Architect Fred Swirsky Area 1 ha | NRHP Reference # 02001501 Added to NRHP 12 December 2002 | |
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The West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District is a two-block commercial historic district located along West Vernor Highway between Cabot and Ferris Streets in Detroit, Michigan. The district includes 30 acres (120,000 m2) and 10 buildings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
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History
This area around West Vernor Highway was settled by German immigrants in the 1870s, and became a small farming community. By the early 1900s, the farms began to be platted into subdivisions. A few commercial buildings were constructed during this time, but commercial development in the district rapidly increased in the 1920s after the completion of the nearby Ford River Rouge Complex and the subsequent expansion of the nearby residential districts. Most of the buildings within the district date to this time.
Development ceased during the Great Depression. Afterward, the area remained economically viable into the 1960s when the effects of the citywide population loss and disinvestment became apparent. However, the Vernor/Lawndale District retains a diverse mixture of ethnic groups, with the original German immigrants making way for a primarily African-American and Latino population.
Description
The West Vemor/Lawndale District includes ten commercial and commercial/apartment buildings along West Vernor. These buildings include: