Boston-Edison Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Boston-Edison Historic District is a historic neighborhood located in the geographic center of Detroit, Michigan
. It consists of over 900 homes built on four east/west streets: West Boston Boulevard, Chicago Boulevard, Longfellow Avenue, and Edison Avenue, stretching from Woodward Avenue on the east to Linwood Avenue on the west. It is one of the largest residential historic districts in the nation. It is surrounded by Sacred Heart Major Seminary
to the west, the Arden Park-East Boston Historic District and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
to the east, and the Atkinson Avenue Historic District
to the south. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
and Dizzy Trout
, Michigan Supreme Court justices Franz C. Kuhn
and Henry Butzel, U.S. Representative Vincent M. Brennan
, and Michigan governor Harry Kelly
.
Other notable residents of the neighborhood have included boxer Joe Louis
, druggist Sidney Barthwell, Congressman Charles C. Diggs, Jr., Motown record label owner Berry Gordy
, Detroit Tiger Willie Horton
, and dentist and pioneering WCHB
radio station owner Wendell F. Cox
The District boasts the oldest continuous neighborhood association in the City, the Historic Boston-Edison Association, which was founded in 1921. The District received historic designation from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office in 1973, the Detroit Historic District Commission in 1974, and the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975.
Census data from 2000
(which includes the surrounding streets of Atkinson, Clairmount, and Glynn Court) show Boston-Edison has both African-American and Caucasian
residents. The homes are owned by people from diverse occupations and professions.
(who was granted a single parcel in 1822) and Thomas Palmer (who was granted three parcels in 1828 and 1832). These original four grants were transferred from owner to owner over the next fifty years until they were obtained by the Joy family, the Newberry family, and Edward W. Voigt.
In 1891, Voigt, foreseeing the growth of Detroit northward, platted out the Voigt Park subdivision, consisting of seven east/west streets between Woodward and Hamilton—those being Calvert Avenue, Glynn Court, Schiller Esplanade, Shakespeare Esplanade, Longfellow Avenue, Edison Avenue, and Atkinson Avenue. Four of these streets—Schiller Esplanade (now Boston Boulevard), Shakespeare Esplanade (now Chicago Boulevard), Longfellow Avenue, and Edison Avenue—formed the Boston-Edison neighborhood. The location of the neighborhood park—originally to have been between Chicago and Boston Boulevards—was later changed to be situated between Longfellow and Edison Avenues.
Voigt Park subdivision was immediately incorporated into the City of Detroit. Voigt platted spacious lots and set building restrictions that established the unique character of the neighborhood. His vision was followed by Truman and John Newberry, who platted the West Boston Boulevard Subdivision between Hamilton and 12th Street (now "Rosa Parks Boulevard") in 1913. The subdivision included lots on West Boston, Chicago, Longfellow, and Edison, as well as on Atkinson to the south. In 1915, Henry B. Joy platted the Joy Farms Subdivision between 12th Street and Linwood. This subdivision included lots on the same seven streets originally platted by Voigt. Both of these subdivisions were annexed by the City of Detroit by 1915.
The first homes built in the Boston-Edison Historic District were occupied in 1905, with the majority of the homes built between 1905 and 1925. Each of the homes in the neighborhood is unique. Architectural styles represented include English Tudor revival, Roman and Greek Revival, French Provincial, Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance, Prairie Style, and Vernacular
. These homes range in size from modest two-story vernaculars to massive mansions set on sprawling grounds. Although the homes are unique in style, homes along the streetscape are generally uniform in roofline, scale, setback from the street, and in the use of stone, brick or wood construction. This uniformity creates a gracious suburban ambiance.
One of the earliest residents of the Boston-Edison neighborhood, Henry Ford
, was also one of the most well-known. In 1907, Ford had a brick and limestone Italian Renaissance Revival residence built at the corner of Edison and Second for a cost $483,253. Henry and his wife, Clara, moved in the next year, living in the neighborhood until 1915, when they relocated to Fair Lane
, their estate in Dearborn
. During the time that Ford lived in Boston-Edison, his introduction of the Model T, mass production
methods, and wage-price theories revolutionized American industry. Above the garage (behind the house), Henry built a machine shop for his son Edsel
to support and encourage Edsel's interest in automobile design. A State of Michigan Historical Marker, describing the history and significance of the home, is located on the front lawn.
