Capitol Park Historic District
Capitol Park Historic District | |
Location | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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Coordinates | 42°19′58″N 83°2′58″W / 42.33278°N 83.04944°W |
Built | 1877 |
Architect | Albert Kahn Associates et al. |
Architectural style | Italianate, Romanesque Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 99000338[1] |
Added to NRHP | March 18, 1999 |
The Capitol Park Historic District is a historic district located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is roughly bounded by Grand River, Woodward and Michigan Avenues, and Washington Boulevard. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[1]
Description
Capitol Park itself is a triangular plot of land (now a public park) bounded by Shelby Street, Griswold Street, and State Street. The plot is an artifact of
History
In 1823, the population of Detroit had increased to the point that the US Congress transferred governance of what was then the Territory of Michigan to the governor and legislative council.[2] To house the new government, a courthouse was built in Capitol Park in 1823–28. When Michigan became a state in 1837, the building became the state capitol, and functioned so until 1847 when the governmental seat was moved to Lansing. The building was then used as a public high school until 1893, when it was destroyed by fire.[2] The land was then converted to a park, and it has remained a public space up to the present.
The buildings within the Historic District surrounding the park were built primarily during the first three decades of the 20th century for commercial and business purposes.[2] Several famous architects, including Albert Kahn and Gordon W. Lloyd, contributed buildings in a range of styles, from Victorian to Beaux-Arts to Art Deco.[3] The buildings demonstrate the transformation of Detroit from a prospering 19th century commercial center to a modern city.[2]
In addition to the present buildings, Capitol Park has a historic connection to the Underground Railroad. In 1850, Seymour Finney purchased a plot of land near the park and erected a tavern with a large barn.[4] Finney was strongly sympathetic to the abolitionist cause, and used his barn to hide escaping slaves before their final trek across the river into Canada.[4] A State of Michigan historical marker has been erected in the park to commemorate Finney's Barn.
In 1905, the remains of Michigan's first governor
Transit hub & redevelopment
The park has also served as a major downtown transit center. Two years after the destruction of the state capitol by fire, multiple
In 2001, the area was named as the Capitol Park Transit Center, and was used as a temporary terminal until the completion of the Rosa Parks Transit Center.[9] The opening of the Rosa Parks Transit Center in downtown Detroit in July 2009 marked the end of Capitol Park's use as a transportation center. A $1.1 million (~$1.52 million in 2023) renovation project started in September 2009 by the city's Downtown Development Authority redeveloped the public space in an effort to draw new businesses to the area.[10]
Gallery
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Capitol Park in 1942, looking north
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Farwell Building, looking through Capitol Park
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Looking south on Griswold at State, with The David Stott Building on the left
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Griswold Building
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Capitol Park in 2011
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Stevens T. Mason Monument in 2011
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Capitol Park at night
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The Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME) and Urban Bean at Grand River and Griswold St in Capitol Park
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Capitol Park Historic District" (PDF). City of Detroit. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8143-3120-0.
- ^ a b "Finney Hotel Underground Railway Informational Site" (PDF). City of Detroit. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ Austin, Dan (July 1, 2010). "'Boy Governor' Mason unearthed". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ Catlin, George Byron (2005) [1923]. The story of Detroit. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ Steele, Micki (October 27, 2010). "Michigan's first governor buried again". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ Anderson, Elisha (October 28, 2010). "Michigan's 1st governor is reburied in aboveground vault at park". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c Craig, II, H.B. "The Former D.S.R. Capitol Park Bus Station". Detroit Transit History. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Development Promises New Life for Historic Capitol Park". Model D Media. September 15, 2009.