Monday, February 7, 2022

5,000 Square Feet and a Deed: The Detroit Fire of 1805

No one knows when it exactly happened, but sometime around the year 2015 it flipped.  With over 100,000 of Detroit's homeowners falling into foreclosure since the Great Recession, roughly 53% of Detroit's population are now renters.  For a majority African-American city that enjoyed some of the highest homeownership rates in the nation, it means fewer families can use their home as an asset.  It means fewer families can pass their most valuable financial asset generationally down.  It is yet another setback in the continuing struggle for African-Americans to build wealth.


This map provided by the Detroit Future City Implementation Office shows the increase in rental housing in Detroit.  The dark brown area on the perimeter of the city show where single-family homes have switched in recent years from owner-occupied to rental.  The yellow areas show where rental units have declined due to population loss.
Photo Credit

Land Holding Families

The French explorer, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Fort Ponchartrain, was the first European to claim land in Detroit.  And he would grant ownership of land adjacent to the fort to families whose names today are attached to familiar streets: Brush, Campau, John R, Cass, McDougall, Abbott, Gouin, Meldrum, Dequindre, Beaufait, Groesbeck, Livernois, Rivard, Hamtramck, and Cadillac.  What may be unfamiliar, is that everyone of these families owned slaves.

Detail from Aaron Greeley's Map of Private Claims on
Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie, 1810.
Image courtesy Seeking Michigan.
Photo Credit

Land Lottery

But a fire in 1805, that burned an entire city and displaced 300 of it's residents, opened an opportunity for its freed and enslaved African-American residents to become landowners.  The US Congress guaranteed that in the re-built capital city, a free lot, not to exceed 5,000 square feet, would be given to any adult who was displaced by the fire. In order to fulfill this promise, the new Michigan Governor, William Hull, divided potential claimants into three classes: former property owners, heads of households who rented and everyone else.  Lots were laid out using Judge Augustus Woodward's Land Board approved plan. And on December 31, 1806, the first two classes drew ballots to determine their lots.  The last group drew ballots on Jan. 3, 1807.

"The Detroit Fire: June 11, 1805" painting by Robert Thom (1965)
Photo Credit

At least three free African-Americans (Tom Parker, Elizabeth Cooper and Hannah at Mrs. Coate's) and seven slaves (Harry, Hannah, Cato at Mrs. Dodemead's, London, Mary at Watson's, Margaret at Mrs. Voyer's, and Pompey at Mr. Abbott's) were included in this last class.  Though each drew a ballot, only a handful would actually receive deeds to their property.  

List of African-Americans eligible to draw ballots for land after the Detroit fire of 1805.
Photo Credit

Pompey at Mr. Abbott's

It's believed that Pompey was owned by James Abbott, Jr., a member of one of the wealthiest families in Detroit.  On December 15, 1808, "a deed for lot 24, section 7, was ordered to be issued to Pomp [sic], a negro man."  The deed, which was eventually issued on April 29, 1809, still survives in the Abbott family papers at the Burton Historical Collection.  The lot is located at 1540 Woodward. 

Deed for Pompey at Mr. Abbott's signed in 1809.
Photo Credit

The former slave Pompey died less than 5 years later with no heirs.  And in one last act of injustice,  James Abbott sold the lot unlawfully for $300 in 1836 (equivalent to almost $9,000 in today's dollars).  Realizing the flaw in the title, he petitioned the court in 1846 to be appointed administrator of Pompey's estate on the grounds that his former slave owed him money.  The courts obliged his request and allow him to validate the sale.

1540 Woodward
(Google Maps)

Elizabeth Cooper

On December 19, 1808, a deed for Elizabeth Cooper was drawn up for lot 37 in section 7. Located at 1228 Woodward, the lot currently is part of a mixed-use development that will include Detroit's newest skyscraper.  Having died before selling her property or leaving instructions within a will, on January 31, 1824 the Land Board relinquished her deed to a group of investors.

1228 Woodward
(Google Maps)

Thomas Parker

On March 18, 1809, a deed for Thomas Parker was drawn up for lot 70 in section 7. Located at 1413 Farmer, it is the current home of the Shinola Hotel.  The 1810 census shows Mr. Parker living in the town as head of a household of five free non-white persons.  On April 9, 1816, future Detroit mayor John R. Williams purchased Mr. Parker's lot for $1,500 (equivalent to almost $30,000 in today's dollars). A plaque located in Parker's Alley commemorates his ownership. 

