Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to 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...

. It includes the Book-Cadillac Hotel

Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel

The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a restored historic skyscraper hotel In the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and constructed as the Book-Cadillac, it is part of Westin Hotels and embodies Neo-Classical elements and...

, the Book Tower

Book Tower

Book Tower is a , 38-story skyscraper in the Washington Boulevard Historic District of Detroit, Michigan. Construction began on the Italian Renaissance-style building in 1916 as an addition to the original Book Building and finished a decade later...

, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments

Industrial-Stevens Apartments

The Industrial-Stevens Apartments is a high-rise built in 1928 in the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 1410 Washington Boulevard, and occupies the building block bordered by West Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard. The residential...

, and Washington Square (Trolley Plaza)

Washington Square (Detroit)

Washington Square is a high-rise in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1981, the residential building stands 28 stories tall. The building is located at 1431 Washington Boulevard and occupies the block bordered by Clifford Street, Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard...

 among other architecturally significant buildings. Washington Boulevard is among the city's main boulevards and part of Augustus Woodward's design for the city in 1807.

The street was broadened and ornamented in the early part of the twentieth century. The development was inspired by the City Beautiful movement and financed by J. Burgess Book Jr. and designed by Louis Kamper

Louis Kamper

Louis Kamper was an American architect, active in and aroundDetroit and Wayne County, Michigan, in the United States.-Project range:...

. It was to resemble New York's Fifth Avenue and European boulevards. A sculpture lined park between two one-way streets decorated a shopping district and upscale residential neighborhood. Edward H. Bennett

Edward H. Bennett

Edward Herbert Bennett was an architect and city planner best known for his co-authorship of the 1909 Plan of Chicago.-Biography:Bennett was born in Bristol, England in 1874, and later moved to San Francisco with his family...

, a well known master planner, turned Washington Boulevard into a Beaux-Arts streetscape.

In the late 1970s, Washington Boulevard was redesigned with an urban pedestrian mall that included new sculptures and an amphitheater. It has since been restored to its original plan.

Buildings

This list below shows the information on the buildings located along Washington Boulevard. This list starts at the Detroit River

Detroit River

The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...

 (south end), and heads northbound, terminating at Grand Circus Park

Grand Circus Park (Detroit)

Grand Circus Park Historic District contains the Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan that connects the theatre district with its financial center. It is bisected by Woodward Avenue, four blocks north of Campus Martius Park, and is roughly bounded by Clifford, John R. and Adams...

.

