National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan facts for kids

Location of Wayne County within the state of Michigan

Wayne County, Michigan, is home to many important buildings and places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This special list includes buildings, neighborhoods, and other sites that are important to the history of the United States. When a place is on this list, it means it's recognized for its historical or architectural value. Some places are even more special and are called National Historic Landmarks, which are the most important historic sites in the country.

Wayne County has 370 places on the National Register. Most of these, 282 to be exact, are in the city of Detroit. Detroit also has 10 National Historic Landmarks. The other 89 places, including 4 National Historic Landmarks, are found in other parts of Wayne County.

Detroit's Historic Places

Detroit has many historic buildings that show how the city grew over more than a century. The oldest known building is the Charles Trowbridge House, built in 1826. However, because Detroit has changed and rebuilt so much, there aren't many buildings left from before the American Civil War.

Some of the oldest buildings still standing include private homes along East Jefferson, like the Sibley House (1848), the Beaubien House (1851), and the Moross House (1855). Other old structures are Fort Wayne (1849), and churches like Saints Peter and Paul Church (1848) and Mariner's Church (1849).

Industry and Growth in Detroit

Many of Detroit's listed buildings are connected to the city's growth as a major industrial center, especially with the rise of the automobile industry. These include not just factories, but also office buildings, shops, and homes built for the many people who moved to Detroit for work.

In the late 1800s, many factories were built near the Detroit River to use the river and train lines for transportation. Examples include the Dry Dock Engine Works-Detroit Dry Dock Company Complex, Parke-Davis, the Frederick Stearns Company, and Globe Tobacco. This industrial growth created a new group of wealthy people who built grand homes along Jefferson and Woodward Avenue. Some of these homes are the Croul-Palms House (1881), the William H. Wells House (1889), and the Col. Frank J. Hecker House (1888). Fancy apartments and churches were also built, like the Coronado Apartments (1894) and the First Presbyterian Church (1889).

The Automobile Era

Around 1900, people like Henry Ford started making cars in Detroit, using the city's existing machine and coach-building skills. Early car factories include the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant (1904), which is a National Historic Landmark. As the car industry grew, new buildings like the General Motors Building (1919) and the Fisher Building (1928) were constructed. These are also National Historic Landmarks.

The car industry made Detroit's population boom. This led to the building of many apartment buildings for middle-class workers, such as the Somerset Apartments (1922). New upscale neighborhoods like Boston-Edison and Indian Village also appeared.

Downtown Detroit saw a building boom with many early 20th-century skyscrapers. The Art Deco Guardian Building (1928) is a National Historic Landmark. Other important buildings include the Vinton Building (1916) and the Barlum Tower (1927). Shopping areas, hotels like the Fort Shelby Hotel (1916), and grand movie theaters like the Fox (1928) were also built. Public buildings like Orchestra Hall (1919) and the Detroit Public Library (1921) also show this period of growth.

Historic Places Outside Detroit

A map showing cities and towns within Wayne County.

Wayne County has many other interesting historic places outside of Detroit.

Western Wayne County: Canton and Livonia

The western parts of Wayne County, like Canton and Livonia, developed later than Detroit. This means some older buildings from the early 1800s have been preserved. Canton has several Greek Revival style homes, such as the Sheldon Inn (1825) and the Clyde House (1845).

Livonia is home to Greenmead Farms, which has an 1841 Greek Revival farmhouse and an 1829 barn. Other old farmhouses have been moved to this site to save them. Victorian-era houses like the Truesdell House (1888) and the Fischer Farmstead (1897) are also recognized. The Wilson Barn in Livonia is important because it was part of Ira Wilson's successful dairy business.

Sadly, some historic homes in this area, like the Boldman House (1835) and the Dingledey House (1881), have been torn down since they were listed.

Villages of Plymouth and Northville

The villages of Northville and Plymouth have historic houses from many different decades. The Northville Historic District has many homes built between 1835 and the 1890s, mostly early Gothic Revival styles. Plymouth has two important Victorian homes: the Italianate style Henry W. Baker House (1875) and the Stick-Eastlake style Charles G. Curtiss Sr. House (1890). Plymouth also has the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Carlton D. Wall House (1941).

