Corktown, Detroit
Encyclopedia
Corktown is the oldest neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan
, although the city of Detroit is twice as old. The current boundaries of the current district include I-75
to the north, the Lodge Freeway
to the east, Bagley and Porter streets to the south, and Rosa Parks Boulevard (12th Street) to the west. The neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The Corktown Historic District is largely residential, although some commercial properties along Michigan Avenue are included in the district.
By the Civil War
, German
immigrants had begun making inroads into the Corktown neighborhood. By the turn of the century, the original Irish population had diffused through the city, and other immigrants, notably Mexican
and Maltese
, moved in. As the century progressed, southern migrants in the U.S. lured by the jobs in the automobile industry followed suit.
By the middle of the 20th century, the size of Corktown was reduced through revitization, the building of light industrial facilities, and the creation of the Lodge Freeway.
The residential section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a City of Detroit Historic District. The neighborhood contains many newer homes and retains some original Irish businesses.
detached homes and rowhouses built by Irish settlers. A worker's row house circa 1840 is located on Sixth Street and is one of the oldest existing structures in the city of Detroit. In further years, modestly sized Victorian townhouses
with Italianate, Gothic, and Queen Anne elements were constructed.
. Residents are zoned to Owen at Pelham and King 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"....
, although the city of Detroit is twice as old. The current boundaries of the current district include I-75
Interstate 75 in Michigan
Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...
to the north, the Lodge Freeway
M-10 (Michigan highway)
M-10, is a state trunkline route in the US state of Michigan. The southernmost portion follows Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit, and the southern terminus is at the intersection of Jefferson and Randolph Street leading to the entrance to the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel...
to the east, Bagley and Porter streets to the south, and Rosa Parks Boulevard (12th Street) to the west. The neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The Corktown Historic District is largely residential, although some commercial properties along Michigan Avenue are included in the district.
History
The roots of Corktown lie in the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. The Irish immigrated to the United States in droves, and by the middle of the 19th century, they were the largest ethnic group settling in Detroit. Many of these newcomers settled on the west side of the city; they were primarily from County Cork, and thus the neighborhood came to be known as Corktown. By the early 1850's, half of the population of the 8th Ward (which contained Corktown) were of Irish descent. Historically, the neighborhood was roughly bounded by Third Street to the east, Grand River Avenue to the north, 12th Street to the west, and Jefferson Avenue/Detroit River to the south.By the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
immigrants had begun making inroads into the Corktown neighborhood. By the turn of the century, the original Irish population had diffused through the city, and other immigrants, notably Mexican
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
and Maltese
Maltese American
Maltese American is a citizen or resident of the United States with ethnic origins in the southern European nation of Malta.-History:The first immigrants from Malta in the United States arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana. Many Americans assumed Malta was part of Italy. In some cases "Born Malta,...
, moved in. As the century progressed, southern migrants in the U.S. lured by the jobs in the automobile industry followed suit.
By the middle of the 20th century, the size of Corktown was reduced through revitization, the building of light industrial facilities, and the creation of the Lodge Freeway.
The residential section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a City of Detroit Historic District. The neighborhood contains many newer homes and retains some original Irish businesses.
Architecture
The original buildings in Corktown are Federal-styleFederal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
detached homes and rowhouses built by Irish settlers. A worker's row house circa 1840 is located on Sixth Street and is one of the oldest existing structures in the city of Detroit. In further years, modestly sized Victorian townhouses
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
with Italianate, Gothic, and Queen Anne elements were constructed.
Education
Residents are zoned to 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...
. Residents are zoned to Owen at Pelham and King High School.