Washington Boulevard Historic District

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name = Washington Boulevard Historic District

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caption = Washington Boulevard looking north from Michigan Ave.
location = Detroit, Michigan
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lat_direction = N
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long_direction = W
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architect = Edward Bennett
Louis Kamper
Hamilton Anderson Associates
architecture = City Beautiful, Beaux Arts, Neo-Renaissance, Academic Classicism
built = 1901-
added = July 15, 1982
refnum = #82002914cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
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Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It includes the Book-Cadillac Hotel, the Book Tower, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments, and Washington Square (Trolley Plaza) among other architecturally significant buildings. The Detroit Statler Hotel was located on the boulevard until it was demolished in 2005. Washington Boulevard was one of the large boulevards in Augustus Woodward's plan of 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. 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 Bennett, a well known master planner, turned Washington Boulevard into a Beaux Arts streetscape. More buildings were planned, but not built because of the Great Depression.

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

Gallery

ee also

*Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
*Neighborhoods and projects in Detroit, Michigan

Notes

References

*Cite book | author=Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher | title= AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture| year=2002 | publisher= Wayne State University Press | id=ISBN 0-8143-3120-3

External links

*City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. [http://www3.ci.detroit.mi.us/historic/districts/washington_blvd.pdf Washington Boulevard Historic District]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Detroit,+MI&ie=UTF8&ll=42.339435,-83.0319&spn=0.008993,0.025578&t=k&om=1 Google Maps location]