Cass Farm Multiple Property Submission facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cass Farm Multiple Property Submission
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Cass Avenue, north of Alexandrine, in the Willis-Selden Historic District
Location	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Built	1870–1927
Architect	Baxter & O'Dell, Putnam & Moore; Leon Coquard; Detroit Edison Company; Donaldson and Meier; C.F. Haglin & Sons; Smith, Hinchman, & Grylls; et al
Architectural style	Colonial Revival, Beaux Arts, Early Commercial
MPS	Cass Farm MPS
NRHP reference No.	97001092, 97001093, 97001095 - 97001101, 97001475, 97001477, 97001478
Added to NRHP	December 1, 1997

The Cass Farm MPS is a special collection of historic places. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1997. All the buildings and areas in this collection are found in the Midtown part of Detroit, Michigan, USA. This historic area is located between Woodward Avenue to the east and the Lodge Freeway to the west. It stretches from Warren Avenue in the north to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the south.

History of Cass Farm

Early Days: 1800-1870

The Cass Farm area is made up of parts of four original land divisions. These include sections of three old ribbon farms. A ribbon farm is a long, narrow piece of land. These farms were the Cass Farm, the Jones/Crane Farm, and the Forsyth Farm. There was also a section called the Park Lots.

The Park Lots were created after a big fire in Detroit in 1805. The US Congress decided to plan a new village. They gave out land titles to clear up who owned what land. This was because British forces had recently left the area. Land along Woodward Avenue, the main road, was set aside. But building in this area didn't really start until the 1860s.

The Cass Farm stretched between what are now Cass Avenue and Third Avenue. In 1816, Lewis Cass bought this ribbon farm. Over time, the land closer to the river was developed first. By the time Cass died in 1866, some blocks north of Martin Luther King Boulevard were just being planned. Cass's children continued to develop the area after his death.

The Jones/Crane Farm was located between Third Avenue and the alley east of Fourth Street. De Garmo Jones, who was once the mayor of Detroit, received this land in 1823. The back part of this farm changed owners many times. Flavius JB Crane bought it in 1854 and began planning its development.

The Forsythe Farm was between Fourth Street and the Lodge Freeway. John Forsythe bought it in 1829. This property was later divided many times. Different owners eventually planned out the land.

Building in the area was quite slow at first. In the early 1800s, Detroit mostly grew east and west of Woodward. This was along Fort Street and Jefferson Avenue. The Cass Farm areas were still mostly countryside. City development didn't truly begin until 1870. By then, Detroit's population was almost 80,000 people. New streetcar lines in the 1860s made it easier for people to travel from Cass Farm to downtown.

Growth and Change: 1870-1910

The West Canfield Historic District was planned in 1871. It was one of the first neighborhoods created in the area. This district had large, expensive lots. Many important Detroit families moved there. A serious economic downturn slowed building. But it picked up again in the late 1870s.

From 1880 to 1895, there was a boom in building. Many fancy single-family homes and duplexes were built in Cass Farm. The lots on Woodward Avenue were the most expensive. They had the grandest homes. The lots just off Woodward were soon filled with homes for Detroit's wealthy families. Schools and churches were also built in the area.

As Detroit grew, more people needed apartments. Starting in 1895, building in Cass Farm focused more on small apartment buildings. This was especially true in the last part of the district to be developed. This section was south of Warren, between Cass and Third. Many small apartment buildings were built here around 1900.

Modernization: 1910-1940

As the city kept expanding, the neighborhood changed. Even before World War I, traffic on Woodward Avenue led to a shift. The area changed from fancy homes to businesses. The building of Orchestra Hall started a movement to make the area more public-friendly.

The rise of cars also changed the area. Cass Farm was close to car factories in the Milwaukee Junction area. This made it a good place for auto workers to live. In the 1910s and 1920s, larger apartment buildings were constructed. Many single-family homes became boardinghouses. Businesses also grew, especially those related to cars. These included car showrooms, service stations, and parts stores.

Decline and Rebirth: 1930-Present

The Great Depression marked the start of a long decline for Cass Farm. New buildings faced foreclosure. Many auto workers, who used to earn good wages, lost their jobs. When industry recovered after World War II, many businesses had moved to the suburbs. So, the economic recovery mostly missed the Cass Farm area.

In the 1950s, many houses and businesses were torn down. This continued into the 1980s. Wayne State University started to have more influence. They fixed up old buildings and built new ones. In the 1990s, the focus shifted to urban renewal. More buildings in the area have been restored. This work has been done by Wayne State, other public groups, and private owners.

Historic Buildings in Cass Farm

There are twelve important buildings and areas in the Cass Farm MPS. They represent different times in the area's history.

Resource Name	Image	Address	Built	Architect	Note
Cass-Davenport Historic District		Bounded Cass Ave., Davenport, and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd	1905–1924	Baxter & O'Dell; Putnam & Moore
Chapel of St. Theresa-the Little Flower		46 Parsons Street	1926	Donaldson and Meier
Detroit Edison Company Willis Avenue Station		50 West Willis	1916	Detroit Edison Company
Detroit-Columbia Central Office Building		52 Selden Street	1927	Smith, Hinchman, & Grylls
Graybar Electric Company Building		55 West Canfield	1926	C.F. Haglin & Sons
Hotel Stevenson		40 Davenport Street	1913	Joseph P. Jogerst	Now known as the Milner Arms.
Robert M. and Matilda (Kitch) Grindley House		123 Parsons Street	1897	Putnam and Moore
League of Catholic Women Building		100 Parsons Street	1927	Smith, Hinchman & Grylls
Sts. Peter and Paul Academy		64 Parsons Street	1892	Leon Coquard	Currently known as the St. Patrick Senior Center
Warren-Prentis Historic District		Prentis, Forest, Hancock, & south side of Warren, from Woodward to Third Avenue	1880–1895	Multiple
West Canfield Historic District (Boundary Increase)		Third Street, south of Canfield	1871	Unknown
Willis-Selden Historic District		Willis, Alexandrine, and Selden, from Woodward to Third Avenue	1870	Multiple

These buildings show how the Cass Farm area developed over time. The oldest structures are part of the West Canfield Historic District. These include a Victorian private home and two Victorian commercial buildings. They are some of the earliest in the neighborhood. The Robert M. and Matilda (Kitch) Grindley House was another 19th-century home. It was built when Cass Farm was mostly a fancy residential area.

The Warren-Prentis Historic District has a mix of early homes and small apartment buildings. These were built around the turn of the 20th century. Around the same time, the Sts. Peter and Paul Academy was built. It served the growing number of people in the neighborhood.

The Willis-Selden Historic District has slightly newer buildings. It shows a mix of small apartments and commercial buildings. These appeared as the car industry became more important. Another business building is the Graybar Electric Company Building. Around the same time, more power and phone services were needed. This led to the building of the Detroit Edison Company Willis Avenue Station and the Detroit-Columbia Central Office Building.

Finally, the Cass-Davenport Historic District shows a mix of small and larger apartment buildings. These bigger apartments were built in the 1920s as city space became more valuable. The Hotel Stevenson is another large apartment building in the MPS. The League of Catholic Women Building was also included. It was built to house young women moving to the city for work. The Chapel of St. Theresa-the Little Flower was also built around this period.

See also

In Spanish: Cass Farm para niños