Buildings of Michigan

by Kathryn Bishop Eckert, Pauline Saliga (Editor)

Overview

This revised edition of Buildings of Michigan (first published in 1993) presents the architecture of the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan, which are surrounded by four of the Great Lakes. From the Greek, Gothic, Italianate, Queen Anne, and Richardsonian Romanesque structures of the nineteenth century to the international, renowned modern buildings of the mid-twentieth century and the green and sustainable buildings of the twenty-first century, this book explores Michigan's history and covers the full spectrum of high-style and vernacular architecture and the building materials particular to the state.

Surveying the architecture of Detroit and many other cities and villages, this volume examines such structures as early inns and houses along the Sauk Trail, the mine locations of the Copper and Iron ranges, the sandstone architecture of the Lake Superior region, the concrete buildings of Alpena, lighthouses and lifesaving stations of the Upper Great Lakes, the state's numerous bridges, the great houses of automobile industrialists in Grosse Pointe, the factories of Albert Kahn, the mid-twentieth-century buildings of Alden B. Dow and Minoru Yamasaki, and contributions of numerous local architects who have added to Michigan's architectural heritage.

This new edition introduces buildings from the recent past and the present; discusses broad, sweeping cultural landscapes, historical parks, greenways, and linear parks; and showcases triumphs in historic preservation. As Detroit transforms itself from a city with a declining population and without the economic stability of the automobile industry, the book looks at how the city is reinventing itself. (Examples include Midtown, where the huge medical, academic, and cultural centers spark residential and retail development; the Detroit riverfront, which connects to open land converted to gardens, parks, and greenways; the viable close-in historic Woodbridge and Corktown neighborhoods, where residents have stayed; and Ford Field, Comerica Park, and the downtown theaters and casinos that entertain visitors.) Linkages of buildings by geography and theme receive attention. Heritage areas, river corridors, and highway routes arrange buildings and natural areas into comprehensible groups, and over 400 illustrations—including photographs, maps, and drawings—enhance the more than 950 entries.

A volume in the Buildings of the United States series of the Society of Architectural Historians

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813931579
Publisher:	University of Virginia Press
Publication date:	05/14/2012
Series:	Buildings of the United States
Edition description:	revised edition
Pages:	672
Sales rank:	498,615
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 1.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Kathryn Bishop Eckert, an architectural historian and historic preservationist whose thirty-five years of experience have taken her throughout Michigan to study buildings and cultural landscapes and assist communities with preservation activities, is Michigan's past State Historic Preservation Officer and a former advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the author of several books, including The Sandstone Architecture of the Lake Superior Region and The Campus Guide: Cranbrook.

Table of Contents

How to Use This Book xi

Foreword xiii

Preface to the Revised Edition xv

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction 1

Native American Architecture: An Overview 2

French and British Exploration and Early Settlement 5

Frontier Farms and Villages 10

Lumbering of the Pine Forests of Lower Michigan 13

Copper and Iron Mining 17

Growth of Detroit around the Automobile Industry 22

Resorts 36

Ethnic Groups 44

Historic Preservation 46

The Lower Peninsula

Metropolitan Detroit and Wayne County 51

Downtown Detroit (Central Business District) 55

Southwest Detroit and West Side 74

Midtown 78

North and Northwest Detroit 95

East Side 102

Hamtramck 112

Highland Park 113

From Grosse Pointe Shores to Grosse Pointe Park 114

Dearborn 118

Grosse Ile 125

Riverview 126

Suburban Satellite Region 127

Monroe County 130

Washtenaw County 139

Livingston County 156

Oakland County 158

Macomb County 172

South-Central Border Region 177

Jackson County 179

Lenawee County 186

Hillsdale County 191

Branch County 195

Calhoun County 198

Michiana and the Southwestern Lower Peninsula 209

Kalamazoo County 212

St. Joseph County 222

Cass County 225

Berrien County 226

Van Buren County 237

Grand River Valley Region 241

Kent County 243

Ionia County 263

Barry County 268

Allegan County 269

Ottawa County 275

Capital Region 283

Ingham County 285

Eaton County 300

Clinton County 305

Saginaw Bay and River Valley Region 307

Saginaw County 309

Midland County 319

Bay County 324

Genesee County 330

Shiawassee County 337

The Thumb 343

St. Clair County 345

Sanilac County 355

Huron County 355

Tuscola County 357

Lapeer County 361

The Heartland 363

Isabella County 366

Gratiot County 368

Montcalm County 371

Mecosta County 372

Osceola County 374

Clare County 375

Gladwin County 376

West Michigan Shore Region 379

Muskegon County 380

Oceana County 387

Mason County 388

Manistee County 390

Wexford County 395

Lake County 396

Newaygo County 398

Traverse Bay Region 399

Emmet County 401

Charlevoix County 416

Antrim County 420

Grand Traverse County 420

Leelanau County 429

Benzie County 439

North-Central Lakes and Forests Region 443

Crawford County 445

Otsego County 447

Oscoda County 448

Roscommon County 449

Kalkaska County 449

Huron Shore Region 451

Cheboygan County 453

Presque Isle County 456

Alpena County 459

Alcona County 464

Iosco County 464

Arenac County 465

The Upper Peninsula

The Copper Country 469

Houghton County 471

Keweenaw County 493

Ontonagon County 497

The Iron Ranges 501

Marquette County 503

Baraga County 517

Iron County 519

Dickinson County 523

Gogebic County 525

Central Upper Peninsula 531

Alger County 532

Luce County 536

Schoolcraft County 537

Menominee County 538

Delta County 542

The Sault and Mackinac Region 547

Chippewa County 549

Mackinac County 559

Glossary 571

Bibliography 589

Illustration Credits 599

Index 601

Editorial Reviews

This is the first in a series of guidebooks, Buildings of the United States, dealing with American architecture. The volume for Iowa is also now available; Alaska and Washington, D.C., will be published in late 1993; Rhode Island is scheduled for 1994. Inspired by the 46-volume "Buildings of England" by Nikolaus Pevsner (Penguin, 1951-74), the Society of Architectural Historians, the sponsoring body, intend that this state-by-state survey will eventually comprise a complete history of the architecture of the U.S The Michigan volume was compiled by Eckert, a State of Michigan Historic Preservation officer. Buildings were chosen for inclusion based on the recommendations of historians, architects, and others. This book greatly expands earlier projects, such as the "Historic American Buildings Survey: Michigan" (National Parks Service, Department of the Interior, 1967) or "The 50 Most Significant Structures in Michigan" (Michigan Society of Architects, 1980) Entries are arranged geographically, generally by county, with a separate section for Detroit. Entries range from one paragraph to two or three pages in length. Small black-and-white photographs accompany some entries. Each coded entry includes the name of the property, the date it was built, the architect, any major additions or renovations, and the address, along with interesting information about its history and a description of its architectural features. Detailed maps make it possible to locate and visit the sites, which include courthouses, churches, bridges, public libraries, commercial buildings, and private homes. A bibliography of suggested reading, a glossary of architectural terms, and a detailed index conclude the book. The index lists proper names only; there is no subject access. It would have been useful if the index listed buildings by function: train stations, lighthouses, schools, etc Though not intended to be a social history, such as Wayne Andrew's "Architecture in Michigan" (Wayne State Univ., 1982), the introduction of this work provides essays on various aspects of the state's cultural development, including "Frontier Farms and Villages" and "Copper and Mining." However, the main text consists of short, descriptive entries about individual buildings. As the series editors state in the foreword, these volumes are to be used both as reference books and as guidebooks and belong not only on library shelves but also in glove compartments and backpacks.

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