Henry Ford was only the first of many automotive pioneers to live in the Boston-Edison community. Ford's early business partners and Ford Motor Company
stockholders James Couzens and Horace Rackham
also built homes near Ford's in Boston-Edison. (Two other Ford stockholders, John Dodge
, and Alexander Y. Malcomson
, lived in the adjoining Arden Park-East Boston neighborhood.) They were followed by other early and important Ford collaborators such as Peter E. Martin
, C. Harold Wills, and Clarence W. Avery
. In addition, other early automobile pioneers such as Walter Briggs, Sr. of Briggs Manufacturing Co, four of the Fisher brothers (of Fisher Body
), Charles Lambert of Regal Motor Car Co., John W. Drake of Hupp Motor Car Co.
, and William E. Metzger
of Cadillac
and E-M-F
. likewise built homes in Boston-Edison.
Other prominent Detroit businessmen lived in Boston-Edison during the early years of the neighborhood, including Sebastian S. Kresge (founder of the S.S. Kresge Company—later Kmart
), Benjamin Siegel (founder of a major early clothing store), and J. L. Webber (nephew of J. L. Hudson). Other notable early residents included conductor Ossip Gabrilowitsch
and his wife Clara Clemens
, Detroit Tigers
owner Frank Navin
, Detroit Tigers player Ty Cobb
(on nearby Atkinson Avenue at Third), historian Clarence M. Burton
, and Rabbi Leo M. Franklin
.
During the early history of Boston-Edison, four factors influenced the character of the community. First was a tendency for employees and business associates to live in a cluster, as early associates of Henry Ford did. In addition, six employees of S.S. Kresge lived in the neighborhood. Secondly, was the tendency of several family members to live in close range. In addition to the four Fisher brothers (a fifth brother, Frederic, lived in the adjacent Arden Park-East Boston neighborhood), a number of Benjamin Siegel's relatives lived in the neighborhood, as did a number of Wagner family members (owners of Wagner's bakery). A third factor was the construction of Henry Ford Hospital
in 1915, only a mile south of the neighborhood. Twenty-three physicians built homes in Boston-Edison.
district. Durfee, Loving, and Thirkell elementary schools serve separate sections of the neighborhood. As to middle schools, some residents are zoned to Hutchins while others are zoned to Durfee. All residents are zoned to Central High School
.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It consists of over 900 homes built on four east/west streets: West Boston Boulevard, Chicago Boulevard, Longfellow Avenue, and Edison Avenue, stretching from Woodward Avenue on the east to Linwood Avenue on the west. It is one of the largest residential historic districts in the nation. It is surrounded by Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a Catholic institution of higher learning associated with the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is located at 2701 West Chicago Boulevard, at the western edge of the Boston-Edison Historic District in Detroit, Michigan. In 2006-2007, 93 seminarians and over 400 lay...
to the west, the Arden Park-East Boston Historic District and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament is a decorated Gothic Revival style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit...
to the east, and the Atkinson Avenue Historic District
Atkinson Avenue Historic District
Atkinson Avenue is an east/west street located in the geographic heart of the city of Detroit, Michigan.Atkinson Avenue was named in honor of William Francis Atkinson. Held prisoner by the Confederacy, Atkinson courageously escaped and rose to the rank of captain before leaving the service in 1886....
to the south. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Description
A substantial number of prominent Detroiters have lived in the neighborhood. Notable residents have included labor leader Walter P. Reuther, Rabbi Morris Adler, Detroit Tigers Harry HeilmannHarry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann , nicknamed “Slug,” was a Major League Baseball player who played 17 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952.Heilmann was a line drive hitter who won four American League batting crowns: in 1921, 1923, 1925 and...
and Dizzy Trout
Dizzy Trout
Paul Howard "Dizzy" Trout was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily for the Detroit Tigers. Born in Sandcut, Indiana, he first played professionally in 1935 with the Terre Haute Tots in the Three-I League before signing with Detroit in 1939.Trout played for the Tigers for fourteen seasons,...
, Michigan Supreme Court justices Franz C. Kuhn
Franz C. Kuhn
Franz C. Kuhn was born in Detroit on February 8, 1872. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he began practicing law in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. He was elected Macomb County prosecuting attorney in 1898. He also was a probate judge and became the Michigan Attorney General in 1910. In...
and Henry Butzel, U.S. Representative Vincent M. Brennan
Vincent M. Brennan
Vincent Morrison Brennan was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Brennan was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan and moved with his parents to Detroit in 1895. He graduated from SS...
