The Highland Park General Hospital is a former hospital complex located at 357 Glendale Avenue in

Highland Park, Michigan Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,977 at the 2020 census. Along with its neighbor of Hamtramck, Highland Park is an enclave city surrounded by the city of Detroit. History The area tha ...

. It was closed in 1976 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979 and listed on 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 ...

in 1985. The hospital primarily served African Americans.Nathaniel Wesley, Jr., ''Black Hospitals in America: History, Contributions and Demise'', Tallahassee, NWR Associates Publications, 2010, , pp. 67 and 123. The building was later renovated into apartments, and is now the Bella Vista Glen Senior Apartments.

Description

The Highland Park General Hospital sits on a at the western edge of Highland Park, in an area that is primarily residential.Highland Park General Hospital
from the state of Michigan The complex includes three separate buildings. The primary building faces Glendale, and includes the original hospital building, built in 1918, and the attached nurses' residence (1925). The other two buildings are located behind the main unit, and consist of the power plant/laundry buildings (builtin in 1921 and 1940, respectively) and the Contagious and Psychopathic Units (built in 1926). This complex of buildings was developed to be a coherent assemblage, united by a common use of materials, utilitarian design, and hierarchical relationship. The buildings constructed before

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 ...

are detailed in a neo-Georgian style characteristic of the early 20th century period of construction, while elements built in the postwar era have no historical or ornamental detailing.

History

The Highland Park General Hospital is a significant landmark in the history of Highland Park. The hospital was one of the first two institutions established when Highland Park incorporated as a city in 1916. The main building was constructed in the period from 1918 to 1921, and the growth and usage of the hospital contributed to the strong municipal identity of Highland Park, particularly as

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 ...

grew and annexed the surrounding suburbs. The Highland Park General Hospital served the city as a hospital until its closing in 1976. The building remained vacant until 1986, when it was purchased and renovated into apartments. It now serves as the Bella Vista Glen Senior Apartments.

References

{{Authority control Defunct hospitals in Michigan Highland Park, Michigan Buildings and structures in Wayne County, Michigan Hospital buildings completed in 1918 Hospital buildings completed in 1926 Hospital buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan Historically black hospitals in the United States