials include terra ...
.
William Edward Kapp, architect for the firm of
Smith, Hinchman & Grylls designed the building.
On July 24, 1951, the 250th anniversary of Detroit's founding by
Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, the new museum was dedicated in an elaborate ceremony. In attendance were such dignitaries as Governor
G. Mennen Williams, Mayor
Albert E. Cobo,
U.S. Senator Homer S. Ferguson, the French and British ambassadors and Detroit native and
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
recipient
Ralph Bunche of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
.
In 1949, the Detroit Historical Museum acquired one of the last commercial sailing vessels on the Great Lakes, the ''J. T. Wing''. It operated the ship as a museum until 1956 when it shuttered because of its deteriorating condition. On July 24, 1961, it was replaced by the
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is an historical maritime museum in Detroit, Michigan. Located on The Strand on Belle Isle Park along the Detroit River, this museum places special interest on Detroit's role on national and regional maritime histor ...
which opened on
Belle Isle Park
Belle Isle Park, known simply as Belle Isle (), is a island park in Detroit, Michigan, developed in the late 19th century. It consists of Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River, as well as several surrounding islets. The U.S.-Canada border ...
as a branch of the Historical Museum devoted to maritime history.
From 1949 through 2006, the museum also operated
Fort Wayne, a former military installation constructed in 1845 on the banks of the
Detroit River
The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively referred to as Detro ...
approximately southwest of the city's downtown area. Portions of the fort were deactivated after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and the barracks and fortification were turned over to the City of Detroit to operate as a museum. The remaining parts of the installation were ceded by the army to the city through 1976. In 2006, operation of the fort was given to the Detroit Recreation Department.
Shortly after the death of ''The Detroit News'' style columnist Charlotte "Tavy" Stone in 1985, the museum established the Tavy Stone Fashion Library. The library and costume gallery consolidate the museum's holdings on historical costumes and design in space on the second floor.
Detroit Historical Society
The Detroit Historical Society (DHS) was founded in December 1921 with prominent Detroit historian
Clarence M. Burton, its first president. Initially, a literary society bent on studying and discussing
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
history, its direction changed in 1927 when under the leadership of one of the DHS directors, J. Bell Moran, the Society founded the Detroit Historical Museum (DHM).
Since the first museum opened in the Barlum Tower as "Detroit's best kept secret," prominent Detroiters as trustees of the Society and the public have added to the collection. As of today, it has over 200,000 items.
However, by the late 1930s the Society had become more of a social club than a Historical Society. In 1941, the Society recruited ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...
'' columnist George Stark into membership. It was later said the DHS was seeking mention in Stark's daily column, but "what they got was George instead." With J. Bell Moran being called into government service due to the war, George Stark took over the leadership of the DHS and instituted a building campaign in 1942.
By this time, the Museum was in the former Homer Wiliams home on Merrick Street across from what is now the Cass Avenue entrance to the
Detroit Public Library
The Detroit Public Library is the second largest library system in the U.S. state of Michigan by volumes held (after the University of Michigan Library) and the 21st-largest library system (and the fourth-largest public library system) in the Uni ...
. The Williams home, where future Michigan Governor
G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams grew up, has been replaced by part of the
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
Campus.
After a 1946 referendum spearheaded by the DHS and the City of Detroit, the City of Detroit Historical Commission was created to manage the Detroit Historical Museum. The Detroit Historical Society turned its collection and sizable building fund over to the city and assumed the role of being the principal outside financial backer to the museum.
Recent history
By the 1990s, the Museum rode a wave of success. In 1993, the Detroit Historical Society raised nearly $4 million for exhibits, educational programs and an endowment fund for the Museum. A new permanent exhibit, made possible by the success of the campaign, opened in 1995 – The Motor City Exhibition. This exhibit traces Detroit's development into the Automobile Capital of the World and includes an operating assembly line with a two-story body drop from the
General Motors Cadillac Division Clark Street Plant. In 1998, the Museum opened another permanent exhibition, Frontiers to Factories: Detroiters at Work 1701–1901. This exhibit depicts the city's first two hundred years, as it grew from a French fur trading post to a major industrial center.
In March 2006, the Detroit Historical Society once again assumed operational responsibility for the Museum, after signing a formal agreement with the City of Detroit. Four months later, the Museum closed for an extensive "Museum Makeover" reopening on September 29, 2006, with six new exhibits, a facility with improved lighting, signage and building upgrades.
The museum closed again May 21 through November 22, 2012 for renovation. Several new exhibits were installed including the ''Allesee Gallery of Culture''; ''Detroit: Arsenal of Democracy'' that explores the city's role in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
; a sign from
Tiger Stadium; the ''Kid Rock Music Lab'', created through a $250,000 gift from performer
Kid Rock, and the ''Gallery of Innovation'' and ''Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad'' that allows visitors to simulate the journey of a runaway slave traveling through Detroit to Canada.
In October 2019, the museum announced it would resume charging admission November 1, due to a deficit of $297,000 the prior year. The museum established admission for adults at $10 with reduced rates for children, seniors, active military and some other groups.
On March 13, 2020, the museum along with other institutions in Michigan announced it would close through April 5 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and
restrictions issued by Governor
Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 ...
. The closure was later extended into June. On June 25, several museums in the city announced they would reopen July 10, 2020, after devising a coordinated plan that included requirements and protocols to keep staff and visitors safe.
See also
*
''Michigan History'' magazine
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
Official Detroit Historical Museum websiteExpotv.com: Video review of the Detroit Historical Museum— ''with on-site footage''.
{{Coord, 42.3596, -83.0673, type:landmark_region:US-MI, display=title
Museums in Detroit
History museums in Michigan
Midtown Detroit
Woodward Avenue
Historical societies in Michigan
History organizations based in the United States
Buildings with sculpture by Corrado Parducci
1928 establishments in Michigan