, and Michigan governor Harry Kelly
Harry Kelly (politician)
Harry Francis Kelly was an American politician. He served as the 39th Governor of Michigan from 1943 to 1947.- Early life :...
.
Other notable residents of the neighborhood have included boxer Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
, druggist Sidney Barthwell, Congressman Charles C. Diggs, Jr., Motown record label owner Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
, Detroit Tiger Willie Horton
Willie Horton (baseball player)
Willie Wattison Horton is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for six American League teams, primarily the Detroit Tigers. He hit 20 or more home runs seven times, and his 325 career home runs ranked sixth among AL right-handed hitters when he retired...
, and dentist and pioneering WCHB
WCHB
WCHB is an American AM radio station licensed to Taylor, Michigan, at 1200 kHz, and serving the Detroit market. Owned by Radio One, WCHB identifies as NewsTalk 1200 WCHB and airs a News/Talk format.-AM 1440 WCHB:...
radio station owner Wendell F. Cox
The District boasts the oldest continuous neighborhood association in the City, the Historic Boston-Edison Association, which was founded in 1921. The District received historic designation from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office in 1973, the Detroit Historic District Commission in 1974, and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975.
Census data from 2000
(which includes the surrounding streets of Atkinson, Clairmount, and Glynn Court) show Boston-Edison has both African-American and Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
residents. The homes are owned by people from diverse occupations and professions.
Architecture
| Name | Image | Year | Location | Style | Architect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter O. Briggs House |  |
1915 | 700 West Boston Boulevard | English Manor style. | Chittenden and Kotting | This house was built for Walter O. Briggs, the founder of Briggs Manufacturing, a car-body manufacturing firm, and owner of the Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant... . The house is constructed from light-colored fieldstone. |
| James Couzens House |  |
1910 | 610 Longfellow Avenue | Tudor Revival | Albert Kahn | This house was built for James Couzens, who was at the time a major shareholder in the immensely profitable Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... . After leaving Ford Motor company, James Couzens entered public service, becoming the mayor of Detroit and later a U. S. Senator. His son, Frank Couzens, also served as mayor of Detroit and lived in this house. |
| Charles T. Fisher House |  |
1922 | 670 West Boston Boulevard | Tudor Revival | George D. Mason George D. Mason George DeWitt Mason was an American architect who practiced in Detroit, Michigan in the latter part of the 19th and early decades of the 20th centuries.Mason was born in Syracuse, New York , the son of James H. and Zelda E. Mason... |
This house was built for Charles T. Fisher Charles T. Fisher Charles Thomas Fisher was a Catholic American businessman and an automotive pioneer.Born in Norwalk, Ohio, Charles was the second son of Lawrence and Margaret Fisher. The family would grow to include seven boys and four girls... , the president of Fisher Body Fisher Body Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company... corporation. It is the largest house in the Boston-Edison Historic District at 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²). |
| Henry Ford House |  |
1908 | 140 Edison Avenue | Italian Renaissance Revival | Malcomson, Higginbottom and Clement | This house was built for Henry Ford Henry Ford Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry... and his wife Clara, in the same year that the Model T went into production at the nearby Piquette Avenue Ford Plant Piquette Plant The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is located at 411 Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, within the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District. It was the second home of Ford Motor Company automobile production... . The Fords lived here until 1914, when their Fair Lane Fair Lane Fair Lane was the name of the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife Clara Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. It was named after an area in County Cork in Ireland where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born... estate in Dearborn was completed. A state of Michigan Historical marker is placed in front of this house. |
| Berry Gordy House |  |
1917 | 918 West Boston Boulevard | Italian Renaissance Revival | Originally built in 1917 for Nels Michalson, a Danish businessman who made his fortune in timber and real estate, the 8000 sq ft (743.2 m²). mansion was purchased in 1967 by Berry Gordy Berry Gordy Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:... , the founder of Motown Records Motown Records Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit... . It is also known as Motown Mansion. |
|
| S. S. Kresge House |  |
1914 | 70 West Boston Boulevard | Mediterranean villa | Meade and Hamilton | This house was built for Sebastian S. Kresge, the founder of S. S. Kresge Company, the precursor to K-Mart. The stucco house is situated on the largest lot in the Boston-Edison neighborhood. |
| Benjamin Siegel House |  |
1914 | 150 West Boston Boulevard | Italian Renaissance | Albert Kahn | This house was built for Benjamin Siegel, the founder of a large women's clothing store. It is built entirely of limestone, maintaining a strict sense of symmetry. |
History
The land now within the boundaries of Boston-Edison was first owned by John R. WilliamsJohn R. Williams
John R Williams was an American soldier, merchant, and politician who is most well known for serving as the first mayor of Detroit, Michigan. In total, he served as Detroit's mayor for five other terms...
(who was granted a single parcel in 1822) and Thomas Palmer (who was granted three parcels in 1828 and 1832). These original four grants were transferred from owner to owner over the next fifty years until they were obtained by the Joy family, the Newberry family, and Edward W. Voigt.
In 1891, Voigt, foreseeing the growth of Detroit northward, platted out the Voigt Park subdivision, consisting of seven east/west streets between Woodward and Hamilton—those being Calvert Avenue, Glynn Court, Schiller Esplanade, Shakespeare Esplanade, Longfellow Avenue, Edison Avenue, and Atkinson Avenue. Four of these streets—Schiller Esplanade (now Boston Boulevard), Shakespeare Esplanade (now Chicago Boulevard), Longfellow Avenue, and Edison Avenue—formed the Boston-Edison neighborhood. The location of the neighborhood park—originally to have been between Chicago and Boston Boulevards—was later changed to be situated between Longfellow and Edison Avenues.
Voigt Park subdivision was immediately incorporated into the City of Detroit. Voigt platted spacious lots and set building restrictions that established the unique character of the neighborhood. His vision was followed by Truman and John Newberry, who platted the West Boston Boulevard Subdivision between Hamilton and 12th Street (now "Rosa Parks Boulevard") in 1913. The subdivision included lots on West Boston, Chicago, Longfellow, and Edison, as well as on Atkinson to the south. In 1915, Henry B. Joy platted the Joy Farms Subdivision between 12th Street and Linwood. This subdivision included lots on the same seven streets originally platted by Voigt. Both of these subdivisions were annexed by the City of Detroit by 1915.
The first homes built in the Boston-Edison Historic District were occupied in 1905, with the majority of the homes built between 1905 and 1925. Each of the homes in the neighborhood is unique. Architectural styles represented include English Tudor revival, Roman and Greek Revival, French Provincial, Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance, Prairie Style, and Vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
. These homes range in size from modest two-story vernaculars to massive mansions set on sprawling grounds. Although the homes are unique in style, homes along the streetscape are generally uniform in roofline, scale, setback from the street, and in the use of stone, brick or wood construction. This uniformity creates a gracious suburban ambiance.
Original residents
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, was also one of the most well-known. In 1907, Ford had a brick and limestone Italian Renaissance Revival residence built at the corner of Edison and Second for a cost $483,253. Henry and his wife, Clara, moved in the next year, living in the neighborhood until 1915, when they relocated to Fair Lane
Fair Lane
Fair Lane was the name of the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife Clara Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. It was named after an area in County Cork in Ireland where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born...
, their estate in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. During the time that Ford lived in Boston-Edison, his introduction of the Model T, mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
methods, and wage-price theories revolutionized American industry. Above the garage (behind the house), Henry built a machine shop for his son Edsel
Edsel Ford
Edsel Bryant Ford , son of Henry Ford, was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was president of Ford Motor Company from 1919 until his death in 1943.-Life and career:...
to support and encourage Edsel's interest in automobile design. A State of Michigan Historical Marker, describing the history and significance of the home, is located on the front lawn.
Henry Ford was only the first of many automotive pioneers to live in the Boston-Edison community. Ford's early business partners and Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
stockholders James Couzens and Horace Rackham
Horace Rackham
Horace H. Rackham was one of the original stockholders in the Ford Motor Company and a noted philanthropist.- Early Life and Ford :...
also built homes near Ford's in Boston-Edison. (Two other Ford stockholders, John Dodge
John Francis Dodge
John Francis Dodge was an American automobile manufacturing pioneer and co-founder of Dodge Brothers Company.-Biography:...
, and Alexander Y. Malcomson
Alexander Y. Malcomson
Alexander Y. Malcomson was a coal dealer from Detroit, Michigan who bankrolled Henry Ford's first successful foray into automobile manufacturing: the Ford Motor Company.- Early life :...
, lived in the adjoining Arden Park-East Boston neighborhood.) They were followed by other early and important Ford collaborators such as Peter E. Martin
Peter E. Martin
Peter Edmund Martin was a leading early production executive of the Ford Motor Company....
