Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings

Historic commercial buildings in Michigan, United States

United States historic place

Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Historic district

Michigan State Historic Site

The National Theatre (1911-2024) at 118 Monroe Ave., taken in 2008; it had been the oldest surviving theatre in Detroit, a part of the city's original theatre district from the late 1800s.

Location| Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Coordinates| 42°19′58″N 83°2′45″W﻿ / ﻿42.33278°N 83.04583°W﻿ / 42.33278; -83.04583
Architect| Albert Kahn, Mortimer L. Smith, Sheldon Smith, Frank G. Baxter and Henry A. O'Dell
Architectural style| Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.| 75000968[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP| February 13, 1975
Designated MSHS| December 18, 1974[2]

The Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings, also known as the Monroe Block, is a historic district located along a block-and-a-half stretch at 16-118 Monroe Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, just off Woodward Avenue at the northern end of Campus Martius. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1] The thirteen original buildings were built between 1852 and 1911 and ranged from two to five stories in height.[2] The National Theatre, built in 1911, was the oldest surviving theatre in Detroit, a part of the city's original theatre district of the late 19th century, and the sole surviving structure from the original Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings historic period.[3][4]

## History and significance

[edit]

Clear block of Monroe at Woodward, 2008, where the commercial buildings once stood

The early buildings on the block were constructed in Victorian commercial style, designed by architects such as Sheldon and Mortimer Smith during the mid-to-late 19th century. The Johnson block, in particular, constituted what was at the time one of the last remaining blocks of pre-Civil War buildings in Detroit. In the nearby Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District, the building at 1244 Randolph St. is a rare survivor from the 1840s.[5] The Victorian styled Odd Fellows Building (1874) is located at the corner of Randolph and Monroe.[6]

The Monroe buildings were occupied by numerous short-term tenants through the years, including grocers, confectioners, and saloons.[3] In the early 20th century, a wave of European immigration brought jewelry shops, pawn shops, and tailors to the area.[3]

At around the same time, the Campus Martius area was developing into the entertainment center of Detroit.[7] The Detroit Opera House, then located on the north side of the Campus across Monroe Avenue from the buildings in this district,[8] anchored the area, and, in 1901, the Wonderland vaudeville theatre moved next door.[7]

The early 20th century was the dawn of the movie age, and in Detroit it began on Monroe Avenue. The first movie theater in Detroit, the Casino, was opened on Monroe Avenue in 1906 by John H. Kunsky.[7] It was reputedly the second movie theatre in the world,[7] and it propelled Kunsky to a 20-theatre empire worth $7 million in 1929.[7] Later in 1906, Detroit's second movie theatre, the Bijou, opened literally two doors down from the Casino.[3] These were the first of a string of theaters along this section of Monroe; three new movie theatre buildings were constructed in the area in the next five years: the Star (1907), designed by Frank G. Baxter and Henry A. O'Dell;[9] the Columbia (1911), designed by the noted theatre architect C. Howard Crane;[10] and the National Theater (1911),[2] the only theatre designed by Albert Kahn.[11] In addition, the Family Theater opened in 1914 in an older building in the district.[12] Other nearby theaters included the Temple Theater at Woodward Avenue across Monroe, the Liberty (located behind the Star), and the Palace at 130-132 Monroe.[7]

In the 1920s, the Detroit cinema hub centered around Grand Circus Park, with nearby Monroe Avenue receiving less attention.[7]

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In early 1990,[2] most of the aging structures were cleared away, leaving only the National Theater as a reminder of the history of the area.[3]

## Structures

[edit]

The buildings[2] that once stood in this site were a mix of pre- and post-Civil War architecture, along with a group of movie theaters from the early 20th century.

Contemporary and historical images of the block

* 00 Block of Monroe from Woodward Avenue with the Second Williams Block at 16-30 Monroe in the foreground, 1989.

* 00 Block of Monroe from Farmer Street with 74-78 Monroe in the foreground, 1989.

* 100 block of Monroe from Farmer Street with the Royal Theater (originally the Star) at 100-102 Monroe in the foreground, 1989.

### Second Williams Block (16-30 Monroe Avenue)

[edit]

First and Second Williams Blocks, 16-30 and 32-34 Monroe, 1908. Second Williams Block, 16-30 Monroe Avenue, 1989.

John Constantine Williams, a member of one of Detroit's wealthiest mid-19th-century families and son of John R. Williams,[8] built this structure in 1872–73, directly adjacent to his earlier structure (the first Williams block) at 32-42 Monroe.[12] Architect Mortimer L. Smith designed the building.[12] The building originally served as an office building, with storefronts on the ground floor.[12] In 1880, the upper floors of the building were converted into the Kirkwood Hotel, which survived for a decade under various management.[12] The lower floors remained commercial space. The building reverted to office space in the 1890s, then reopened as the Hotel Campus (later the Hotel Fowler) in 1901.[12]

In 1909, most of the building was completely gutted and converted into the 934-seat Family Theater; the Family was converted to show movies in 1914.[12] The Family stayed open through much of the century, and was renamed the Follies in 1967. Six years later, in 1973, the Follies burned to the ground.[12] The Follies section of the building (including four of the seven bay Williams Block) was demolished soon thereafter, leaving only the three westernmost commercial and retail spaces. In the late 1970s the city vacated the property,[12] and the remainder was demolished in early 1990.[2]

The second Williams Block was five stories tall, divided into bays containing three windows per floor; each floor had slightly different window shapes.[12] The building was constructed of brick, sheathed on the front with sandstone.[12] A cast iron cornice and flat roof topped the structure.[12] Belt courses were located above and below windows, and additional decoration consisted of bas relief carvings and cast iron entablatures.[12]

### First Williams Block (32-42 Monroe Avenue)

[edit]

First Williams Block, 32-34 Monroe, 1915. First Williams Block, 32-34 Monroe, 1989.

