Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District

Infobox_nrhp | name =Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District
nrhp_type = hd

---

caption = Streetscape at Whitmore and Alwyne
location= Detroit, Michigan
lat_degrees = 42
lat_minutes = 25
lat_seconds = 11
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 83
long_minutes = 6
long_seconds = 37
long_direction = W
locmapin = Michigan
area =
built =1925
architect= Multiple; Arnold & Fuger et. al (boundary increase)
architecture= Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods); International Style, Colonial Revival (boundary increase)
added = May 21, 1983; February 11, 2005 (boundary increase)
governing_body = Private
refnum=83000895, 05000014 (boundary increase)cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District is an historic district located in Detroit, Michigan. It is roughly bounded by Pontchartrain Boulevard on the west, McNichols Road on the sout, and Covington Drive on the northeast. A boundary increase pushed the eastern boundary to Woodward Avenue. The district exemplifies some of the finest and most varied examples of apartment building design in Michigan. [http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/historic/districts/palmerpark_apt.pdf Palmer Park Apartment Buildings Historic District] from the city of Detroit]

History

The land that this historic district sits on, like the nearby Palmer Park and Palmer Woods, was once the estate of Thomas Palmer, a wealthy Detroiter and one-time US Senator. [http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/detroit/d33.htm Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District] from the city of Detroit] Palmer had intended to develop this area into a subdivision, but died in 1913 before bringing the idea to fruition. After Palmer's death, this portion of the estate was purchased by Walter Briggs. In 1925, Briggs hired Albert Kahn to design an apartment building in the area (this building, at 1001 Covington, was converted to contos in 2005 [http://www.modeldmedia.com/developmentnews/1001coving.aspx Detroit Development News,] Nov 15, 2005, ModelD] ). Forty buildings total were constructed in the district by multiple architects, including Weidmaier and Gay, Robert West, and William Kapp. [http://detroit1701.org/PalmerPark_Hist.htm Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District] from Detroit1701.org] Most of the buildings were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, but development continued until 1965.

Description

The buildings within the district were designed primarily for middle- and upper-middle-class residents. They are primarily five- and six-story structures, and incorporated the latest residential technology. The architecture, however varies into the realm of the exotic, with styles such as Egyptian, Spanish, Mediterranean, Venetian, Tudor, and Moorish Revival represented, as well as severely plain 1930's Art Moderne and International Style buildings. [http://www.cityscapedetroit.org/historic_districts.php DETROIT HISTORIC DISTRICS] from CityScape Detroit]

External links

* [http://www.1001covington.com/ 1001 Covington,] an Albert Kahn-designed building.

References