, C. Harold Wills, and Clarence W. Avery
Clarence W. Avery
Clarence Willard Avery was a driving force behind Ford Motor Company's moving assembly line, and was president and chairman of auto-body supplier Murray Corporation.- Early life :...
. In addition, other early automobile pioneers such as Walter Briggs, Sr. of Briggs Manufacturing Co, four of the Fisher brothers (of Fisher Body
Fisher Body
Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
), Charles Lambert of Regal Motor Car Co., John W. Drake of Hupp Motor Car Co.
Hupmobile
The Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1940 by the Hupp Motor Company, which was located at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Its first car, the Model 20, was introduced to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in February 1909...
, and William E. Metzger
William E. Metzger
William Ernest Metzger was an automotive pioneer and salesman from Detroit. He opened one of the first automobile dealerships in the United States, and participated in the early development of a number of early automobile companies, including the Cadillac Automobile Company and the E-M-F Company,...
of Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
and E-M-F
E-M-F Company
The E-M-F Company was an early American automobile manufacturer that produced automobiles from 1909 to 1912. The name E-M-F was gleaned from the initials of the three company founders: Barney Everitt , William Metzger , and Walter Flanders .- Everitt...
. likewise built homes in Boston-Edison.
Other prominent Detroit businessmen lived in Boston-Edison during the early years of the neighborhood, including Sebastian S. Kresge (founder of the S.S. Kresge Company—later Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
), Benjamin Siegel (founder of a major early clothing store), and J. L. Webber (nephew of J. L. Hudson). Other notable early residents included conductor Ossip Gabrilowitsch
Ossip Gabrilowitsch
Ossip Gabrilowitsch was a Russian-born American pianist, conductor and composer.- Biography :...
and his wife Clara Clemens
Clara Clemens
Clara Langhorne Clemens Samossoud, formerly Clara Langhorne Clemens Gabrilowitsch , was the daughter of Samuel Clemens, who wrote as Mark Twain. She was a contralto concert singer and, as her father's only surviving daughter, managed his estate and guarded his legacy after his death.She was...
, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
owner Frank Navin
Frank Navin
Francis Joseph Navin was the principal owner of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball for 27 years, from 1909 to 1935. He also served as vice president and acting president of the American League....
, Detroit Tigers player Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
(on nearby Atkinson Avenue at Third), historian Clarence M. Burton
Clarence M. Burton
Clarence Monroe Burton was a Detroit lawyer and businessman, historian, and philanthropist.- Early years :...
, and Rabbi Leo M. Franklin
Leo M. Franklin
Leo Morris Franklin was an influential rabbi from Detroit, who headed that city's Temple Beth El from 1899 to 1941.- Early life :...
.
During the early history of Boston-Edison, four factors influenced the character of the community. First was a tendency for employees and business associates to live in a cluster, as early associates of Henry Ford did. In addition, six employees of S.S. Kresge lived in the neighborhood. Secondly, was the tendency of several family members to live in close range. In addition to the four Fisher brothers (a fifth brother, Frederic, lived in the adjacent Arden Park-East Boston neighborhood), a number of Benjamin Siegel's relatives lived in the neighborhood, as did a number of Wagner family members (owners of Wagner's bakery). A third factor was the construction of Henry Ford Hospital
Henry Ford Hospital
Henry Ford Hospital, the flagship facility for , is an 805-bed tertiary care hospital, education and research complex located in Detroit ....
in 1915, only a mile south of the neighborhood. Twenty-three physicians built homes in Boston-Edison.
Education
Residents are zoned to schools in the Detroit Public SchoolsDetroit Public Schools
Detroit Public Schools is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The student population of the Detroit Public Schools is about 65,971 , which is down about 9.7% from the previous school year. Detroit Public Charter Schools educate an additional 56,000...
district. Durfee, Loving, and Thirkell elementary schools serve separate sections of the neighborhood. As to middle schools, some residents are zoned to Hutchins while others are zoned to Durfee. All residents are zoned to Central High School
Central High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Central High School is the oldest secondary school in Detroit, Michigan; it is staffed and operated by the Detroit Public Schools.-History:In 1858, Detroit's first high school opened on Miami Avenue. By 1863, due to increased enrollment, the school was moved to a building that had formerly housed...
.
External links
- Historic Boston-Edison Association: neighborhood website
- Photos from Detroit Rising
- Photos from National Scenic Byways