In Dearborn, the Commandant's Quarters was built in 1833 as part of the Detroit Arsenal. Even though the city around it grew and other parts of the Arsenal were changed or removed, this building has stayed mostly the same.

Henry Ford's Influence in Dearborn

Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, had a huge impact on Wayne County, especially Dearborn. He has five National Historic Landmarks named after him. Three of these are in Dearborn: the Ford River Rouge Complex, which was a massive factory; Fair Lane, his personal home; and Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum, which shows his love for history.

Other Ford-related properties on the Register include the Dearborn Inn and Colonial Homes, built as an airport hotel, and the Ford Valve Plant in Northville, an experimental factory. The Henry Ford Square House was built by Henry Ford himself shortly after he got married.

Highland Park and Hamtramck

Highland Park and Hamtramck are cities surrounded by Detroit. Both grew because of the car industry. The Highland Park Ford Plant (1910) is a major landmark in Highland Park, and Hamtramck had the huge Dodge Main plant (1914). These factories brought many workers, making both cities grow quickly.

The new workers needed homes, leading to neighborhoods like Highland Heights-Stevens' Subdivision in Highland Park. Many churches were also built, such as St. Florian (1928) in Hamtramck for its Polish residents, and several churches in Highland Park like the Highland Park Presbyterian Church (1910).

The Grosse Pointes

The Grosse Pointes, located northeast of Detroit, changed from a farming area to a wealthy community because of industry and cars. Rich Detroiters started building summer homes there, and as cars made travel easier, it became a year-round upscale area. Historic homes like the Carl E. and Alice Candler Schmidt House (1909) and the Russell A. Alger Jr. House (1910) show this change.

Schools like Defer Elementary School (1924) and Grosse Pointe South High School (1927), and churches like Saint Paul Catholic Church (1895) were built as the population grew.

Downriver Communities: Lincoln Park, Wyandotte, and Grosse Ile

Lincoln Park is a working-class suburb. Its two listed properties, the Lincoln Park Post Office and the former Mellus Newspapers Building, are more recent.

Wyandotte is an older city with a history of wealthy residents. The Marx House (1862) and the John and Emma Lacey Eberts House (1872) were homes to important citizens. Edward Ford, a glass industry leader, built the impressive Ford-Bacon House and the George P. MacNichol House for his family.

Grosse Ile is a wealthy island community. In the mid-1800s, Detroit businessmen built summer homes there. The East River Road Historic District includes some of the earliest mansions, and St. James Episcopal Church was built shortly after the Civil War.

Wayne County Bridges

The Wayne County Road Commission was known for its new ideas in bridge building. Historic bridges are found throughout the county. The Waltz Road – Huron River Bridge and the Lilley Road-Lower Rouge River Bridge show how the county grew and how bridges were standardized. Bridges on Grosse Ile show the variety of smaller bridges built.

Detroit's bridges, like the West Jefferson Avenue – Rouge River Bridge, were built to separate train and car traffic, and to allow ships to pass. The US 12 Bridges in Dearborn were part of the first major expressway through Detroit.

List of Historic Places

• Academy of the Sacred Heart (171 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms): This school started in 1887 as a boarding school for young ladies. It's now called the Grosse Pointe Academy and continues to educate students.
• Russell A. Alger Jr. House (32 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms): Built in 1910, this was the home of Russell A. Alger Jr. It was later given to the community in 1949 to honor World War II veterans and is now known as the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.
• Annapolis Park Historic District (Julius, Matthew, Hanover, Farnum, Alan, and Paul, Westland): This neighborhood was created in 1953 specifically for African-American families during World War II, when housing was difficult to find due to discrimination.
• Henry W. Baker House (233 S. Main St., Plymouth): This unique Italianate style house was built for Henry W. Baker, who led the company that invented the Daisy air rifle. It's famous for its pagoda-shaped tower.
• Tivadar and Dorothy Balogh House (49800 Joy Road, Plymouth Township): Built in 1958-59 by architect Tivadar Balogh for his own family, this modern, cubic house appears to float above the ground.
• Thomas and Maria Blackman Bartlett House (500 N. Ridge Rd., Cherry Hill): Originally built around 1840 in the Greek Revival style, this house was later updated with Victorian features. It was moved and restored in the 1990s.
• Beverly Road Historic District (23-45 Beverly Rd., Grosse Pointe Farms): This was one of the first fancy neighborhoods in the Grosse Pointes, marking the area's change from farms to an upscale community in 1911.
• Benjamin and Mary Ann Bradford House (48145 Warren Rd., Canton): Built in 1860, this house belonged to Benjamin Bradford, whose family were among the first settlers in Canton Township.
• Cadieux School (389 Saint Clair Ave., Grosse Pointe): Listed in 2023, this school is recognized for its historical significance.
• Jos. Campau Historic District (Bounded by Holbrook, Pulaski, Casmere, & Lehman Sts., Hamtramck): This district shows off many early 20th-century commercial buildings that were built as Hamtramck grew after the Dodge Main Plant opened in 1915.
• Cherry Hill Historic District (Cherry Hill and Ridge Rds., Canton Township): This district includes buildings from the community of Cherry Hill, established in 1825. It features an inn, a church, a school, and homes, some connected to Henry Ford's "Village Industry" projects.
• Christ Church Chapel (61 Grosse Pointe Rd., Grosse Pointe Farms): Completed in 1930, this beautiful Neo-Gothic chapel was meant to be part of a larger church building.
• Thomas and Isabella Moore Clyde House (50325 Cherry Hill Rd., Canton Township): This unique Greek Revival house was built around 1845 and moved to its current spot in 1924.
• Commandant's Quarters (21950 Michigan Ave., Dearborn): Built in 1833, this is the oldest building in Dearborn still on its original site. It was part of the Detroit Arsenal.
• Charles G. Curtiss Sr. House (168 S. Union St., Plymouth): This two-story wooden house was built around 1890 by Charles G. Curtiss Sr., a builder from Plymouth.
• Dearborn City Hall Complex (13615 Michigan Ave., Dearborn): This complex includes the 1921 City Hall and the 1929 Police and Municipal Courts Building.
• Dearborn Country Club (800 North Military St., Dearborn): Listed in 2025, this country club is recognized for its historical importance.
• Dearborn Inn and Colonial Homes (20301 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn): Henry Ford had this Inn built in 1931 to provide lodging for visitors flying into the nearby Ford Airport. It was the first airport hotel in the country.
• Defer Elementary School (15425 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe Park): Built in 1921, this was the first school constructed after five local school districts combined to form the Grosse Pointe Public School System.
• East River Road Historic District (East River Rd. near the Grosse Ile Parkway, Grosse Ile): This district includes several Gothic Revival mansions from the 1850s, a church, and a train depot.
• East River Road – North Hickory Canal Bridge (E. River Rd. over N. Hickory Canal, Grosse Ile): This concrete bridge was built during or after World War II, likely because steel was hard to get.
• John and Emma Lacey Eberts House (109 Vinewood Ave., Wyandotte): This house was built in 1872 for John Eberts Jr. and his wife Emma Lacey.
• Orson Everitt House (39040 W. Seven Mile Rd., Livonia): This Queen Anne style house, built around 1899, features a wide porch and a round tower.