1413 Farmer
(Google Maps)

Hannah at Mrs. Coate's

On October 3, 1809, Judge Woodward ordered that "Hannah, a negro woman and Thomas, a mulatto boy" be recognized as free persons and not slaves, despite the claims of ownership by a Detroiter named John Dodemead.  Twelve years after drawing her ballot, and currently working for Mrs. [Jane] Dodomeade [sic], Hannah made application for a lot located at lot 51 in section 6 (currently the northeast corner of Farmer Street and Monroe).  But this lot was no longer available. So the Land Board instead ordered a deed be drawn up for lot 11 section 12.  Finally, on March 18, 1822, after a second order, a deed was drawn up for "Hannah, a woman of colour living with Mrs. Dodemead".  The lot is currently home to a six-story office building at 1922 Cass Avenue.

Six years later, after the deaths of both John and Jane Dodemead, Hannah sold the property to lawyer George A. O'Keeffe for $40 (equivalent to almost $1,200 in today's dollars).  The deed notably does not refer to the seller as "Hannah, a woman of colour" or "Dodemead's negro", but as Hannah Ashley.

1922 Cass
(Google Maps)

The Others

There were at least 10 other African-American survivors of the 1805 fire that did not receive property. Six drew lots, but did not apply for deeds.  Four individuals did not even draw for a lot.  A $1 fee enacted by the Land Board may have been an insurmountable barrier for some. Others may have been under the age of 17 and therefore considered minors. 

It's interesting to note that several Detroiters of mixed race received lots.  John Burnett, whose mother was Potawatomie, received  lot 83 in section 6 (currently a vacant lot on Bates Street west of Randolph).  Mrs. Ann Hall and Miss Nancy Hall received lots 79 and 75 in section 8, respectively (kitty-corner lots at the southwest and northwest corners of Griswold and State Street).

Lot locations for Deeds given to African-Americans after the Detroit Fire of 1805.
Photo Credit

Present Day Opportunities

The availability of cheap vacant land offers new opportunities for ownership in Detroit.  And there are no longer Land Boards judging who is allowed to participant.  But present day Detroit is faced with a different set of challenges.  Homes on average were built in 1939 and are in need of significant improvements. Insurance premiums are typically unaffordable, meaning a catastrophic fire or theft can cause the loss of ownership. African-American mortgage applications are disproportionally rejected when compared to all applications.  Water and sewer infrastructure, spread over an area built for a population of 2 million, is funded by a population of 700,000 and is over 100 years old and in need of significant upgrades.  Finally, the lure of suburban schools, relative safety, jobs and retail opportunities add to the challenges.

Photo Credit

Though the City has found ways to offer African-Americans ownership opportunities, without addressing these new challenges, there will be slow progress towards the true goal: To give more African-Americans like Thomas Parker, Hannah Ashley and Elizabeth Cooper, the pride of owning property.  And more importantly, the ability to pass their financial security down to the generations that follow.

The Shinola Hotel and Bedrock welcomed guest to Parker's Alley, a walkway behind the Shinola Hotel in Detroit on Thursday, June 24, 2021.  A lot located near the alley was originally owned by Thomas Parker, Detroit's first Black landowner, who the alley is named after.  The event started with the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to Thomas Parker mounted on the alley wall.
Rodney Coleman-Robinson, Detroit Free Press
Photo Credit
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Sewick, Paul, "The story of how four black Detroiters became property owners after the Great Fire of 1805", Detroit Metro Times, February 1, 2018.

Hillmer, Davis B., Photographic Print, Catalog Number 182.144.651, Detroit Historical Society.

Fournier, Gregory A., Detroit's Great Fire of 1805, Fornology.com, March 30, 2018.

Detroit Free Press, "How Detroit Looked 103 Years Ago Today", Newspapers.com, June 11, 1908.

"History of Detroit", Wikipedia.

Gallagher, John, "In Detroit, more people rent hones than own them", March 19, 2017.

Stitt, Chanel, Parker's Alley plaque highlights some of Detroit's first Black landowners, Detroit Free Press, June 25, 2021.

