The Warren-Prentis Historic District is a historic district

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

 in Detroit, Michigan

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"....

, including the east-west streets of Prentis, Forest, Hancock, and the south side of Warren, running from Woodward Avenue on the east to Third Avenue on the west. The district was 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 1997.

The district includes residential, commercial, institutional, religious and other buildings, and the majority of the pre-1930s building stock remains.

History

The land included in the Warren-Prentis Historic District was originally the Park Lots, the Cass Farm, and the Jones/Crane Farm; these parcels were subdivided in the late 19th century. Due in part to the large lot sizes and trhe streetcar lines along Woodward and Third, the district became popular with upper-class Detroit businessmen and professionals moving away from downtown. A number of these citizens moved into the area in the period between 1880 and 1895, commissioning residences.

In the late 1880s, apartment living became more popular, and the construction of duplexes and small apartments increased while the construction of single-family homes dropped off. Commercial development in the area increased in the early 20th century, peaking in the years between 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...

 and the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

.

The area declined during the Depression, as the larger single-family homes became too costly to keep up. These homes were divided into rental units, and the area was fully utilized during the boom years of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. The area again began declining after the war, but in the 1990s signs of revival have been evident, as the nearby Wayne State University

Wayne State University

Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...

 and the Detroit Medical Center

Detroit Medical Center

The Detroit Medical Center, located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has more than 2,000 licensed beds, 3,000 affiliated physicians and over 12,000 employees. The DMC is the affiliated clinical research site for medical program at Wayne State University...

 draw people to the area.

Structures

There are 108 individual historic structures in the Warren-Prentis Historic District. These include some buildings of individual historical significance:

• Perry McAdow House
  Perry McAdow House
  The Perry McAdow House is a Renaissance Revival house, built in 1891 and located at 4605 Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.- History :...
  
   (4605 Cass Avenue, at Prentis)
• William C. Boydell House
  William C. Boydell House
  The William C. Boydell House is a double house located at 4614 Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.- History :...
  
   (4614 Cass Avenue, at Prentis)
• Thompson Home (School of Social Work)
  Thompson Home
  The Thompson Home is a Victorian structure located at 4756 Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Originally the Thompson Home for Old Ladies, it was constructed in 1884, designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.- History :David...
  
   (4756 Cass Avenue, at Hancock)
• George W. Loomer House
  George W. Loomer House
  The George W. Loomer House is a private residence located at 71 W. Hancock Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.- History :...
  
   (71 W. Hancock Avenue)
• Mulford T. Hunter House
  Mulford T. Hunter House
  The Mulford T. Hunter House is a private residence located at 77 W. Hancock Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.- History :...
  
   (77 W. Hancock Avenue)
• Mackenzie House
  Wayne State University Buildings
  The Wayne State University Buildings historic district consists of three buildings on 4735-4841 Cass Ave in Detroit, Michigan: the Mackenzie House , the Hilberry Theater , and Old Main , all on the campus of Wayne State University...
  
   (4735 Cass Avenue)
• First Church of Christ, Scientist (Hilberry Theater)
  Wayne State University Buildings
  The Wayne State University Buildings historic district consists of three buildings on 4735-4841 Cass Ave in Detroit, Michigan: the Mackenzie House , the Hilberry Theater , and Old Main , all on the campus of Wayne State University...
  
   (4743 Cass Avenue, at Hancock)
• Central High School (Old Main)
  Old Main (Wayne State University)
  Old Main is an academic building on the campus of Wayne State University. It is located at 4841 Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan on Wayne's main campus.-Location:...
  
  (4841 Cass Avenue, at Hancock)