Detroit Unique Neighborhoods: Palmer Woods

Palmer Woods is another beautiful westside Detroit neighborhood listed on the National Historic Records. Composed of approximately 289 homes built mostly in the early 20th century, Palmer Woods is 188 acres bounded by Woodward Avenue, Seven Mile Road, Strathcona Drive, and the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood.

Palmer Woods is named after a 19-century United Senator, Thomas W. Palmer, who owned land on both sides of Woodward Avenue from Six Mile Road to Eight Mile Road. He donated part of his land to develop Palmer Park, and also some of his land was eventually used for the Michigan State Fairgrounds in the early 20th century. After Thomas Palmer died in 1913, a prominent real estate developed named Charles Burton purchased the remaining Palmer acres and began the development of an exclusive enclave for some of Detroit's richest and most famous residents. Each lot is unique in size and scope, and there are few sidewalks in the elegantly designed district. In 1938, the Palmer Woods neighborhood received a merit award from the Michigan Horticultural Society as the finest platted subdivision in Michigan.

 

Bishop Gallagher Residence

Although many of the homes in Palmer Woods were constructed between 1917 and 1929, some were built after World War II, with the most recently built home in 1956. The most prevelant architectural style of the spacious Palmer Woods homes is Tudor Revival, and the largest home in Detroit, the Bishop Gallagher House, is 40,000 square feet. The former home of William Fisher, of the Fisher Body Company and the Fisher Building, is 35,000 square feet. Other architectural styles in Palmer Woods include: Neo-Georgian, Mediterranean, Modern and Craftsman.

Many prominent citizens had homes in Palmer Woods at the turn of the 20th century, including Charles Burton himself, two of the seven Fisher brothers, and John H. Kunsky, the founder of the United Artists Theatres. The Bishop Gallagher Residence was built for the Fisher Brothers and later given to Bishop Michael Gallagher and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. Later both Edward Cardinal Mooney and John Cardinal Dearden lived in the home while they were the Archbishops of Detroit.

Today, Palmer Woods Historic District is still one of the most beautiful and exclusive neighborhoods in Detroit, home to artists, executives, politicians, and physicians. There is a very active homeowners' association, and there are many neighborhood activities and home tours throughout the year.

Detroit Neighborhood: Boston-Edison Historic District

The Boston-Edison Historic District is one of the City's oldest and most beautiful historic neighborhoods.

(Full disclosure: we bought our Boston-Edison home in 2002...that's why this neighborhood is my first post of this "Detroit Neighborhood" series!)

Located in a 36-block area of approximately 900 homes, Boston-Edison was originally platted with a land grant by the Territory of Michigan to John R. Williams in 1822, and three land grants to Thomas Palmer in 1828 and 1834. (John R. Williams was an early mayor of Detroit; "John R" street is named after him. Palmer Park was named after Thomas Palmer.) The first homes in Boston-Edison were built starting in 1915.



Boston-Edison is bordered by Woodward Avenue on the east, Linwood Street on the west, Boston Boulevard on the north, and Edison Street on the south. The north-south John C Lodge (also known as state highway M-10) freeway goes through the neighborhood, providing easy access to Downtown Detroit, the suburbs, and all other major freeways.

The developers of the current Boston-Edison area were some of Detroit's most prominent, wealthy, and well-known citizens of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Edward Voight, Truman and John Newberry (of Packard Motors), Henry B. Joy (also of Packard Motors and for whom "Joy Road" was named), Henry Ford, James Couzens, the Fisher Brothers (manufacturers with early General Motors and built the Fisher Building), John W. Drake (Hupp Motor Company), W. O. Briggs (former Detroit Tigers owner after whom Briggs Stadium was named, and the owner of Briggs Manufacturing Company), Sebastian Kresge (Kresge Stores, now K-mart), J. L. Webber (nephew of J. L. Hudson of Husdon's Department Store), Benjamin Siegel (B. Siegel's Department Store), and Rabbi Leo M. Franklin (Temple Beth El, Michigan's oldest Jewish Congregation).

After the Henry Ford Hospital (1915) and the Fisher Building (1927) were opened on nearby West Grand Boulevard, the Boston-Edison neighborhood attracted many of Detroit's business and religious leaders, doctors, dentists, pharmacists (including Sidney Barthwell, one of Detroit's most influential African-American pharmacists).

In 1974, Boston-Edison received historic designation from the City of Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the Federal Government, ensuring B-E's neighborhood viability and architectural distinctiveness. Historic District Ordinances are strictly enforced.

Today, the homes of Boston-Edison are owned and occupied by people of diverse ages, races, professions, and occupations. Several times each year, there are parades, holiday parties, home tours, picnics in Voight Park, other cultural and social events.

Boston-Edison is one of the 25 Detroit Neighborhoods designated as Neighborhood Enterprise Zones (NEZ), in which many homes qualify for reduced tax assessments of up to 15 mils.

For more information about the Boston-Edison Historic District, including many homes currently for sale, check out the Historic Boston-Edison Association website, from which much of the information in this post was obtained. The HBEA, the oldest continuous neighborhood association in the City, was founded in 1921.

Riding Your Bike in Detroit? Have Your License?

----------------
Now playing: The Caravans - The Lord Will Make A Way
via FoxyTunes



Just as we start thinking about hauling our bikes out of the garage to save money on gasoline like our Governor who has started "biking to work", the City has reminded us that we need a license for our bikes!

Detroit's bicycle license ordinance states:
"It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or use a bicycle propelled wholly or in part by muscular power upon any of the streets or sidewalks of the city without first obtaining a license therefore from the city."

The ordinance has been in place since 1964; but the Detroit Police are going to start to actually enforce the ordinance again. They say it is to help locate/recover stolen bicycles, but if you're caught without a license starting on August 7 2008, you'll get hit with a $55.00 fine!

The cost is actually minimal: $5.00 for a 5-year license; it's just something else to add to your "to-do" list! (I wonder if next they'll pass a "no talking on your cell with biking" law!)

The licenses can be obtained at any of the six Detroit Police Districts between 9 am and 5 pm Monday - Friday. For further information, you can call the Detroit Police Office of Public Information: 313.596.2200.

Once you get that license, though, you can enjoy riding along the Detroit Riverwalk and around Belle Isle...the beauty and serenity will be worth it...not to mention great exercise! Also explore Campus Martius, Palmer Park, and Chandler Park (Chandler Park is part of the Wayne County Parks and Recreation System)...let me know in the comments section about other great places to ride your bike in Detroit!

Also check out "Detroit Bikes", a group that promotes group riding tours around Detroit.

Happy Riding!