McGraw, Bill, Detroit's Forgotten History of Slavery, essay taken from Detroit 1967, WSU Press, 2017.

Wilkinson, Mike, Whites get half of mortgages in Detroit, nation's largest majority black city, Bridge Michigan, June 13, 2019.

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Ask not what the Olympics can do for Detroit, but rather what can Detroit do to further the Olympic ideal

Olympic bid logo
Detroit Free Press File Photo
Photo Credit
 
Though delayed by a year, the 2020 Olympics have come and gone.  The final results have been received from Tokyo, and there remains one event that the City of Detroit continues to hold an Olympic record.  Detroit's application to host the games has been rejected more times than any other country.  Nine if you're still counting.

The dream of Detroit hosting the 1968 games begins with Fred Matthaei. His leadership drove efforts to host the games in 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972.  Detroit's closest lose was in 1968, when the games were awarded to Mexico City.  That year's heart breaking story is recounted in David  Maraniss's Once in a Great City: A Detroit City.

Cover of Special report by the Detroit News, September 15, 1963.
Detroit Historical Society
Photo Credit

THE DREAM BEGINS AGAIN

Detroit's 1968 application was solidified with a vote by the US Olympic Committee.  A 32-4 vote dodged a west coast challenge from Los Angeles.  This first hurdle locked two of the fifty-nine International Olympic Committee (IOC) votes for Detroit.  Lock number one was President of the IOC, Avery Brundage, who was born in Detroit. Lock number two was Chairman of the Detroit Olympic Committee, Douglas Roby, a Detroiter who played football at Michigan and with professional connections with Fred Matthaei. A third vote remained unlocked since it was to be cast by Jewett Garland of Los Angeles.  It was unclear if his allegiance would shift to Detroit.

In a 1963 photo, Kenneth L. Wilson, President of the Olympic Committee (left), Michigan Gov. George Romney (center), and Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh stand around an artist's drawing of the proposed Olympic stadium Detroit. // Photograph courtesy of Richard Bak
Photo Credit

THE DETROIT DELEGATION

The focus now turned to Detroit's presentation to the IOC.  To close the deal, a delegation led by Matthaei was assembled and sent to Baden Baden, Germany. In addition to Matthaei, Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh and newly elected Governor George Romney joined the delegation.  And to address the ongoing civil rights concerns, African-Americans Judge Wade H. McCree* and Councilman William Patrick** also joined the delegation.

An artist's rendering of Olympic Stadium
Photo Credit

THE VENUES

The presentation highlighted a new 110,000-seat Olympic stadium to be built at the Detroit Fairgrounds and funded by $25 million authorized by the State Legislature.  And to deal with the stadium's distance from Detroit's downtown, an unfunded monorail system was proposed to be built.  Leading Detroit's design credentials were architects Louis Rossetti and Oscar Stonorov.  

Additional venues scattered throughout the City included: Cobo Arena, Tiger Stadium, Olympia Stadium, Brodhead Armory, the Light Guard Armory on 8 Mile Road, University of Detroit and Wayne State University athletic facilities, Lake St. Clair, Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, Brennan Pools at Rouge Park and the Bloomfield Open Hunt Club in Bloomfield Hills.  New construction included an Olympic Village adjacent to the campus of Wayne State, a Shooting Range and Rowing & Canoeing Facility added to Belle Isle and a new Velodrome to be constructed at the State Fair Grounds. [See blog on The Dorais Park Velodrome that was actually completed in 1969]

An artist's rendering of monorail system at Olympic stadium
Photo Credit

THE PRESENTATIONS

Detroit was the third city to present after Lyon, France and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The theme of Detroit's Presentation: "The City asks not what the Olympics can do for Detroit, but rather what can Detroit do to further the Olympic ideal" played on President Kennedy's words during his 1960 campaign visit.  Matthaei, Mayor Cavanaugh and Governor Romney took turns presenting.  By film, President Kennedy offered Detroit's official invitation.  Global track star Rafer Johnson filmed an endorsement.  The presentation was interrupted by applause 12 times.  And according to Maraniss's account, was considered the best presentation the IOC had ever seen.