• Fair Lane (4901 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn): This was the large estate of Henry and Clara Ford in Dearborn. It included a big limestone house, a power plant, and beautiful gardens.
• Ferry Street – Thorofare Canal Bridge (Ferry St. over Thorofare Canal, Grosse Ile): Another concrete bridge from the World War II era, showing the challenges of getting steel at the time.
• William Hawkins Ferry House (874 Lake Shore Rd., Grosse Pointe Shores): Designed in 1964 by William Henry Kessler, this modern, cubic house belonged to W. Hawkins Ferry, a supporter of Detroit architecture.
• First Congregational Church (98 Superior Blvd., Wyandotte): Listed in 2023, this church is recognized for its historical significance.
• First United Methodist Church (16300 Woodward Ave., Highland Park): Built in 1916, this Gothic church now houses Soul Harvest Ministries.
• John and Edna Truesdell Fischer Farmstead (4896–5228 S. Sheldon Rd., Sheldon): This farm includes an 1897 Queen Anne house built by the children of German immigrants, along with greenhouses and other farm buildings.
• Ford River Rouge Complex (3001 Miller Rd., Dearborn): This huge Ford Motor Company factory, built from 1917 to 1928, was once the largest integrated factory in the world.
• Ford Valve Plant (235 E. Main St., Northville): This was the first of Henry Ford's "Village Industries" factories, designed to bring factory jobs to rural areas.
• Henry Ford Square House (29835 Beechwood Ave., Garden City): Also known as the Henry Ford Honeymoon House, this four-room house was built by Henry Ford himself after his marriage in 1889.
• Ford-Bacon House (45 Vinewood, Wyandotte): Edward Ford built this house in 1897. It is now used as the Bacon Memorial District Library.
• Gibraltar Road – Waterway Canal Bridge (Gibraltar Rd. over Waterway Canal, Gibraltar): This unusual concrete arch bridge was praised by the Wayne County Road Commissioners for fitting in with its surroundings.
• Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (12375 Woodward Ave., Highland Park): Built from 1929 to 1930, this church building is now the Prayer Temple of Love Cathedral.
• Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum (Bounded by Michigan Ave. on the N, Village Rd. on the S, Southfield Expwy. on the E, and Oakland Blvd. on the W, Dearborn): This is the nation's largest indoor-outdoor history museum, founded by Henry Ford to preserve important historical items and show the Industrial Revolution. It's also known as the Edison Institute.
• Greenmead Farms (38125 Base Line Rd., Livonia): This farm includes the 1829 North Barn, the first barn built in Livonia, and an 1841 Greek Revival farmhouse. Other historic buildings have been moved here.
• Grosse Pointe Public Library Central Branch (10 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms): Listed in 2021, this library branch is recognized for its historical significance.
• Grosse Pointe South High School (11 Grosse Pointe Blvd., Grosse Pointe Farms): This school is important for its architecture, art, and education, and is located in a historically significant neighborhood.
• Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (16 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms): This Presbyterian church was built with a large donation from Truman Handy Newberry and his brother to honor their parents.
• Grosse Pointe Yacht Club (788 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Shores): The clubhouse, designed in the 1920s, is in the Italian Renaissance style and features a tall bell tower that helps boaters on Lake St. Clair.
• Hamtramck Stadium (3201 Dan St., Hamtramck): Also known as Roesink Stadium, this is one of only 12 remaining Negro league baseball stadiums. It was home to the Detroit Stars and Detroit Wolves baseball teams.
• Highland Heights-Stevens' Subdivision Historic District (Bounded by Woodward Ave., the alley south of E. Buena Vista Ave., Oakland Ave., and the alley south of Massachusetts Ave., Highland Park): This neighborhood has many single-family homes built in the early 1900s, showing different American architectural styles of that time.
• Highland Park General Hospital (357 Glendale Ave., Highland Park): This hospital was one of the first two institutions established when Highland Park became a city in 1916.
• Highland Park Ford Plant (15050 Woodward Ave., Highland Park): Opened in 1910, this Ford Motor Company plant was the first in the world to use the assembly line for car production in 1913.
• Highland Park Presbyterian Church (14 Cortland St., Highland Park): Built from 1910 to 1911, this church started as a mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Detroit. It is now known as the Park United Presbyterian Church.
• Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment (36000 W. Jefferson Ave., Brownstown Charter Township): This is the only known remaining part of "Hull's Trace," a military road built during the War of 1812, which was the first military and federal road in the United States.
• Jefferson Avenue – Huron River and Harbin Drive – Silver Creek Canal Bridges (Jefferson Ave. over Huron R.; Harbin Dr. over Silver Creek Canal, Brownstown Charter Township): This listing includes two bridges, one of which connects Wayne County to Monroe County.
• William and Margot Kessler House (1013 Cadieux Road, Grosse Pointe Park): Built in 1959 by architect William Kessler for his family, this house is known for its unique saw-tooth roof and textured brick fence.
• Orrin and Roxanne Fairman Kinyon House (7675 N. Ridge Rd., Canton): This Greek Revival farmhouse was built in 1850 by Orrin Kinyon, whose family were original settlers of Canton Township.
• Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House (203 Cloverly Road, Grosse Pointe Farms): This Modernist house was the first project for the famous father-and-son architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen.
• Lilley Road – Lower Rouge River Bridge (Lilley Rd. over Lower Rouge R., Canton Township): This bridge was originally built in 1923-1924 for Telegraph Road, but was moved and reinstalled at Lilley Road in 1933.
• Lincoln Park Post Office (1335 Southfield Rd., Lincoln Park): This 1938 building's design was used for several other post offices built during the Great Depression.
• George P. MacNichol House (2610 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte): Edward Ford built this house in 1896 as a wedding gift for his daughter. It is now the Wyandotte Historical Museum.
• Marx House (2630 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte): Built around 1862, this house was home to several important citizens of Wyandotte, including a mayor and a druggist.
• Grace Ingersoll McGraw House (17315 East Jefferson Ave, Grosse Pointe): Listed in 2023, this house is recognized for its historical significance.
• McKinley Elementary School (640 Plum St., Wyandotte): This school, designed in 1938, opened in 1940 and was used until 2009. It is being turned into housing.
• Medbury's-Grove Lawn Subdivisions Historic District (Roughly bounded by Hamilton Ave., the alley south of Louise Ave., Woodward Ave., and the alley south of Puritan Ave., Highland Park): This neighborhood, mostly built in the 1910s and 1920s, has many different architectural styles, especially bungalows.
• Northville Historic District (Bounded roughly by Cady, Rogers, and Randolph Sts., Northville): This district in old Northville has 73 historic buildings, mostly Gothic Revival houses from 1860 to 1880.
• Norwayne Historic District (Generally bounded by Palmer, Wildwood, Glenwood & Merriman Rds., Wayne County Lower Rouge Pkwy., Westland): This neighborhood was built in 1942 to house workers for nearby defense factories during World War II.
• Palmer Park Boulevard Apartments District (1981, 2003 and 2025 W. McNichols Rd., Highland Park): This group of three apartment buildings was designed by the same architect in the mid-1920s and share a similar look.
• Parke Lane Road – Thorofare Canal Bridge (Parke Lane Rd. over Thorofare Ch., Grosse Ile): This bridge has a rare "cantilevered concrete arch" design, where the arch is divided into two parts.
• John and Eliza Barr Patterson House (6205 N. Ridge Rd., Canton): This Greek Revival house was built in 1844 and stayed in the Patterson family until 1999. It still has old rose and peony gardens.
• Redford Township District No. 5 School (18499 Beech Daly Rd., Redford): This school was built using free plans from the state and is a rare example of an unremodeled school from that time. It's now the John C. Raeside Administration Building.
• Pere Gabriel Richard Elementary School (176 McKinley Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms): Named after Father Gabriel Richard, this school was designed in the French Renaissance style and opened in 1930.
• Rosedale Gardens Historic District (Arden St. to Hubbard St. between Plymouth Rd. and West Chicago St., Livonia): This neighborhood was planned in the 1920s and features homes that were originally wood-sided but later bricked over during the Great Depression.
• St. Florian Historic District (Roughly bounded by Joseph Campau Ave., Holbrook Ave., Dequindre, Norwalk, Lumpkin, and Yemans Sts., Hamtramck): This district includes the grand St. Florian Church, built in 1928 to serve the large Polish community in Hamtramck.
