Virginia Park Historic District

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Virginia Park Historic District
Virginia Park Streetscape.jpg
Virginia Park Streetscape between Woodward Ave. and Second
Location Detroit, Michigan
 United States
Coordinates 42°22′28″N 83°4′53″W / 42.37444°N 83.08139°W / 42.37444; -83.08139Coordinates: 42°22′28″N 83°4′53″W / 42.37444°N 83.08139°W / 42.37444; -83.08139
Built 1895
Architectural style Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods)
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 82000557[1]
Added to NRHP December 02, 1982

The Virginia Park Historic District is located in Detroit, Michigan, along both sides of Virginia Park Street from Woodward Avenue to the John C. Lodge Freeway access road. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]

History[edit]

The Virginia Park Historic District is an example of a well–preserved late nineteenth to early twentieth century residential community. The residences are testimonials to the wealth of early Virginia Park residents, as the area was conceived as an upper-middle class enclave. Many homes were completed by prominent Detroit architects, and display a diversity of architectural styles. The district was laid out in 1893. Ninety-two lots were platted and each given a name (such as Tanglewood, Thisteldown, and Sorrento) in the original plat. The developers placed a number of restrictions on the area to ensure an attractive community. This quiet boulevard attracted a mix of businessmen and professionals. By 1910, homeowners became concerned about the effect of the increasing commercialization of Woodward Avenue on property values, and they formed the Virginia Avenue Improvement Association. The association proposed to re-landscape the subdivision, and it developed an attractive entrance to the community. In 1979, General Motors announced its plan to renovate the area north of its World Headquarters. This fostered rehabilitation in the Virginia Park district.

The Virginia Park Historic District is considered to mark the northern boundary of the New Center area of Detroit.

Education[edit]

The area is zoned to Detroit Public Schools.

All residents are zoned to Thirkell Elementary School,[2] Hutchins Middle School,[3] and Northwestern High School.[4]

Images[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. 
  2. ^ "Elementary School Boundary Map." Detroit Public Schools. Retrieved on November 7, 2009, 2009.
  3. ^ "Middle School Boundary Map." Detroit Public Schools. Retrieved on November 7, 2009.
  4. ^ "High School Boundary Map." Detroit Public Schools. Retrieved on November 7, 2009.

References and further reading[edit]

  • Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. 
  • Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.