Film submitted by Detroit in 1965 as part of its bid to host the Olympic games in 1968.  Produced by Detroit based Jam Handy Company
King Rose Archives

The final city, Mexico City, presented last. Four well prepared speakers with no visuals argued their case.  The words conveyed their city's history, abilities and facilities, it's $2.80 per diem (undercutting Detroit by 20 cents) and a medical explanation of its altitude having no effect on athletes.  Finally, they argued for the enduring message it would send the world by awarding the games to Latin America, a place that had never hosted the games.

Proposed design for Olympic village
Photo credit

THE VOTE

Fifty-nine votes were distributed among members of the IOC: Europe - 34 (27 free world, 7 iron curtain). Asia - 9. Africa - 5. North and Central America - 8.  Australia and New Zealand - 3.

Fifty-eight votes were cast in the final vote: Mexico City 30, Detroit 14, Lyon 12, Buenos Aires 2.  Detroit was one vote shy of a second round.  Detroit had lost the entire Soviet bloc, a few European votes and one of three US votes. Yes, Los Angeles continued to hold their grudge against Detroit.

What if Detroit hosted the 1968 Olympics?
detroitisdifferent.com
Photo Credit

WHAT IF?

But what if Detroit won the 1968 games?  Would the 1967 rebellion have happened?  Would the city's racial divisions temporarily healed through the common goal of hosting the games?  How would Tommie Smith's and John Carlos's glove-fist power salutes have played if it was in Detroit?  Would the Detroit Lions have stayed in Detroit instead of moving to Pontiac in 1975?  Would Detroit have a modern transit system?

These are questions that have no definitive answers.  But I have to believe, that with the world's eyes focused on Detroit, with so many promises of renewal and modernization, that the trajectory of Detroit's job and population lost would have at least slowed, if not stopped.  A guarantee of Olympic construction and infrastructure projects would have infused the City with new jobs.  And with international exposure, Detroit would have been spared its current inability to attract the attention of tax generating businesses.  And would the city's promise to live the Olympic ideal, by focusing the City's population on one goal, have prevented the 1967 rebellion?  Would the Tiger's 1968 World Series win capped a summer of racial unity instead of division?  Maybe.  If only we had a time machine to find out.

----

*1968 Detroit Olympic Delegation Member Judge Wade H. McCree would be the first African-American appointed as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the second African-American United States Solicitor General in the history of the United States.
Photo Credit


**1968 Detroit Olympic Delegation member William Patrick was the first African-American elected to the Detroit City Council, formerly known as the Detroit Common Council, in 1957.
Photo Credit
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Maraniss, David, Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story, Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2015.

Stanton, Zack, "How Detroit Almost Hosted the '68 Olympics", Zack Stanton Blog, December 17, 2013.

Szymanski, Stefan, "Going for Gold: Detroit's nine attempts to get Olympics came up empty", Detroit Free Press, July 30, 2016.

"The Sports City", Detroit Historical Society Blog, July 9, 2012

Vachon, Paul, "Detroit's Failed Bid to Host the 1968 Olympics", Hour Detroit, June 20, 2012.

Monday, December 4, 2017

The National

How many times have you walked or driven by it?  A solitary structure that stands defiantly as a reminder of what once was. 

photo credit: R.Saxon

Albert Kahn's' National Theater is the only surviving theater in what was Detroit's first entertainment district.  Designed in partnership with Ernest Wilby, it would be Kahn's only theater.  Today, it sits prominently at 118 Monroe Street slowly decaying.  Like an abandoned and rusting vintage car, it's not hard to imagine restoring what was once a magnificent entertainment venue.  But the relentless clock of Mother Nature is loudly ticking off the few remaining days for its rescue. 


The National Theater shortly after opening
Photo Credit (State Historic Preservation Office)


The National Theater light at night
Photo Credit (Manning Bros.)

The 800 seat theater opened on September 16, 1911, surrounded by the old Detroit Opera House, the Gayety, Temple, Columbia, Liberty and Family theaters.  Two 65 foot high towers, capped with gold domes, flank its symmetrical facade.  They contain staircases that give patrons access to the theater's balcony. Between the towers, one enters the theater through what was once a large stained glassed archway. A white terracotta skin from Detroit's Pewabic Pottery encases its north facade.   Stone carved eagles, rosettes, cupids and other details cover the facade that was lit up at night by hundreds of lights.

