The East Jefferson Avenue Residential District in

Detroit, Michigan 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 ...

, includes the Thematic Resource (TR) in the

multiple property submission The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

which was approved on October 9, 1985. The structures are single-family and multiple-unit residential buildings with construction dates spanning nearly a century, from 1835 to 1931. from the National Park Service, received August 29, 1985 The area is located on the lower east side of the city.

History

The road that is now East Jefferson Avenue existed from the earliest days of Detroit. Then known as the "River Road," it paralleled 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 ...

east of Detroit, connecting the French

ribbon farm Ribbon farms (also known as strip farms, long-lot farms, or just long lots) are long, narrow land divisions for farming, usually lined up along a waterway. In some instances, they line a road. Background Ribbon or strip farms were prevalent in ...

s to Ste. Anne Street in the heart of Detroit. After the disastrous fire of 1805, Judge Augustus Woodward platted out a new design for the city, widening Ste. Anne St. and renaming it (and the connecting River Road) "Jefferson Avenue" in honor of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

. Jefferson quickly became the commercial nexus of Detroit; by 1820 over half the businesses on the city were located on the avenue. Additionally, many prominent Detroit residents of the time lived along Jefferson, including

Charles Christopher Trowbridge Charles Christopher Trowbridge (December 29, 1800 – April 3, 1883)James V. Cambell
"Biographi ...

,Charles Trowbridge House
from the city of Detroit

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and was appointed as Governor of Michigan Territory (1805–13), gaining large land cessions from several Am ...

Solomon Sibley Solomon Sibley (October 7, 1769 – April 4, 1846) was an American politician and jurist in the Michigan Territory who became the first mayor of Detroit. Early life: 1769–1815 Sibley was born in Sutton, Massachusetts, the son of Ruth and Reube ...

, John R. Williams,

Antoine Dequindre Antoine Dequindre (1781–1843) was a soldier, landowner and shopkeeper in Detroit, Michigan in the first half of the 19th century. He is best known for heroism at the Battle of Monguagon during the War of 1812, when he was serving as a captai ...

Joseph Campau Joseph Campau (February 20, 1769 – May 13, 1863) was among the leading citizens and wealthiest landowners in Detroit, Michigan, at the beginning of the 19th century. Campau had three trading posts and a store in Detroit until the early 1800s. He ...

Oliver Newberry Oliver may refer to: Arts, entertainment and literature Books * ''Oliver the Western Engine'', volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry * ''Oliver Twist'', a novel by Charles Dickens Fictional characters * Ariadne Oliver, ...

, and

Oliver Miller Oliver J. Miller (born April 6, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. He was nicknamed "The Big O" because of his large size ( and well over throughout his pro career). Miller played college basketball at the University of ...

. As Detroit grew and city services expanded, Jefferson was one of the first streets to obtain new installations, getting iron water pipes in 1838, a horse-drawn bus line in 1847, horse-drawn rail in 1863, electric arc lighting in 1883, and asphalt pavement in 1892. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, many newly prosperous Detroit citizens built prestigious homes along Jefferson in a variety of popular architectural styles, including

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanes ...

, Queen Anne, and

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

As the 19th century drew to a close and the 20th century began, the area around Jefferson Avenue became more industrialized. Wealthy residents, spurred by the availability of streetcar lines (and later, the automobiles), moved farther from the city center, leaving Jefferson Avenue behind. However, the booming city economy and influx of new residents in the 1910s increased demand for new housing. East Jefferson Avenue became an epicenter for new luxury apartment buildings, built particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. Following

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, East Jefferson became more commercial with the introduction of modern commercial structures. Yet, East Jefferson contains clusters of preserved historic structures.

Gallery of Lost Residences.

File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p433 RESIDENCE OF JAMES FLATTERY, 384 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1879.jpg, James Flattery House built in 1879 and designed by the architect Mortimer L Smith, was demolished in 1960s. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p442 RESIDENCE OF GEORGE McMILLAN, 740 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1870.jpg, George McMillan residence built in 1870 and demolished in 1950s. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p434 RESIDENCE OF A. H. DEY, 425 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1862.jpg, Alexander H Dey residence built in 1862 and designed by Gordon W Lloyd. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p435 RESIDENCE OF A. C. McGRAW, 460 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1852.jpg, A.C McGraw residence built in 1852 and demolished in 1940s. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p438 RESIDENCE OF W. G. THOMPSON, 478 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1876.jpg, William G Thompson residence built in 1876 and demolished in 1920. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p441 RESIDENCE OF W. K. MUIR, 655 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1879.jpg, William K Muir residence built in 1879 and designed by the architect Henry T Brush, was demolished in 1929. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p433 RESIDENCE OF R. H. HALL, 406 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1855.jpg, Double residence of Richard H Hall built in 1855 and demolished in 1960s for the Chrysler Freeway File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p439 RESIDENCE OF S. D. MILLER, 524 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1864.jpg, Sidney D Miller reisdence built in 1864 and designed by Gordon W Lloyd, was demolished in 1955. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p444 RESIDENCE OF MRS. CHARLES DUCHARME, 834 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1869.jpg, Charles DuCharme residence built in 1869 and designed by Mortimer L Smith, was demolished in 1948. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p443 RESIDENCE OF G. S. DAVIS, 760 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1852.jpg, Residence of G.S Davis built in 1852 and demolished in 1910s File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p437 RESIDENCE OF JAMES McMILLAN, 515 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1873-80.jpg,

James McMillan James (or Jim or Jimmy) McMillan or MacMillan may refer to: Sportspeople * James McMillan (footballer, born c. 1866) (c. 1866–?), played for Sunderland * James McMillan (footballer, born 1869) (1869–1937), played for Scotland,Everton and St ...

