Rosedale Gardens Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rosedale Gardens Historic District
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Street scene on Melrose
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| Location | Arden St. to Hubbard St. between Plymouth Rd. and West Chicago St., Livonia, Michigan |
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| Built | 1925 |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000478 |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 2010 |
The Rosedale Gardens Historic District, also known as Old Rosedale Gardens, is a special neighborhood in Livonia, Michigan. It's a historic area found on eight streets, stretching from Arden Street to Hubbard Street, between Plymouth Road and West Chicago Street. This district was officially recognized and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 because of its unique history and homes.
Contents
Exploring the History of Rosedale Gardens
How Rosedale Gardens Began
Rosedale Gardens was planned and built by the Shelden Land Company in the 1920s. They designed this new community to be similar to Rosedale Park in nearby Detroit. It was meant to be a lovely place for families to live.
The very first house in Rosedale Gardens was the Harsha house, built in 1925. Its first residents moved in during January 1926. These early homes were mostly made of wood. By the end of 1926, 61 houses had been built. Just a few years later, by 1929, the neighborhood had grown to 121 homes.
Early Community Life and Growth
As more families moved in, the community started to grow beyond just houses. In 1926, a small grocery store opened, making it easy for residents to buy food. A school was built in 1927, which was great for the children living there. Then, in 1928, the Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church opened its doors, becoming an important part of the neighborhood.
Building Through Tough Times
When the Great Depression started, building new homes slowed down for a while. The company began adding brick fronts to the existing wooden houses. When construction picked up again in the 1930s, new homes were built using brick.
Between 1935 and 1941, about 250 more homes were built. Building paused again when World War II began. After the war ended, there was another big boom in home construction. By 1948, the original part of Rosedale Gardens had 428 houses. More areas were planned and built, with homes continuing to go up into the 1960s.
What Makes Rosedale Gardens Special?
A Look at the Neighborhood Layout
The Rosedale Gardens Historic District is a residential area, meaning it's mostly homes. It covers about a quarter of a square mile and has around 570 houses. Most of these homes were built between 1925 and 1960.
The houses are located along eight streets that run north and south. These streets are narrow and straight, lined with many old, tall trees. The lots for the houses are typically 40 feet wide and 120 to 145 feet deep. The homes themselves are usually not too big, often between 1000 and 2000 square feet, and are one or two stories tall.
Unique Homes and Architecture
What makes this neighborhood stand out is that many of its houses were built before World War II. In fact, 428 of the 570 homes were built before the war. This is quite different from most other neighborhoods nearby.
While many of the oldest houses are made of wood, most homes in the neighborhood have brick fronts. You'll find different architectural styles here, like Colonial homes and English cottages. Some newer ranch-style houses are also mixed in, showing how the neighborhood grew over time.
- Street scenes
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Entrance to the neighborhood at Berwick and Plymouth.
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Street scene on Auburdale.
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Street scene on Auburdale.