Main Entrance
Photo Credit

Ticket Booth and Entrance
Photo Credit
The theater opened as a live-act and vaudeville venue, but quickly changed to motion pictures after competition from the opening of The Madison in 1917. Because of its small size, it proved difficult to compete.  By the 1940s, the theater became Detroit's biggest and best Burlesque venue.  Its success continue into the 1960s (refer to this link for a video produced by Preservation Detroit). It wouldn't be until the 1970s that Burlesque's popularity began to fade.  For a brief period, under the new name The Palace, the theater featured adult films.  But by 1975, the theater was forced to closed. On February 13, 1975, the theater was added to the National Register of  Historic Places.


View from the Stage
Photo Credit
View of the stage from the upper balcony
Photo Credit
 Today, the theater is owned by the City of Detroit.  Dan Gilbert's Rock Ventures has proposed saving the theater's facade and preserving it as a gateway to its proposed mixed-use Monroe block redevelopment. Negotiations between the two continue, without the support of many of the City's preservationist groups.  These groups continue to hope for the theater's full restoration.

Bedrock’s current plan to save the facade and use it
as a gateway to a new mixed-use development.
Photo Credit (Robin Runyan)
----------
Austin, Dan, "National Theater", HistoricDetroit.org.

Runyan, Robin, "Can the National Theater be Saved?", Curbed Detroit, Sept. 29, 2017.

"National Theatre", Detroit-ish.com.

McGraw, Bill, "Raw Video: A Rare Visit Inside Detroit's Long-Abandoned National Theater", Deadline Detroit Lifestyle, Jan. 17, 2014.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Detroit Walking Tour


Its amazing to see how many buildings are under renovation downtown. So, while taking a lunchtime stroll, I decided to take pictures of some of the historic Detroit buildings currently under renovation. Where possible, you can contrast my picture with an historic photo of the building.

Farwell Building (1915)

Photo Credit

Photo Credit: R.Saxon Jr.

Named after Jesse H. and Emmer J. Farwell, the building opened in 1915.  Designed by architect Harrie W. Bonnah, the building was home to attorneys, dentist and other professionals.  The interior was designed entirely by Louis Comfort Tiffany and was best known for its vaulted dome lobby with thousands of inlaid tiffany glass pieces.  Kraemer Design Group is the lead renovation Architect.  The finished building will contain 82 residential apartments.


The David Stott Building (1929)


Photo Credit: R.Saxon Jr.

Designed by architectural firm of Donaldson and Meier, the Art-Deco styled building open in 1929.  Because of the Great Depression, it was the last skyscraper built in Detroit until the mid-1950s.  The ground floor was once home to the SkyBar Lounge. Purchased by Bedrock Real Estate Service (Dan Gilbert) in 2015, it is undergoing a complete restoration with a scheduled opening in 2018. 


T.B. Rayl Building (1915)

Photo Credit: R.Saxon

Designed by Wirt Rowland, the building opened in 1915 and was home to T.B. Rayl Co., a retail hardware firm.  In 1925, the small structure next door was acquired, demolished and replaced by an addition.  The cornice was also removed and an 8th floor was added. In 1956, Meyer Jewelry acquired ownership and made the building its headquarters. In 1983, Eastern Wig and Hair Company made the building its home until 2014 when it was purchased by Dan Gilbert. A joint venture between Dan Gilbert's Bedrock Ventures and Shinola is renovating the building into the Shinola Hotel.  Work began in 2017.

Elliott Building (Old Kresge) (1894)

Photo Credit
Photo Credit: R.Saxon Jr.

Detroit entrepreneur and developer, William Elliot, opened the building in 1894.  Five years later, the ground floor would be occupied by the nation's first S. S. Kresge Five and Dime store. Originally designed by Wilson Brothers & Company of Philadelphia, the building would remain home to Kresge until 1959.  Various retailers would control the ground floor space until Elliott Building, LLC acquired ownership.  The new owners hired the Kraemer Design Group to lead a design team renovating the building.  When completed, the building will contain 23 loft-style apartments with ground floor retail space.


Metropolitan Building (Jeweler's Building) (1925)

Photo Credit

Photo Credit: R.Saxon Jr.

In 1919, George Yost came up with the idea of centralizing a single trade into one building.  Thus was born the Metropolitan Building.  Opening in May of 1926, the building became informally known as the jewelers building since it housed jewelers and related businesses.  Designed in the Gothic Revival style by the architectural firm of Weston & Ellington, the Detroit Free Press described the building as "one of the most unique shopping and merchandising centers ever built in America."  Succumbing to Detroit's declining commercial activity, the building changed hands multiple times until closing in 1979.