The first Williams block was built by John Constantine Williams in 1859, and was designed by architect Sheldon Smith.[8] The building was originally used as an office building with commercial space on the first floor.[8] In the late 1880s, the building was converted into a 52-room hotel, known first as the Stanwix, then as Gies' European hotel, with a restaurant on the first floor.[8] In 1909, the hotel and restaurant was renamed the Berghoff, then the Tuxedo, and, in 1919, the Frontenac.[8] The Hotel Berghoff was owned by Wm. D. C. Moebs & Co. who were also the proprietors of the adjoining Berghoff Cafe.[13] In December 1913 Wm. D.C. Moebs opened the Cafe Frontenac next to the Hotel Berghoff. In 1918 the name of the hotel was changed to the Tuxedo Hotel and Grill still under the same owners. The name change was short lived because in 1919 the businesses were called the Frontenac Restaurant and the Frontenac Hotel Company still under the ownership of Wm. D.C. Moebs, President. The Frontenac Hotel remained in business through 1960.[8] Wm. D.C. Moebs died November 16, 1921, and the once grand Frontenac Restaurant was sold to pay back taxes in 1923. By 1940, the restaurant had been replaced again with retail space, which remained in the building until the city of Detroit vacated the property in 1978.[8] The building was demolished in early 1990.[2]

The first Williams block was five stories tall, constructed of red brick with a flat roof, and measured 60 feet by 100 feet. The Monroe Avenue façade was separated into three bays, each with three windows.[8] Brick was used decoratively on the façade, and cast iron crowns over the windows and column capitals accented the elevation.[8] The original cast iron cornice was removed in 1942.[8]

### Columbia Theater (50 Monroe)

[edit]

The Columbia Theater is at center with the Willams Block at right and Johnson Block at left.

The Columbia Theater was built in 1911 for John H. Kunsky, and designed by C. Howard Crane to seat over 1000 people.[10] When built, the theater had its own pipe organ and house orchestra.[10] The Columbia was closed in 1956, and has since been demolished.[10]

### Johnson Block (52-54, 58, 62, 66-68, and 70-72 Monroe Avenue)

[edit]

52-54 Monroe in the Johnson Block, 1989.

Hiram R. Johnson purchased land along Monroe in 1852 and constructed a series of commercial buildings collectively known as the "Johnson Block."[14] These buildings are the five located at 52–54, 58, 62, 66–68, and 70–72 Monroe Avenue.

All five buildings were constructed of brick and stood four stories tall, and were designed in a similar fashion.[14] The first four (52–54, 58, 62, 66-68 Monroe) measured 20 feet wide and 100 feet deep, with three windows per story on the upper levels.[14] The last building (70-72 Monroe) measured 30 feet wide and 100 feet deep, and was divided into two bays with two windows per bay on each story.[15] Windows in all buildings were rectangular in shape with cast iron lintels featuring a scroll and urn motif.[15] The buildings originally had a cornice at the top;[16] these were removed in the 20th century, most in 1958.[16] The buildings were demolished in early 1990.[2]

Two of these five buildings were instrumental in the establishment of the movie theater business in Detroit. In 1905, William H Klatt opened a cent-odeon (similar to the nickelodeon) in a former furniture store at 62 Monroe.[17] The next year, John H. Kunsky opened the first true movie house in Detroit, the Casino Theater, two doors away at 70-72 Monroe.[15] Klatt quickly converted the Bijou into Detroit's second movie house and reopened it later in 1906 as "The Bijou." The building remained a movie house for the next seventy years, changing its name to "The New Bijou" in 1918.[17] In 1966, the New Bijou became "The Cinex," an adult movie venue; it closed in 1978.[17] Kunsky's Casino Theater, however, closed in 1915; later tenants in the space at 70-72 Monroe included the Famous Barrel Bar and Father and Son Shoes.[15]

Tenants of the other Johnson Block buildings were primarily small commercial establishments and eateries. The tenants of 52-54 Monroe included a series of saloons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a soft drink shop/restaurant from 1913 to 1928, and a series of clothing and shoe stores until the 1970s, when the building was vacated.[14] 58 Monroe had a series of tenants, including a jewellery store at the turn of the 20th century, followed by a lunch counter, pawn broker, clothing store, and another jewellery store.[16] The building at 66-68 Monroe housed an umbrella factory from 1888 to 1912, then a pawnbroker, shoe repair shop, men's clothiers, and a bookstore.[18]

More Johnson block Images

* 70-72 Monroe, 1989.

* 66-68 Monroe, 1989.

* 62 Monroe, 1989.

* 58 Monroe, 1989.

