East Ferry Avenue Historic District
Encyclopedia
The East Ferry Avenue Historic District is a historic residential district in Detroit, Michigan
. The nationally-designated historic district stretches two blocks from Woodward Avenue east to Brush; the locally-designated historic district includes a third block between Brush and Beaubien. The district includes the separately-designated Col. Frank J. Hecker House
and the Charles Lang Freer House
. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
In 1856, the Ferry Seed Company was founded in Detroit; they established a large farm was at the corner of East Ferry and Woodward to grow the seeds that were sold nationwide. (Although no longer in Detroit, the company still exists as the Ferry-Morse Seed Company
.) In the mid-1880s, then-owner D. M. Ferry platted the farm into residential lots along East Ferry Avenue. At the time Woodward was an upscale residential street, so lots facing Woodward were quite expensive (as is the Col. Frank J. Hecker House
, on Woodward and Ferry). Lots on the side streets were less expensive, and East Ferry was quickly settled by prosperous middle and upper middle class Detroit residents. Prominent early residents of the district include Col. Frank J. Hecker
, colonel in the Union Army and founder of the Peninsular Car Company
; Charles Lang Freer
, Hecker's partner and noted art collector; William A. Pungs, founder of the Anderson Carriage Company; Herman Roehm, co-owner of Roehm and Weston hardware store; John Scott, a prominent architect; and Samuel A. Sloman, of M. Sloman & Co. furrier.
Woodward Avenue since redeveloped into primarily commercial property, but a group of mansions and upscale housing on East Ferry survives. Around World War I
, a number of professionals and business people found they could purchase homes on East Ferry. The Omega Psi Phi
fraternity and the Lewis College of Business
still remain on East Ferry. After World War II, the Merrill Palmer Institute (housed in the Charles Lang Freer House
) purchased several homes along East Ferry, hoping to expand their operations. However, Merrill Palmer was unable to expand and in the late 1960s sold the homes to the Detroit Institute of Arts
for their proposed expansion. The DIA eventually realized the property on East Ferry would not be useful to them, and re-sold them in the mid-1990s.
Four of these homes were turned into The Inn on Ferry Street, a successful bed and breakfast
, others are now residential. Recently, new homes have been constructed in the neighborhood, architecturally congruent with the designs of the 19th century homes already there.
homes, built of brick and sandstone, with bay windows or turrets and wide front porches. There are some Romanesque Revival, and Colonial Revival designs. Homes on East Ferry are some of the best current examples of residential commissions from Detroit’s leading 19th century architects, including John Scott, Louis Kamper
, Malcomson and Higginbotham
, Rogers and McFarlane, Mortimer Smith, Donaldson and Meier
, Joseph E. Mills, A. E. Harley, and Smith, Hinchman & Grylls.
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"....
. The nationally-designated historic district stretches two blocks from Woodward Avenue east to Brush; the locally-designated historic district includes a third block between Brush and Beaubien. The district includes the separately-designated Col. Frank J. Hecker House
Col. Frank J. Hecker House
The Col. Frank J. Hecker House is located at 5510 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The mansion serves as the Royal Danish Consulate in Detroit. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.-Col. Hecker:Col. Frank J...
and the Charles Lang Freer House
Charles Lang Freer House
The Charles Lang Freer House is located at 71 East Ferry Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Originally built by the industrialist and art collector Charles Lang Freer whose gift of the Freer Gallery of Art began the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The house is currently the Merrill Palmer...
. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976 and listed on 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 1980.
History
Ferry-Morse Seed Company
The Ferry-Morse Seed Company is a supplier of seeds, and was at one time the largest such company in the world. It is currently part of Jiffy International.-D.M. Ferry & Co.:...
.) In the mid-1880s, then-owner D. M. Ferry platted the farm into residential lots along East Ferry Avenue. At the time Woodward was an upscale residential street, so lots facing Woodward were quite expensive (as is the Col. Frank J. Hecker House
Col. Frank J. Hecker House
The Col. Frank J. Hecker House is located at 5510 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The mansion serves as the Royal Danish Consulate in Detroit. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.-Col. Hecker:Col. Frank J...