A $32 million dollar renovation is now underway to covert the building into the Element Detroit at the Metropolitan Building, a 110 room hotel.  The design team is being lead by Quinn Evans Architects and Patrick Thompson Design.  A joint venture between the Means Group and the Roxbury Group, the hotel hopes to open in the summer of 2018.


The Vinton Building (1917)


Photo Credit: R.Saxon Jr.

Named after Robert K. Vinton, a prominent Detroit building contractor, this Albert Kahn designed building opened in 1917.  In 1922, the building was purchased by the Guaranty Trust Co. and the building became known as the Guaranty Building.  But after the Great Depression, the bank lost its ownership rights.  Ownership continued to change hands multiple times until its closing in the 1990s.  In 2015, Dan Gilbert gained ownership and in 2017 began renovation of the building into apartments.

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Farwell Building

Austin, Dan, Farwell Building, Historic Detroit.org



David Stott Building

Runyan, Robin, "Checking in on the Restoration of the David Stott Building," Curbed Detroit, June 27, 2017.



T.B. Rayl Building

T B Rayl Company Building, mgsmith, Flickr.

Rayl's Hardware on Griswold Street, Detroit Public Library, Digital Collections


Runyan, Robin, "The Shinola Hotel Takes Shape in Downtown Detroit,", Curbed Detroit, August 24, 2017.


Elliott Building

King, R.J., "Elliott Building in Downtown Detroit Completes $21M Financing Package,", DBusiness Daily News, August 19, 2016.



Metropolitan Building

Austin, Dan, Metropolitan Building, HistoricDetroit.org.

Runyan, Robin, "The Metropolitan Buildng Officially Starts Redevelopment into Element Detroit Hotel," Curbed Detroit, August 29, 2017.


Vinton Building

Vinton Building, HistoricDetroit.org.

Beshouri, Paul, "Vinton Rehab Adds Apartments, Skywalk, Tiny Roof Deck," Curbed Detroit, May 15, 2015.




Sunday, October 1, 2017

The New Rogell


As an urban planner, I've always been fascinated by how cities grow. Populations rise. Farmland gets paved over.  Housing tracks turn into apartment complexes.  Office complexes rise into skyscrapers. But occasionally, pockets of land go untouch.  Magically frozen in time, these pockets give present day visitors a glimpse into the past.

The Rogell Golf Club formerly located at 18601 Berg
 (where the Rouge River passes under Grand River Blvd.)
 sits surrounded by the neighborhoods of northwest Detroit
(Malvern Hill, Oak Grove, Bentler-Pickford and Old Redford)

The Rogell Golf Club in northwest Detroit is a pocket.  A golf course designed by perhaps the game's two most renowned course designers, surrounded by a City that developed around it. It briefly survived as Michigan's first African-American owned golf course.  Today, it sits awaiting new life.

The Story of New Rogell begins in...

1872
Banned from the City's prestigious social and dramatic clubs, The Phoenix Club was opened as a place where the Jewish elite could dine, socialize, play billiards, bowl and stage performances.  Max Fisher, whose name adorns the Detroit Orchestra's current home, becomes one of its first and most prominent members.

1913
Wishing to add a golf course, the club purchases 113 acres of land in a village near the present day city of Redford. Straddling the Rouge river, architect Jack Bendelow designs a nine-hole course.  It would be one of 54 courses designed by the Architect in the state of Michigan.

1920
As golf's popularity increases, the course becomes self-sustaining.  Separating itself from the club, the course is sold to the city of Redford and becomes the Redford Country Club on January 1, 1920.


1921
Legendary golf course designer Donald Ross is hired to redesign and upgrade the course to 18-holes. From the middle tees, the course measures 5,838 yards and plays to a 68.1(course rating)/123 (course slope).

1926
Wishing to continue expansion, the Phoenix Club moves to a new location. The facility is sold and a new course is designed by Donald Ross on 400 acres of farmland in Farmington Hills.  Albert Kahn designs the clubhouse for the new Franklin Hills Country Club.