House built in 1873 and designed by Gordon W Lloyd, was demolished in 1931. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p435 RESIDENCE OF A. E. BRUSH, 462 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1828-70.jpg, Alfred Erskine Brush residence built in 1828 and demolished in 1890s. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p443 RESIDENCE OF THE LATE HUGH MOFFAT, 750 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1861.jpg, Hugh Moffat residence built in 1861 and demolished in 1940s. File:FARMER(1884) Detroit, p436 RESIDENCE OF J. S. NEWBERRY, 483 JEFFERSON AVE. BUILT IN 1875.jpg, John S Newberry residence built in 1875 and designed by Gordon W Lloyd, was demolished in 1961.

Architecture

The Thematic Resource includes twenty-eight architecturally and historically significant structures, stretching along a scenic three-mile section of East Jefferson Avenue beginning just east of downtown Detroit. Each of the structures included are, in some way, representative of the "high style" architecture of the period. The structures listed have a high degree of architectural integrity, with building alteration primarily confined to interior remodeling or additions; in all buildings, the Jefferson Avenue façade remains substantially intact. Four of the historic structures along East Jefferson listed on the T.R. have been demolished after their addition to the Register. The structures included are as follows: : In addition, the following nine residential structures were previously listed on the NRHP, either individually or as part of an historic district: :

Significance

The structures in this Thematic Resource vary greatly in style, construction, and use, but all are related by the common theme of residential development and general upper-class nature. Each of the structures included are, in some way, representative of the "high style" architecture of the period. The structures are divided into four groups, according to their original use and construction date. The first group includes the single-family residences built by prominent Detroit citizens before the Civil War. This group includes the

Joseph Campau House The Joseph Campau House is a private residence located at 2910 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Description The Joseph Campau House is a two-story house with a sym ...

(1835) and the Alexander Chene House (1855) listed in this T.R., as well as the Charles Trowbridge House (1826) and the

Moross House The Moross House is a house located at 1460 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the oldest surviving brick house in the city; it was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Hi ...

(1855), both listed on the

NRHP The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

at an earlier date. These structures are distinguished by their relatively modest appearance, although at the time of their construction they were fashionable homes housing prominent Detroit citizens. The second group includes the single-family residences built by wealthy Detroiters in the latter part of the 19th century and in the early 20th century. This group includes the John N. Bagley House (1889), the

William H. Wells House The William H. Wells House is a private residence located at 2931 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. History This house was designed by Cornell architect William Hen ...

(1889), the

Franklin H. Walker House The Franklin H. Walker House was a private residence located at 2730 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was also known as Doctor's Hospital. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, but subsequently d ...

(1896), the Arthur M. Parker House (1901), and the Frederick K. Stearns House (1902), all listed in this T.R., as well as the

Thomas A. Parker House The Thomas A. Parker House was built as a private residence and is located at 975 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is currently the law offices of Liddle ...

(1868), the Croul-Palms House (1881), and homes in the Indian Village Historic District which were listed on the

at an earlier date. These architect-designed structures are distinguished by their elaborate and expensive construction and exemplification of popular architectural styles. The third group includes the large-scale luxury apartment buildings built in the early 20th century. These large, luxurious apartment buildings were the first multiple-unit structures to make inroads into the previously exclusive single-family residential East Jefferson neighborhood, with the Pasadena Apartments (1902) and

The Palms The Palms may refer to: Australia * The Palms, Queensland, a locality in the Gympie Region ** The Palms National Park, a small national park located between Cooyar and Yarraman in Queensland, Australia * The Palms at Crown, a concert venue at ...

(1903) being the earliest examples. The larger apartment buildings continued to be constructed along Jefferson, with the much larger Garden Court Apartments (1915), the Whittier Hotel (1922–1926), and the

Alden Park Towers The Alden Park Towers is an apartment building located at 8100 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is also currently known as Alden Towers. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Description Ald ...

(1922) built over the next two decades, and

The Kean The Kean is an apartment building located at 8925 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, directly adjacent to the Hibbard Apartment Building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Description The Kean is a stri ...

(1931) built just as the Great Depression halted construction for years. These structures are distinguished by their relatively large size and (originally) sizable and luxurious apartments. The fourth group includes the more modest (but still well-appointed) smaller scale apartment buildings constructed in the 1910s and 1920s to cater to more upper-middle-class tenants such as automobile company workers and professionals. This group includes the Manchester Apartments (1915), Jefferson Hall (1916), the

Ponchartrain Apartments The Ponchartrain Apartments was an apartment building located at 1350 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was also known as the Renaissance Apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Registe ...

(1920), the

Chateau Frontenac Apartments The Chateau Frontenac Apartments was an apartment building located in Detroit, Michigan. It bore the name of the famous Château Frontenac hotel. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, but was subsequently dem ...

(1925), the Somerset Apartments (1922), and the

Hibbard Apartment Building The Hibbard Apartment Building is an apartment building located at 8905 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, directly adjacent to The Kean. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Description The Hibbard Apart ...

(1924). These structures are distinguished by their smaller scale and less well-appointed but still high quality rooms.

References

{{Architecture of metropolitan Detroit Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submissions Historic districts in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Detroit