### 74-78 Monroe Avenue

[edit]

74-78 Monroe, Monroe elevation, 1989 74-78 Monroe, Farmer elevation, 1989

The building at 74-78 Monroe was constructed in approximately 1852, fronting on both Monroe Avenue and Farmer Street.[19] At the turn of the 20th century, a restaurant and saloon inhabited the first floor. Later tenants included a tailor, cigar store, and shoe stores.[19] A barber shop operated continuously in the building from 1915 until the late 1970s, and a second-floor dentist's office existed from the 1920s through the late 1970s.[19] The building was demolished in early 1990.[2]

The building was originally virtually identical to the structure next door at 70-72 Monroe, including the cast iron lintels featuring an urn and scroll.[19] The building was, however, set back four additional feet from Monroe Avenue.[19] The building was four stories tall and constructed of red brick.[19] Both the Monroe Avenue and Farmer Street facades had tall narrow windows with a combination of segmental and fully arched window tops, decorated with projecting brick.[19]

### Star (Royal) Theater (100-102 Monroe Avenue)

[edit]

Star (Royal) Theater at 100-102 Monroe, 1989. Royal Theater from the Monroe Avenue and Farmer Street corner, 1917. Note Liberty Theatre behind.

This structure was built in 1907 as the Star Theater; it was designed by Frank G. Baxter and Henry A. O'Dell.[9] The Star operated for only a year; in 1908 the theater changed into the Theatre Royale, and in 1912 it changed to the Royal Theater.[9] The Royal closed in 1922. Afterward, a variety of retail establishments were housed in the building, including a cigar store, jewelers, shoe store, tailor, and barber.[9] The building was demolished in early 1990.[2]

The Star was a four-story building, measuring 20 feet wide and 100 feet deep, constructed of red brick, with yellow brick veneer.[9] A large arched window on the Monroe facade fills the third and fourth stories.[9] This facade originally had a thick cornice supported by scrolled brackets, and a decorative arch above the entrance.[9] Seven rectangular windows per story are on the Farmer elevation.[9] The theater space originally took up both the first and most of the second stories, and thus there was only a single window on the second floor at the rear.[9] However, in 1922 after the closure of the Royal, the second story was extended all the way forward to the Monroe facade, adding windows along the Farmer elevation.[9]

### 104-106 Monroe Avenue

[edit]

104-106 Monroe, 1989.

The building at 104-106 Monroe was constructed in approximately 1900.[20] A saloon was the first tenant, followed by a tea store. For most of the life of the building, until it was vacated in the 1970s, ground-floor tenants included a lunch room and a clothing or shoe store.[20] The building was demolished in early 1990.[2]

The structure was four stories tall, 20 feet wide and 60 feet deep.[20] The building originally had modest Italianate elements.[20] However, the front facade was reworked in 1923, with the addition of white brick facing and alteration of the windows to large plates of glass.[20]

### National Theatre (118 Monroe Avenue)

[edit]

National Theatre at 118 Monroe, 2008

The 800-seat[11] National Theater, built in 1911, was the only known theatre designed by Albert Kahn and had been oldest surviving theatre from the city's original theatre district of the 19th century.[3] It operated as a movie theater until the 1920s, when competition from larger movie houses forced a change to a vaudeville venue.[21] The National survived as a burlesque and adult entertainment theater until it closed in the 1970s.[21]

The front façade of the National was dominated by an enormous arch flanked with twin towers and covered with white and blue terra cotta tiles.[21] The façade had hundreds of lightbulbs built in, which accentuate the architectural features when lit.[21] The National Theater was an outstanding example of Modernistic design, boasting a pair of terra cotta latticework towers, arched art glass windows, and colored Pewabic tiles on the façade.[2]

The National Theatre was demolished in January 2024 to make way for a future development. Its historic facade was dismantled and is being preserved for reuse in that development, while the rest of Kahn's only surviving theater was destroyed.[22]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine (Partially demolished, February 1990), from the state of Michigan.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Monroe Avenue Historic District" (PDF). City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2012.
4. ^ Hyde, Charles (May–June 1991). Demolition by Neglect: The Failure to Save the Monroe Block. Michigan History Magazine.
5. ^ Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine from the state of Michigan, retrieved 01/27/11
6. ^ Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press.
7. ^ a b c d e f g Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon, Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces, Arcadia Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-7385-4102-8, pp. 9-22
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 32-42 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-322, 1989
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 100-102 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-330, 1989
10. ^ a b c d Columbia Theater from Cinema Treasures, retrieved 9/30/09
11. ^ a b Detroit Historic Districts Archived 2012-06-15 at the Wayback Machine from Cityscape Detroit
12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 16-30 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-321, 1989
13. ^ Ibbotson, Patricia. Detroit Free Press. `{{cite news}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
14. ^ a b c d 52-54 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-324, 1989
15. ^ a b c d 70-72 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-328, 1989
16. ^ a b c 58 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-325, 1989
17. ^ a b c 62 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-326, 1989
18. ^ 66-68 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-327, 1989
19. ^ a b c d e f g 74-78 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-329, 1989
20. ^ a b c d e 104-106 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Charles K. Hyde, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-331, 1989
21. ^ a b c d David Kohrman, National Theater history, Forgotten Detroit, 1999-2004, retrieved 9/30/09
22. ^ Reindl, JC (January 30, 2024). "Historic Theater Building in Detroit Razed for Future Development". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monroe Avenue Historic District.