1945
The Redford Country Club is sold to the City of Detroit for $174,000.

1979
The Club is re-named after Detroit Tigers Shortstop and longtime councilman Bill Rogell.  Rogell led the Tigers to a World Series victory over the Chicago Cubs in 1935.  He would serve 36 years on City Council and would be honored with throwing the first pitch at the last game held at Tiger Stadium.


2007
The Golf course is purchased by the Greater Grace Temple from the City of Detroit for $2.5 million. It becomes the first Black-owned golf course in the state of Michigan.  The course is renamed The New Rogell.  It becomes one of only six African-American owned coursed in the United States.

2013
Arguing they are unable to make the course profitable, the church closes the course.  The church struggles to maintain the site.  They also fail to gain city approval to sell the property to a developer wishing to convert the course into a cemetery.


(Credit: Mike Campbell/WWJ Newsradio 950)
photo credit
2017
The City of Detroit Planning and Development Department in collaboration with neighborhood residents and community organizations continues to actively work on a comprehensive neighborhood plan for Northwest Detroit along the Grand River corridor. Essential to this vision is a discussion about the future of the Rogell Golf Course.  Proposed new uses include productive landscapes, summer and winter trails, outdoor education, habitat creation, horse stables and riding, playgrounds, sports fields and of course golf.  Final community meetings were held in May 2017.


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"Greater Grace Temple Celebrates the Purchase of the 'New Rogell Golf Course", AmericaJR, June, 30, 2007, http://americajr.com/news/rogell-golf-course.html

"Franklin Hills Country Club", Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, http://www.michjewishhistory.org/gallery/2017/05/franklin-hills-country-club.html.

McCafferty, Art, "Michigan Golf Architects: Tom Bendelow - Golf's Johnny Appleseed", Michigan Golfer Magazine, May/June 2004, http://www.michigangolfer.com/may04/may0504-4.pdf.

The Original Golf Blogger, "New Rogell Golf Course Review and Requiem", Golf Blogger.com, May 16, 2013, https://golfblogger.com/new_rogell_golf_course_review_and_requiem/.

"Residents Protest Detroit Church's Overgrown Golf Course", CBS Detroit, Sept. 10, 2014, http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/09/10/residents-protest-detroit-churchs-overgrown-golf-course/.

GolfClubAtlas.com, Ross's Courses, page 9, http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=41570.40;wap2

"Billy Rogell", Wikipedia, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Rogell

McDaniel, Pete, "Saving Grace", Golf Digest, July 28, 2008, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/gw20080801mcdaniel

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Guardian Building Bridge


Photo credit: Rob Saxon

Walking along Larned to work each day, I make it a point to gaze up. Towering over morning commuters is a skybridge that connects two of Detroit's most iconic skyscrapers: The Art Deco style Guarding Building and the International style One Woodward. The bridge's sleekly polished metal panels and rounded corners pays no respect to either style. And like a meat skewer, shamelessly pierces the skin of both buildings and connects their internal arteries.

Skybridge connecting One Woodward (left) and
The Guardian Building (right)
photo credit: Esoteric Survey
Each day I look up and the curious designer in me asks:

Why was the bridge placed so high?

On the Guardian side, the bridge inserts into a large slot cut into the building's southeast corner. The dramatic modification is increased by the corner's taper.  Because the bridge isn't perpendicular to the Guardian building's exterior, one can see the bridge penetrating into the building.  And because the bridge's east facade isn't flush with the Guardian's facade, the design gives the illusion that the opening isn't quite large enough.

The Skybridge inserts into an opening cut into
the southeast corner of the Guardian Building
photo credit: Roadside Architecture.com

On One Woodward's side, the bridge is almost perfectly centered on the north face.  The building's delicate skin is pierced with the precision of a needle. The bridge surgically connects into what appears to be a former public restroom, but there is no hint of how the bridge is supported.  The engineer in me wonders what amount of shear force would cause the bridge to break catatrophically from the face of the building. 

Skybridge connection to One Woodward
Photo credit: Rob Saxon

Using the internet to find documentation on the bridge proved difficult. But despite limited information, below is the story of two buildings and its mysterious skybridge.  I welcome photos or comments that fill in missing information.