Address	Building Name		Building use	Year Built	Architectural Style Architecture Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...	Floors	Notes
	West side of street	East side of street
Detroit River Detroit River The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
Civic Center Drive
1 Washington Boulevard	Cobo Hall Cobo Hall Gavin Hamilton memorial arena is a major convention center situated along Jefferson Ave. in downtown Detroit, Michigan, USA. It was named for Albert E. Cobo, mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. Designed by Gino Rossetti, opened in 1960. Expanded in 1989, the present complex contains of exhibition...		Convention center Convention center A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...	1960	modern Modern architecture Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...	5
2 Washington Boulevard		Detroit Riverside Hotel	Hotel	1965	Modern Modern architecture Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...	25	Stands on the site of Fort Pontchartrain
West Larned Street
250 West Larned	Detroit Fire Department Headquarters		Government (Fire Department)	1929		5
243 West Congress Street		Marquette Building	Government and commercial	1905	Chicago school Chicago school (architecture) Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...	10	Houses offices for the Michigan Secretary of State Michigan Secretary of State The Secretary of State is the third-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. As the name implies, the officeholder was originally responsible for much of state government, but now the duties are similar to those of the other 47 secretaries of states...
West Congress Street
211 West Fort Street Fort Street Fort Street may refer to:*Fort Street, North Point, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong*Fort Street , a Michigan highway*Fort Street High School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia*Fort Street Mall, Downtown Honolulu, Hawaiij...		211 West Fort Street 211 West Fort Street 211 West Fort Street is a skyscraper in Detroit, Michigan. Standing at 27 stories, construction began in 1961 and it was occupied in 1963. The building stands at the southeast corner of Fort Street and Washington Boulevard...	Office building	1963	Modern Modern architecture Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...	27
West Fort Street Fort Street Fort Street may refer to:*Fort Street, North Point, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong*Fort Street , a Michigan highway*Fort Street High School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia*Fort Street Mall, Downtown Honolulu, Hawaiij...
231 West Lafayette Street		Theodore Levin United States Courthouse Theodore Levin United States Courthouse The Theodore Levin United States Courthouse is a large high-rise courthouse and office building located at 231 West Lafayette Boulevard in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building is named after the late Theodore Levin, a lawyer and United States District Court judge...	Court House	1934	Art Deco Art Deco Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and... /Moderne]]	10
321 West Lafayette Street	Detroit Free Press Building Detroit Free Press Building The Detroit Free Press Building is a building designed by architect Albert Kahn and constructed in downtown Detroit, Michigan, in 1924 and completed a year later....		newspaper	1924	Art Deco Art Deco Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...	16	Connected via a walkway on the third and fourth floors to the adjacent Detroit Club Detroit Club The Detroit Club is a private social club located at 712 Cass Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building was constructed in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.- History :...
West Lafayette Street
1020 Washington Boulevard		Holiday Inn Express Detroit - Downtown	Hotel	1965	Modern Modern architecture Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...	17	Stands at the site of "219 Michigan Avenue", one of Detroit's first high-rise skyscrapers.
305 Michigan Avenue	Gabriel Richard Building					10	Offices for the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
Michigan Avenue Michigan Avenue Michigan Avenue may refer to:* Michigan Avenue * Michigan Avenue , a designation for much of both current and former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan...
1114 Washington Boulevard		Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a restored historic skyscraper hotel In the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and constructed as the Book-Cadillac, it is part of Westin Hotels and embodies Neo-Classical elements and...	Hotel	1928	Neo-Renaissance Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...	29	Reopened in October 2008
State Street
1265 Washington Boulevard	Book Tower Book Tower Book Tower is a , 38-story skyscraper in the Washington Boulevard Historic District of Detroit, Michigan. Construction began on the Italian Renaissance-style building in 1916 as an addition to the original Book Building and finished a decade later...		Offices	1926	Academic classicism	40
1234 Washington Boulevard		St. Aloysious Catholic Church and Chancery Building offices for the Archdiocese of Detroit.				7
234 State Street		Washington Boulevard Apartments	Apartment building	1922	Chicago school Chicago school (architecture) Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...	23
35 West Grand River Avenue Grand River Avenue US Highway 16 , also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16...		Clark Tower Lofts	Apartment building	1922	Chicago school Chicago school (architecture) Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...	10
Grand River Avenue Grand River Avenue US Highway 16 , also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16...
1410 Washington Boulevard		Industrial-Stevens Apartments Industrial-Stevens Apartments The Industrial-Stevens Apartments is a high-rise built in 1928 in the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 1410 Washington Boulevard, and occupies the building block bordered by West Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard. The residential...	Apartments	1929	Art Deco Art Deco Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and... /Moderne]]	22
1431 Washington Boulevard	Washington Square (Trolley Plaza) Washington Square (Detroit) Washington Square is a high-rise in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1981, the residential building stands 28 stories tall. The building is located at 1431 Washington Boulevard and occupies the block bordered by Clifford Street, Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard...		Apartment building, parking garage	1981	Modern Modern architecture Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...	23
Clifford Street/Clifford Road
1514 Washington Boulevard		Claridge Apartments	Apartment building	unknown	Unknown	7
1545 Woodward Avenue		Himmelhoch Apartments	Apartment building	1901	Neo-Renaissance Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...	8	The structure was originally built as an office and retail building and was later leased to upscale women's department store Himmelhoch Brothers from 1923 to 1977.
1539 Washington Boulevard	Detroit Statler Hotel Detroit Statler Hotel The Detroit Statler Hotel , a.k.a. the Detroit Hilton Hotel, was located at 1539 Washington Boulevard across from Grand Circus Park between the David Whitney Building and Hotel Tuller in the Foxtown neighborhood of downtown Detroit, Michigan...		Hotel, now vacant lot	1915	Georgian architecture Georgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United... , a subset of English Renaissance Revival	18	torn down in 2006
1553 Woodward Avenue		David Whitney Building David Whitney Building The David Whitney Building is a historic class-A skyscraper on the northern edge of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 1553 Woodward Avenue, adjacent to Grand Circus Park. The building stands on a wedge-shaped site at the junction of Park Avenue, Woodward Avenue, and Washington Boulevard....	Office tower	1915	Neo-Renaissance Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...	19	Currently vacant, awaiting renovation and occupation
Witherell Street
Grand Circus Park Grand Circus Park (Detroit) Grand Circus Park Historic District contains the Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan that connects the theatre district with its financial center. It is bisected by Woodward Avenue, four blocks north of Campus Martius Park, and is roughly bounded by Clifford, John R. and Adams...

External links

• City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. Washington Boulevard Historic District
• Google Maps location