* v
* t
* e

Downtown Detroit

Areas|

* Broadway Avenue Historic District
* Capitol Park Historic District
* Detroit Financial District
* Detroit International Riverfront
* Grand Circus Park Historic District
* Greektown
* Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District
* Mexicantown
* Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings
* Park Avenue Historic District
* Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District
* Washington Boulevard Historic District

Education|

| Primary and
secondary schools|

* Detroit Public Schools

|

Other education|

* Detroit Public Library Skillman Branch
* Wayne County Community College
* University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Skyscrapers
and complexes|

* 150 West Jefferson
* Ally Detroit Center
* Book Tower
* Broderick Tower
* Buhl Building
* Cadillac Place
* Cadillac Square Building (demolished)
* Cadillac Tower
* Chrysler House
* David Whitney Building
* Detroit Life Building
* Executive Plaza Building
* Federal Reserve Building
* First National Building
* Fisher Building
* Ford Building
* Fort Pontchartrain Hotel
* Francis Palms Building
* Guardian Building
* Hudson's Detroit (under construction)
* Industrial Building
* Lafayette Building (demolished)
* Michigan Central Station
* Millender Center
* One Campus Martius
* One Griswold Street
* One Kennedy Square
* One Woodward Avenue
* Penobscot Building
* Renaissance Center
* Riverfront Condominiums Detroit
* David Stott Building
* Westin Book Cadillac Hotel
* Meridian Health Plan Headquarters (proposed)
* Detroit Statler Hotel (demolished)
* Water Board Building
* Wurlitzer Building, a former Wurlitzer office building

Parks|

* Belle Isle
* Campus Martius Park
* Water Works Park (closed)

Public art|

* Bagley Memorial Fountain
* Scott Fountain
* Russell Alger Memorial Fountain
* General Alexander Macomb
* Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
* The Spirit of Detroit
* Stevens T. Mason
* General Thaddeus Kosciuszko

Other landmarks|

* Comerica Park
* Detroit Athletic Club
* Detroit Building
* Detroit City Hall (demolished)
* Detroit Opera House
* Detroit Public Safety Headquarters
* Detroit Club (defunct, but building still there)
* Elwood Bar
* Farwell Building
* The Fillmore Detroit
* Ford Auditorium (demolished)
* Ford Field
* Fort Shelby Hotel
* Fort Street Presbyterian Church
* Fox Theatre
* Frank Murphy Hall of Justice
* Gem Theatre
* Griswold Building Senior Apartments
* Hollywood Casino
* Huntington Place
* Joe Louis Arena (demolished)
* Kennedy Fountain, a/k/a Kennedy Square (demolished)
* MGM Grand Detroit
* Park Avenue House
* Town Apartments
* Veterans' Memorial Building (demolished)
* Wayne County Building
* William Livingstone Memorial Light, only marble lighthouse in the United States, located on Belle Isle
* Women's City Club
* Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
* University Club
* Yondotega Club

Detroit People Mover
stations|

* Broadway
* Bricktown
* Cadillac Center
* Financial District
* Fort/Cass
* Grand Circus Park
* Greektown
* Huntington Place
* Michigan Avenue
* Millender Center
* Renaissance Center
* Times Square
* Water Square

This list is incomplete.
The Michigan State University College of Law was in Downtown Detroit prior to 1997 and was known as the "Detroit College of Law."

* v
* t
* e

Neighborhoods in Detroit

Downtown|

* Bricktown
* Broadway Avenue
* Campus Martius
* Capitol Park
* Chinatown
* Downtown
* Financial District
* Greektown
* Grand Circus Park
* Griswold Street
* West Jefferson Avenue
* Monroe Avenue
* Park Avenue
* Randolph Street
* Riverfront Condominiums
* Washington Boulevard
* Lower Woodward Avenue
* Woodward Avenue

Wayne State University
Midtown|

* Art Center
* Brush Park
* Cass Corridor
* Cass-Davenport
* Cass Park
* Cultural Center
* Medical Center
* East Ferry Avenue
* Jeffries
* Midtown
* Midtown Woodward
* Sugar Hill
* University–Cultural Center
* Wayne State University
* Warren-Prentis
* West Canfield
* Willis-Selden
* Woodbridge
* Woodward East
* Woodward Avenue

New Center|

* Alden Park
* Arden Park-East Boston
* Atkinson Avenue
* Boston-Edison
* Henry Ford Hospital
* New Amsterdam
* New Center
* Piquette Avenue
* Virginia Park
* Woodward Avenue

University of Detroit Mercy
North|

* Chaldean Town
* Detroit Golf Club
* State Fairgrounds
* Green Acres
* Highland Park
* Martin Park
* Palmer Park Apartments
* Palmer Park Blvd.
* Palmer Woods
* Sherwood Forest
* University District
* University of Detroit Mercy