, on Woodward and Ferry). Lots on the side streets were less expensive, and East Ferry was quickly settled by prosperous middle and upper middle class Detroit residents. Prominent early residents of the district include Col. Frank J. Hecker
Frank J. Hecker
Frank J. Hecker was an American railroad-car manufacturer from Detroit, Michigan-Early life:Frank J. Hecker was born in Freedom, Michigan on July 6, 1846. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1859, where Frank was educated...
, colonel in the Union Army and founder of the Peninsular Car Company
Peninsular Car Company
The Peninsular Car Company was a railroad rolling stock manufacturer, founded by Charles L. Freer and Frank J. Hecker in 1885.In 1892, the company merged with Michigan Car Company, the Russel Wheel and Foundry Company, the Detroit Car Wheel Company and several smaller manufacturers to form the...
; Charles Lang Freer
Charles Lang Freer
Charles Lang Freer was an American railroad-car manufacturer from Detroit, Michigan who gave to the United States his art collections and funds for a building to house them. The Freer Gallery of Art founded by him is part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C..-Early life:Freer was...
, Hecker's partner and noted art collector; William A. Pungs, founder of the Anderson Carriage Company; Herman Roehm, co-owner of Roehm and Weston hardware store; John Scott, a prominent architect; and Samuel A. Sloman, of M. Sloman & Co. furrier.
Woodward Avenue since redeveloped into primarily commercial property, but a group of mansions and upscale housing on East Ferry survives. Around World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a number of professionals and business people found they could purchase homes on East Ferry. The Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
fraternity and the Lewis College of Business
Lewis College of Business
Lewis College of Business is an unaccredited institution of higher education in Detroit, Michigan in the United States. It is also the first historically black college in Michigan. Founded in 1928, it currently has about 300 students. It specializes in business-related topics.-References:...
still remain on East Ferry. After World War II, the Merrill Palmer Institute (housed in the Charles Lang Freer House
Charles Lang Freer House
The Charles Lang Freer House is located at 71 East Ferry Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Originally built by the industrialist and art collector Charles Lang Freer whose gift of the Freer Gallery of Art began the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The house is currently the Merrill Palmer...
) purchased several homes along East Ferry, hoping to expand their operations. However, Merrill Palmer was unable to expand and in the late 1960s sold the homes to the Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
for their proposed expansion. The DIA eventually realized the property on East Ferry would not be useful to them, and re-sold them in the mid-1990s.
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
, others are now residential. Recently, new homes have been constructed in the neighborhood, architecturally congruent with the designs of the 19th century homes already there.
Architecture
Houses on East Ferry are built close together on small lots, set back from the street. Many of the matching carriage houses still exist. In general, the neighborhood consists of Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
homes, built of brick and sandstone, with bay windows or turrets and wide front porches. There are some Romanesque Revival, and Colonial Revival designs. Homes on East Ferry are some of the best current examples of residential commissions from Detroit’s leading 19th century architects, including John Scott, Louis Kamper
Louis Kamper
Louis Kamper was an American architect, active in and aroundDetroit and Wayne County, Michigan, in the United States.-Project range:...
, Malcomson and Higginbotham
Malcomson and Higginbotham
Malcomson and Higginbotham was an architectural firm started in the nineteenth century and based in Detroit, Michigan. A successor firm, Malcomson-Greimel and Associates still exists in Rochester, Michigan as of 2010.-History:...
, Rogers and McFarlane, Mortimer Smith, Donaldson and Meier
Donaldson and Meier
Donaldson and Meier was an architectural firm based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1880 by John Donaldson and Henry J. Meier the firm produced a large and varied number of commissions in Detroit and southeastern Michigan...
, Joseph E. Mills, A. E. Harley, and Smith, Hinchman & Grylls.
External links
- East Ferry Avenue Historic District from the Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS MI-311
- The Inn on Ferry Street
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
- Ferry-Morse Seed Company