1929
The story begins in 1929 with the construction of the 36-story Guarding Building.  Originally known as the Union Trust Building, it was designed by Wirt C. Rowland, who at the time was employed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. Known today as The Smith Group JJR, the historic firm is located on the building's 17th floor.  It was nicknamed the Cathedral of Finance and is particularly known for it's vaulted Lobby and pewabic tile decorated Banking Hall. After an award winning renovation, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

By I, Mikerussell
Photo Credit
By Michael Barera
Photo Credit
1958
In 1958, Minoru Yamasaki, in association with Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, is asked to design a headquarters for the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company (nicknamed "Michcon"). Michcon was created by the merger of four gas companies in 1937. And in 1949, The American Natural Gas Company or ANR became its parent company. This would be Yamasaki's first skyscraper and he would later use many of its design elements on in his more famous World Trade Center formerly located in New York City.  The new skyscraper became known as the ANR building. It would later be renamed One Woodward.

One Woodward Avenue
Minoru Yamasaki
photo credit
1972
By the 1970s, employees of both Michcon and ANR were located in both buildings. To ease movement between the two buildings, the Detroit based architectural firm Rossetti Associates, was hired to design and oversee the construction of a bridge.  More specifically, to design a bridge giving Guardian Building employees access to One Woodward's cafeteria (see citation).  The bridge was therefore located at the Guarding Building's 16th floor and at One Woodward's 15th floor. Quoting a former employee of ANR, "For several years, the company cafeteria was in One Woodward, so the skywalk was handy." (see citation)

1990s
By the 1990s, ANR had divested itself of Michcon and relocated its employees.  Remaining Michcon employees were relocated to the adjacent Guardian building.  The ANR building was sold and re-named One Woodward.  It's at this time that I believe the bridge is closed.


Khalil Rahal, Interim Director of the Wayne County
Economic Development Corp., walks across the unused bridge
Photo credit: Glenn Triest
2000s
Michcon is reorganized as the MCN Energy Group.  In 2001, the MCN Energy Group merges with DTE Energy.  One year later, DTE Energy sells the Guardian Building to a private real estate investor: The Sterling Group.

In 2005, David Shock commissioned a proposal to convert the skybridge into a bar.  Three designers at M1/DTW, Christian Unverzagt, Kristen Dean and Emily Kutil, complete the design. Below are photos borrowed from the proposal.  The design is reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I can almost feel myself floating weightless through the space.  Go to this link for additional photos.


Photo credit: M1/DTW



Photo credit: M1/DTW


Photo credit: M1/DTW

In 2007, The Sterling Group sold The Guardian Building to Wayne County. To this day, David Shock continues to work on gaining the County's support for his skybar proposal (see article in Curbed Detroit).

In 2012, Dan Gilbert's Rock Ventures purchased One Woodward.  The building is renamed Fifth Third at One Woodward in 2014 after Fifth Third Bank agrees to relocate it's headquarters in the building.

In 2018, the bridge is outfitted with lights making it a "floating bar of lights".  Designed by artist Phillip K. Smith, III and facilitated by the Detroit's Library Street Collective Gallery, the bridge is adorned with shifting colored lights. In the words of Smith,
"By day, the Skybridge will continue to be seen as its historical self within the architecture and massing of downtown.  But by night, it will become a beacon for the beauty, creativity, and innovation of Detroit."
"Floating Bar of Lights" designed by Phillip K. Smith, III and facilitated
by the Detroit's Library Street Collective Gallery
Photos Credit: Lance Gerber 


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Wikipedia, Guardian Building, Website.

Wikipedia, One Woodward Avenue, Website.

Discuss Detroit, Guardian Building Skybridge, Website.

Tsai, Janis, "The Surprising Link Between Detroit's One Woodward Avenue and the Original World Trade Center," Daily Detroit, Sept. 14, 2015.

Michigan Modern, Michigan Consolidated Gas Company Building, Website.

McGeen, Denise, Historic Detroit, One Woodward Avenue, Website.

"A 7 Year Fight for the Guardian Building's Tube Bar Proposal," Curbed Detroit, March 12, 2012.

DTE Energy, A History as a Natural Gas Utility, Website.

Funding Universe, ANR Pipeline Co. History, Website.

M1/DTW, United Bar, Website.

DeVito, Lee, 'Detroit Skybridge' will turn into 'a floating bar of light' this weekend', Detroit MetroTimes, August 22, 2018.