East|

| Upper|

* Chandler Park
* Conant Gardens
* East English Village
* Fox Creek
* Greenbriar
* Grixdale
* Hamtramck
* Highland Heights-Stevens' Sub.
* Krainz Woods
* Milwaukee Junction
* La Salle College Park
* Mohican Regent
* MorningSide
* North End
* Osborn
* Pulaski
* Ravendale
* Regent Park
* Van Steuban

|

Central|

* Eastern Market
* Forest Park
* Poletown East

Lower|

* Barry Sub.
* Belle Isle Park
* Conner Creek
* East Grand Boulevard
* East Jefferson Avenue
* East Village
* Eastside Cemetery
* Elmwood Park
* English Village
* Gold Coast
* Indian Village
* Islandview
* Jefferson-Chalmers
* Lafayette Park
* McDougall-Hunt
* Marina Park
* Rivertown
* St. John Hospital
* Victoria Park
* West Village

West|

| Upper|

* Bagley
* Belmont
* Berg-Lahser
* Brightmoor
* Blackstone Park
* Castle Rouge
* Eight Mile Wyoming
* Eliza Howell
* The Eye
* Fitzgerald
* Five Points
* Grandmont # 1
* Grandmont - Rosedale
* LaSalle Gardens
* Minock Park
* NW Goldberg
* Oakman Boulevard
* Old Redford
* Petosky-Otsego
* Riverdale
* Russell Woods
* Rosedale Park
* Westwood Park

|

Central|

* Aviation
* Barton-McFarland
* Briggs
* Castle Rouge
* Core City
* Fiskhorn
* Franklin Park
* Grandale
* Herman Gardens
* Littlefield
* Parkland
* Hubbard-Richard
* Warrendale
* Weatherby

Lower|

* Boynton
* Carbon Works
* Delray
* Corktown
* Hubbard Farms
* North Corktown
* Mexicantown
* Michigan-Martin
* Millennium Village
* Oakwood Heights
* Springwells
* West Vernor-Junction
* West Vernor-Lawndale

Historic Districts|

| Residential|

* Arden Park-East Boston
* Atkinson Avenue
* Boston-Edison
* Brush Park
* Corktown
* East Ferry
* East Grand Boulevard
* East Jefferson Avenue
* Highland Heights-Stevens' Sub.
* Indian Village
* Layafette Park
* Palmer Park Apartments
* Palmer Park Blvd.
* Palmer Woods
* Park Avenue
* Rosedale Park
* Sherwood Forest
* Virginia Park
* Warren-Prentis
* West Canfield
* West Village
* Willis-Selden
* Woodbridge
* Woodward East

|

Mixed-use|

* Broadway Avenue
* Capitol Park
* Cass Park
* Cass-Davenport
* Cultural Center
* Eastern Market
* Eastside Cemetery
* Financial District
* Grand Boulevard
* Grand Circus Park
* Grand River Avenue
* Gratiot Avenue
* Griswold Street
* Greektown
* West Jefferson Avenue
* Jefferson Chalmers
* Michigan Avenue
* Midtown Woodward
* Monroe Avenue
* New Amsterdam
* New Center
* Piquette Avenue
* Randolph Street
* Sugar Hill
* University–Cultural Center
* Washington Boulevard
* Wayne State University
* West Vernor-Junction
* West Vernor-Lawndale
* West Vernor–Springwells
* Lower Woodward
* Woodward Avenue

See also: Historic homes in metropolitan Detroit

* v
* t
* e

National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan

Historic districts|

* Annapolis Park Historic District
* Arden Park–East Boston Historic District
* Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church
* Belle Isle Park
* Beverly Road Historic District
* Boston–Edison Historic District
* Broadway Avenue Historic District
* Brush Park Historic District
* Capitol Park Historic District
* Cass–Davenport Historic District
* Cass Park Historic District
* Cherry Hill Historic District
* Church of the Transfiguration Historic District
* Corktown Historic District
* Cultural Center Historic District
* Detroit Financial District
* Eastern Market Historic District
* East Ferry Avenue Historic District
* East Grand Boulevard Historic District
* East River Road Historic District
* Eastside Historic Cemetery District
* Fort Wayne
* Grand Circus Park Historic District
* Greektown Historic District
* Grosse Pointe Academy
* Grosse Pointe South High School
* Helen Newberry Nurses Home
* Highland Heights–Stevens' Subdivision Historic District
* Indian Village Historic District
* Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District
* Jefferson Intermediate School
* John and Edna Truesdell Fischer Farmstead
* Jos. Campau Historic District
* Louis G. Redstone Residential Historic District
* Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District
* Medbury's–Grove Lawn Subdivisions Historic District
* Midtown Woodward Historic District
* Michigan Avenue Historic Commercial District
* Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings
* New Amsterdam Historic District
* New Center Commercial Historic District
* Northville Historic District
* Norwayne Historic District
* Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District
* Palmer Park Boulevard Apartments District
* Palmer Woods Historic District
* Park Avenue Historic District
* Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District
* Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District
* Rosedale Gardens Historic District
* Rosedale Park Historic District
* St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Parish Complex
* St. Florian Church
* Springwells Park Historic District
* Sugar Hill Historic District
* Virginia Park Historic District
* Warren–Prentis Historic District
* Washington Boulevard Historic District
* Wayne State University Buildings
* West Canfield Historic District
* West Vernor–Junction Historic District
* West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District
* West Vernor–Springwells Historic District
* West Village Historic District
* Willis–Selden Historic District
* Woodbridge Historic District
* Woodward East Historic District

Historic properties|

* Albert Kahn House
* Alden Park Towers
* Alexander Chapoton House
* Alexander Chene House
* Alger Theater
* Alpha House
* Amity Lodge No. 335 Temple — Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army Temple
* Antietam Street–Grand Trunk Railroad Bridge
* Architects Building
* Arthur M. Parker House
* Bagley Memorial Fountain
* Barlum Tower
* Belcrest Apartments
* Benjamin and Mary Ann Bradford House
* Bernard Ginsburg House
* Birwood Wall
* Carl E. and Alice Candler Schmidt House
* Carlton D. Wall House
* Cary Building
* Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
* Cass Motor Sales
* Cathedral Church of St. Paul Complex
* Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
* Central United Methodist Church
* Central Woodward Christian Church
* Chapel of St. Theresa–the Little Flower
* Chatsworth Apartments
* Century Building and Little Theatre
* Charles G. Curtiss Sr. House
* Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House
* Charles Lang Freer House
* Charles Trombly House
* Charles Trowbridge House
* Checker Cab Taxi Garage and Office Building
* Chestnut Street–Grand Trunk Railroad Bridge
* Christ Church Chapel
* Christ Church, Detroit
* Col. Frank J. Hecker House
* Commandant's Quarters
* Coronado Apartments
* Croul–Palms House
* Crescent Brass and Pin Company Building
* David and Elizabeth Bell Boldman House
* David Whitney House
* Dearborn City Hall Complex
* Dearborn Inn and Colonial Homes
* Defer Elementary School
* Detroit Club
* Detroit–Columbia Central Office Building
* Detroit Cornice and Slate Company Building
* Detroit Edison Company Willis Avenue Station
* Detroit–Leland Hotel
* Detroit Masonic Temple
* Detroit Naval Armory
* Detroit News Complex
* Detroit Savings Bank Southwest Branch
* Detroit Yacht Club
* Dry Dock Engine Works–Detroit Dry Dock Company Complex
* Duane Doty School
* Dunbar Hospital
* East River Road–North Hickory Canal Bridge
* Eddystone Hotel
* Edmund Atkinson School
* Edwin Denby High School
* Edwin S. George Building
* Edson, Moore and Company Building
* Eighth Precinct Police Station
* Elisha Taylor House
* El Tovar Apartments
* Elwood Bar
* Elizabeth Cleveland Intermediate School
* Engine House No. 11
* Engine House No. 18
* Ephraim and Emma Woodworth Truesdell House
* Farwell Building
* Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch Building
* Ferry Street–Thorofare Canal Bridge
* Fisher and New Center Buildings
* First Baptist Church of Detroit
* First Congregational Church
* First Federal Building
* First Presbyterian Church
* First Unitarian Church of Detroit
* First United Methodist Church
* Ford–Bacon House
* Ford Valve Plant
* Fort Street Presbyterian Church
* Fort Shelby Hotel
* Fort Street–Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct
* Francis Palms Building & State Theater
* Franklin H. Walker House
* Frederick K. Stearns House
* Frederick Stearns Building
* Frederic M. Sibley Lumber Company Office Building
* Garden Bowl
* Garden Court Apartments
* General Motors Research Laboratory
* George and Mary Pine Smith House
* George P. MacNichol House
* George W. Loomer House
* Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church
* Gibraltar Road–Waterway Canal Bridge
* Globe Tobacco Building
* Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
* Grand Army of the Republic Building
* Grande Ballroom
* Graybar Electric Company Building
* Great Lakes Manor
* Greenfield Union School
* Greenmead Farms
* Griswold Building
* Grosse Pointe Memorial Church
* Grosse Pointe Central Library
* Grosse Pointe War Memorial
* Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
* Hamtramck Stadium
* Harmonie Centre (formerly the Breitmeyer–Tobin Building)
* Henry Ford Hospital
* Henry Ford Square House
* Henry W. Baker House
* Herman Strasburg House
* Hibbard Apartment Building
* Highland Park General Hospital
* Highland Park Presbyterian Church
* Hook and Ladder House No. 5–Detroit Fire Department Repair Shop
* Hotel Stevenson
* Hudson–Evans House
* Hunter House
* Hurlbut Memorial Gate
* Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment
* James A. Garfield School
* Jefferson Avenue–Huron River and Harbin Drive–Silver Creek Canal Bridges
* Jefferson Hall
* Jerome H. Remick and Company Building
* John and Eliza Barr Patterson House
* John and Emma Lacey Eberts House
* John Harvey House
* John N. Bagley House
* John T. Woodhouse House
* Joseph Campau House
* Kingston Arms Apartments
* Lancaster and Waumbek Apartments
* Lawyers Building
* L. B. King and Company Building
* League of Catholic Women Building
* Lee Plaza Hotel
* Lewis Cass Technical High School
* Lilley Road–Lower Rouge River Bridge
* Lincoln Park Post Office
* Maccabees Building
* Majestic Theater
* Manchester Apartments
* Mariners' Church
* Marwood Apartments
* Marx House
* McKinley Elementary School
* Mellus Newspapers Building
* Merchants Building
* Metropolitan United Methodist Church
* Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse
* Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
* Michigan State Fair Riding Coliseum, Dairy Cattle Building, and Agricultural Building
* Moross House
* Mulford T. Hunter House
* Nacirema Club
* Nellie Leland School
* New Bethel Baptist Church
* North Woodward Congregational Church
* Orchestra Hall
* Orrin and Roxanne Fairman Kinyon House
* Orson Everitt House
* Ossian H. Sweet House
* Park Avenue House
* Parke-Davis and Company Pharmaceutical Company Plant
* Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge
* Pasadena Apartments
* Paul Harvey Deming House
* Penn Central Station
* Pere Gabriel Richard Elementary School
* Perry McAdow House
* Philetus W. Norris House
* Phillip and Maria Hasselbach Dingledey House
* Pilgrim and Puritan Apartment Complex
* Ponchartrain Apartments
* Pontchartrain Club/Town House Apartments
* Prentis Building and DeRoy Auditorium Complex
* Professional Plaza Tower
* Redford Theatre Building
* Redford Township District No. 5 School
* River Terrace Apartments
* Robert M. and Matilda (Kitch) Grindley House
* Rosa L. (McCauley) and Raymond Parks Flat
* Sacred Heart Major Seminary
* Sacred Heart Church
* St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church
* Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church
* Ste. Anne Roman Catholic Church Complex
* St. Bonaventure Monastery
* St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church
* St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church
* St. James Episcopal Church
* St. John's Episcopal Church
* St. John's–St. Luke's Evangelical Church
* St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church
* St. Joseph's Episcopal Church (1883)
* St. Joseph's Episcopal Church (1926)
* St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church
* Saint Paul Catholic Church Complex
* Saint Paul Manor Apartments
* Saints Peter and Paul Academy
* Saints Peter and Paul Church
* Saint Rita Apartments
* St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church
* St. Theresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church
* St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
* Samuel L. Smith House
* Santa Fe Apartments
* Scarab Club
* Second Baptist Church of Detroit
* Sheldon Inn
* Shrine of the Black Madonna of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church
* Sibley House
* Sidney D. Miller Junior High and High School
* Somerset Apartments
* South Pointe Drive–Frenchman's Creek Bridge
* S. S. Kresge World Headquarters
* Starkweather School
* State Savings Bank
* Stuber–Stone Building
* Sweetest Heart Of Mary Roman Catholic Church
* Temple Baptist Church – King Solomon Baptist Church
* Temple Beth-El (Bonstelle Theatre)
* Temple Beth-El (Bethel Community Transformation Center)
* The Clay School
* The Harmonie Club
* The Kean
* The Palms
* The Players
* The Wardell
* Third Precinct Police Station
* Thomas and Isabella Moore Clyde House
* Thomas and Maria Blackman Bartlett House
* Thomas A. Parker House
* Thomas M. Cooley High School
* Thomas S. Sprague House
* Thompson Home
* Tiger Stadium
* Tivadar and Dorothy Balogh House
* Trinity Episcopal Church
* Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Complex
* Trinity United Methodist Church
* Tushiyah United Hebrew School – Scott Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church
* US 12 Bridges
* U.S. Post Office, Court House, and Custom House
* United States Immigration Station
* United States Postal Service Roosevelt Park Station
* Vanity Ballroom Building
* Verona Apartments
* Vinton Building
* Waltz Road–Huron River Bridge
* Warren Motor Car Company Building
* Wayne County Building
* Weil and Company – Gabriel Richard Building
* West Jefferson Avenue–Rouge River Bridge
* West Side Dom Polski
* WGPR-TV Studio
* Whittier Hotel
* William and Margot Kessler House
* William B. and Mary Chase Stratton House
* William C. Boydell House
* William H. Wells House
* William Hawkins Ferry House
* Wilson Barn
* Wilson Theatre
* WJBK-TV Studios Building
* Women's City Club
* Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church
* Wyandotte Odd Fellows Temple