• St. James Episcopal Church (25150 E. River Rd., Grosse Ile): Built in 1867, this church was largely funded by Lisette Denison Forth, a freed slave who left her savings for its construction.
• Saint Paul Catholic Church Complex (157 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms): This church, built in 1899, is the third for the first Catholic parish in the Grosse Pointes. It's designed in the French Gothic Revival style.
• Carl E. and Alice Candler Schmidt House (301 Lake Shore Rd., Grosse Pointe Farms): Carl E. Schmidt, a successful tanner and friend of Michigan Governor Hazen Pingree, built this Shingle-style house with his wife Alice in 1909.
• Sheldon Inn (44134 Michigan Ave., Sheldon): This two-story Greek Revival building, built in 1825, was originally a home and a travelers' inn.
• George and Mary Pine Smith House (3704 S. Sheldon Rd., Sheldon): Built in 1904, this house belonged to George Jr. and Mary Smith, continuing a long line of farmers in Canton Township.
• South Pointe Drive – Frenchman's Creek Bridge (South Pointe Dr. over Frenchman's Creek, Grosse Ile): This concrete bridge was completed in 1939 using labor from the Works Progress Administration.
• Springwells Park Historic District (Rotunda Dr., the Michigan Central Railroad line, and Greenfield and Eastham Rds., Dearborn): This neighborhood was developed by the Ford Foundation and is known for its curving streets and many parks.
• Starkweather School (550 N. Holbrook St., Plymouth): Built in 1927, this is the only school from its time still standing in Plymouth and was designed by a firm known for many Detroit schools.
• William B. and Mary Chase Stratton House (938 Three Mile Dr., Grosse Pointe Park): Built in 1927, this house was a team effort between architect William Buck Stratton and ceramicist Mary Chase Perry Stratton, showing the influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
• Trinity United Methodist Church (13100 Woodward Ave., Highland Park): This church was built as a mission for members of a Detroit church who lived too far away. It is now known as the New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.
• Ephraim and Emma Woodworth Truesdell House (1224 Haggerty Rd., Canton): This house is considered one of the most well-built homes in the township and is linked to an important local family.
• United States Post Office Plymouth Station (860 Penniman Ave., Plymouth): Listed in 2024, this former post office is now the Westborn Market.
• US 12 Bridges (US 12 over I-94 and westbound I-94 ramp, Dearborn): These two bridges were built in 1948-49 as part of the "Crosstown Expressway" plan for traffic through Detroit.
• Carlton D. Wall House (12305 Beck Rd., Plymouth): This unique Usonian home was designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1941, built with hexagons radiating from a central point.
• Waltz Road – Huron River Bridge (Waltz Rd. over Huron R., Huron Township): Built in 1924, this bridge replaced an older footbridge that helped children get to school.
• West Jefferson Avenue – Rouge River Bridge (W. Jefferson Ave. over Rouge R., River Rouge): This "bascule bridge" was built in 1922 to allow large ships to pass on the Rouge River while also carrying car traffic.
• Wilson Barn (NE corner of Middlebelt and W. Chicago Rds., Livonia): This barn was rebuilt in 1919 by Ira Wilson, who later built a very successful dairy business.
• John T. Woodhouse House (33 Old Brook Ln., Grosse Pointe Farms): This private house was designed by architect George D. Mason.
• Wyandotte Odd Fellows Temple (81 Chestnut St., Wyandotte): Built in 1911 by a fraternal organization, this building was later used by the Masons and a church. The city bought it in 2008 to save it.
• Malcolm X House (4336 Williams St., Inkster): Listed in 2021, this house is recognized for its historical significance.

Former Listings

Some buildings that were once on the National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County have since been removed, often because they were torn down.

• Mellus Newspapers Building (1661 Fort St., Lincoln Park): This building, constructed in 1941 for the Lincoln Parker newspaper, was torn down on May 13, 2010.
• Dodge Mansion (12 Lakeshore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms): Also known as Rose Terrace, this huge 42,000 square foot French-style mansion was built in 1931-34 for Anna Thompson Dodge, the widow of Horace Elgin Dodge. It was demolished in 1976.

More to Explore

• List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Michigan
• You can also find historic places in neighboring counties: Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw