West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District
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Southwest corner at Vernor and Lawndale, looking west (Oddfellows Hall & Ferndale Apartments)
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| Location | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Architect | Fred Swirsky |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial, Colonial Revival |
| MPS | West Vernor Highway Survey Area, Detroit, Michigan MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001501 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 2002 |
The West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District is a special area in Detroit, Michigan. It's a two-block long section of West Vernor Highway, between Cabot and Ferris Streets. This district is important because it has 10 old buildings that show how the area used to be. It covers about 30 acres and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This means it's a place worth protecting because of its history.
History of the District
This area near West Vernor Highway became home to German immigrants in the 1870s. At first, it was a small community with farms. By the early 1900s, these farms started to be divided into smaller plots for building homes.
A few shops and businesses were built during this time. But the area really grew in the 1920s. This happened after the Ford River Rouge Complex was finished nearby. More people moved into the area, and many new commercial buildings were constructed. Most of the buildings you see in the district today were built around this time.
Building new places stopped during the Great Depression. After that, the area stayed active until the 1960s. Around then, Detroit's population started to shrink, and less money was invested in the city. However, the Vernor/Lawndale District has always had many different groups of people. The first German immigrants were followed by people who were mainly African-American and Latino.
Buildings in the District
The West Vernor/Lawndale District has ten buildings. These buildings are used for businesses, or they have businesses on the first floor and apartments above. Here are some of the important ones:
- 8547-8605 West Vernor, built in 1925. This is a two-story brick building. It has two storefronts (shops) on the ground floor and apartments on the second floor.
- 8617-19 West Vernor, built in 1925. Another two-story brick building. It also has shops on the bottom and apartments above.
- 8623-27 West Vernor, built in 1916. This two-story brick building is designed for businesses. It has storefronts on the first level and apartments on the second.
- 8633 West Vernor, built in 1925. A two-story brick building with shops below and homes above.
- 8634-40 West Vernor, (Weisburg Building) built in 1926. This is a large, three-story brick building. It was built in the Georgian Revival style. It used to have three shops on the first floor and 18 apartments on the upper floors.
- 8701-11 West Vernor, (Odd Fellows Hall) built in 1917. This is a two-story brick building designed by Fred Swirsky. It has a shop on the ground floor and a large public hall upstairs.
- 8710 West Vernor, (People's State Bank) built in 1919. This is a single-story brick building. It was built in the Neoclassical style and used to be a bank.
- 8715-41 West Vernor, (Ferndale Apartments) built in 1923. This is a large, three-story brick building. It's shaped like an "H" and built in the Georgian Revival style. It has shops on the first floor and apartments on the two upper levels. The Detroit Public Library Campbell branch is located in this building.
- 8734-36 West Vernor, built in 1915. A two-story brick building with shops on the ground floor and apartments above.
- 8740-48 West Vernor (Cabot Apartments), built in 1926. This is a three-story brick building in the Georgian Revival style. It has a flat roof with stone on top. Apartments are located above the shops on the street level.
Pictures of the District
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Cabot Apartments, north side of Vernor at Cabot
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Weisberg Building; north side of Vernor at Lawndale
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South side of Vernor at Ferris (Four buildings, 8547 - 8633 W Vernor)
See also
In Spanish: Distrito Histórico de West Vernor-Lawndale para niños