National Historic Landmarks|

* Detroit Industry Murals
* Edsel and Eleanor Ford House (Gaukler Pointe)
* Fair Lane
* Fisher Building
* Ford Piquette Avenue Plant
* Ford River Rouge Complex
* Fox Theatre Building
* Highland Park Ford Plant
* General Motors Building
* Guardian Building
* Mies van der Rohe Residential District, Lafayette Park
* McGregor Memorial Conference Center
* Parke-Davis Research Laboratory
* Pewabic Pottery
* The Henry Ford

Former listings|

* Chateau Frontenac Apartments
* Dodge Mansion
* Grand Riviera Theater
* Harper Hospital
* Lincoln Motor Company Plant
* Columbia (steamboat)
* Ste. Claire (steamboat)
* Woodward Avenue Baptist Church

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan and List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan

* v
* t
* e

Architecture of metropolitan Detroit

Skyscrapers|

| 10 tallest|

* Renaissance Center
* One Detroit Center
* Penobscot
* RenCen Towers 100-400
* Guardian
* Book Tower
* 150 West Jefferson

|

20 tallest|

* Fisher
* Cadillac Tower
* Stott
* One Woodward Avenue
* McNamara Federal
* DTE Energy
* Broderick
* 211 West Fort
* Buhl
* Westin Book Cadillac Hotel
* Hollywood Casino

30 tallest|

* First National
* Cadillac Centre
* RenCen Towers 500-600
* 1001 Woodward
* Millender Center
* AT&T
* Chrysler House
* Jeffersonian
* Blue Cross Blue Shield
* Coleman A. Young Municipal Center

40 tallest|

* Penobscot Annex
* Lafayette East
* Riverfront Tower 300
* Riverfront Tower 200
* Whitney
* Washington Square
* Riverfront Tower 100
* Water Board
* Washington Boulevard

50 tallest|

* Riverside Hotel
* Fort Shelby Hotel
* Industrial-Stevens
* Ford
* Leland
* Fyfe
* Grand Park Centre
* Compuware
* United Artists Theatre
* Michigan Central Station
* Cadillac Place

60 tallest|

* MGM Grand Detroit
* MotorCity Casino Hotel
* The Qube
* Maccabees
* Fort Washington Plaza
* One Kennedy Square
* Detroit Free Press
* Metropolitan
* Wardell

70–195 tallest|

* Kales
* Masonic Temple
* Town Apartments
* Michigan Building
* Park Avenue House
* Penobscot Building (1905)
* 1212 Griswold
* Belcrest
* Griswold Building
* Harvard Square
* Professional Plaza Tower
* Vinton
* Detroit Building
* Fox Theatre
* Lawyers Building
* Levin United States Courthouse
* Marquette

New Center|

* Fisher
* Cadillac Place
* Argonaut Building
* Henry Ford Hospital
* New Center Building

East side

* Lafayette Park
* Jeffersonian
* Detroit Towers
* The Kean
* The Whittier
* Harbortown Apartments

Suburban|

* Southfield Town Center
* American Center
* Top of Troy
* Tower Plaza
* Adoba Hotel
* Parklane Towers
* Chrysler Headquarters

Low rise
under 10 stories
selected|

| Downtown|

* 411
* Bankers Trust
* Cass Building
* Detroit Athletic Club
* Detroit Club
* Detroit Cornice and Slate
* Fillmore
* Harmonie Centre
* Harmonie Club
* L. B. King
* Opera House
* Music Hall
* Merchants
* One Griswold Street
* Wayne County Building
* Wright-Kay
* Savoyard Centre

|

Midtown|

* Orchestra Hall
* Metropolitan Center
* Phoenix Group
* Old Main
* Rackham Building
* McGregor Memorial Conference Center
* Verona
* Wayne State University Buildings
* Clay Office

North|

* University of Detroit Mercy
* Detroit Golf Club

East side|

* Alden Park Towers
* Brewery Park
* Coronado
* El Tovar
* Garden Court
* Milner Arms
* Riverwalk Hotel
* Pasadena

Suburban|

* Country Club of Detroit
* The Dearborn Inn
* GM Technical Center
* Royal Park Hotel
* Inn at St. John's
* Townsend Hotel

Parks and gardens|

* Belle Isle
* Cranbrook
* Campus Martius
* Grand Circus
* Metroparks
* Matthaei Botanical Gardens
* Riverfront parks
* Detroit Zoo

Museums and libraries|

* Cranbrook Educational Community
* Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
* Detroit Historical Museum
* Detroit Institute of Arts
* Detroit Public Library
* Detroit Science Center
* Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
* Fair Lane
* Ford Piquette Avenue Plant
* The Henry Ford
* Meadowbrook Hall
* Pewabic Pottery
* Southfield Public Library
* University of Michigan Museum of Art

Religious landmarks|

* Religious landmarks

Performance centers|

* Theatres and performing arts venues

Neighborhood
Historic Districts|

| Residential|

* Arden Park-East Boston
* Atkinson Avenue
* Beverly Road
* Boston-Edison
* Brush Park
* Canton Township MPS
* Corktown
* East Ferry
* East Grand Boulevard
* East Jefferson Avenue
* Grosse Pointe
* Highland Heights-Stevens' Sub.
* Indian Village
* Layafette Park
* Northville
* Palmer Park Apartments
* Palmer Park Blvd.
* Palmer Woods
* Park Avenue
* Rosedale Gardens
* Rosedale Park
* Sherwood Forest
* Virginia Park
* Warren-Prentis
* West Canfield
* West Village
* Willis-Selden
* Woodbridge
* Woodward East
* (See also: Historic homes)

|

Mixed-use|

* Adams Street
* Broadway Avenue
* Capitol Park
* Cass Park
* Cass-Davenport
* Congress Street
* Cultural Center
* Eastern Market
* Eastside Cemetery
* Financial District
* Grand Boulevard
* Grand Circus
* Grand River Avenue
* Gratiot Avenue
* Griswold Street
* Greektown
* West Jefferson Avenue
* Jefferson Chalmers
* Larned Street
* Michigan Avenue
* Monroe Avenue
* New Amsterdam
* New Center
* Piquette Avenue
* Randolph Street
* Shelby Street
* State Street
* Sugar Hill
* University–Cultural Center
* Washington Boulevard
* Wayne State University
* West Vernor-Junction
* West Vernor-Lawndale
* West Vernor-Springwells
* Lower Woodward
* Midtown Woodward
* Woodward Avenue

See also: List of tallest buildings in Detroit
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