#local4

"Public buildings best serve the public by being beautiful." Cass Gilbert, architect of the Detroit Public Library's Main Branch. #Detroit #CulturalCenter #MidtownDetroit #ItalianRenaissance #Neoclassical #CassGilbert #FrederickJWiley #EdwinHowlandBlashfield #VincenteAderente #archi_ologie #InteriorThursdays #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 (at Detroit Public Library)

Thompson Home for Old Ladies Address: 888/4756 Cass Built: 1884 Architect: George D. Mason (Mason & Rice) When David Thompson, a wealthy late 19th century Detroit businessman, died, he left his estate to his wife, Mary, with instructions to establish an institution of charitable purposes. In 1874, Mrs. Thompson allocated funding to build a home for well-to-do widows. However, construction didn’t start until about a decade later, when Mrs. Thompson was able to purchase land on the corner of Cass Avenue & Hancock. George D. Mason was commissioned as the architect The facility, known appropriately as the Thompson Home for Old Ladies, is a grand Queen Anne home with private rooms for 40 women. A 4-story central tower is joined on either side by 3-story wings with bay windows. The front entrance features an elaborate balustraded front porch. Fancy brickwork and painted band courses finish the exterior. A hipped roof with gabled dormers tops the home off. For decades, the Thompson Home was a prime retirement location. Later additions to the structure included sun rooms, living quarters for the staff and an infirmary that was funded by Mr. & Mrs. Benson Ford. After WWII, facilities such as the Thompson Home waned in popularity due to improvements in overall health and wealth. The descent of the Cass Corridor in the '60s & '70s only added to the home’s decline and it eventually closed in 1977. In 1978, Wayne State University purchased the building for its Faculty Club. In 1990, WSU's School of Social Work moved in. The School of Social Work relocated in January 2016. The Thompson Home wss recently converted to student housing. #Detroit #CassCorridor #MidtownDetroit #WayneState #QueenAnne #VictorianArchitecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatters #TheAmericanHome #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 #GalaxyS8 #withGalaxy #ShotFromTheGalaxy (at Thompson Home)

David Mackenzie House Address: 861/4735 Cass Built: 1895 Architect: Malcomson & Higginbotham Frank H. Blackman, a local insurance agent, hired the prolific firm of Malcomson & Higginbotham to prepare plans for a new home on Cass Avenue. The elaborate 2½-story Queen Anne home contains all of the familiar features on the outside, including cross-gabled roof, large chimney, corner turret and a host of other decorative touches. The interior is clad in beautiful woodwork, including carved oak fireplaces. David L. Mackenzie was born in Detroit in 1860. A product of the city's education system, he graduated from Capitol High School in 1877. Mackenzie attended the University of Michigan, receiving both Bachelor's and Master of Arts degrees. Mackenzie returned to Detroit in 1904, when he became the principal of Central High School. The following year, he purchased the former Blackman residence, where he lived with his wife, Esther. David Mackenzie died in 1926. Esther, his widow, remained in the home until 1935. Later uses for the house included a university women's building, offices for the theatre department and even a resale shop. However, in 1977, it was announced that the old landmark would be demolished to make way for new student housing, the ill-fated Forest Apartments. This announcement outraged many, including Preservation Wayne, a student organization on Wayne State's campus. The group not convinced the university to halt the demise of the Mackenzie residence, but raised more than $220K to restore the home to its Victorian grandeur. In the 1980s, the historic home became home to the Univerity Cultural Center Association (now Midtown Detroit, Inc.) and Preservation Wayne (Preservation Detroit). #Detroit #CassCorridor #MidtownDetroit #WayneState #QueenAnne #VictorianArchitecture #CassAvenue #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhouseoldandnew #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 (at Mackenzie House)

The first of the year means spring is not too far away. Think warms thoughts, think warm thoughts. Oh yeah, Happy New Year citizens of Mother Earth (and elsewhere). 🎉 #Detroit #CassCorridor #MidtownDetroit #SecondEmpire #VictorianArchitecture #WestCanfield #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #casasecasarios #houses_ofthe_world #beautifulhousesoldandnew #MansardMonday #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 (at West Canfield Historic District)

The Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library is truly a family affair. In 1963, the building was expanded to Cass Avenue. One of the architects of this expansion was... Cass Gilbert, Jr., along with Francis J. Keally. The addition is definitely reflective of the era, with a more clean, modern appearance, in direct contrast to the opulence of the 1921 original. The north wing of the Cass Avenue Concourse was named in honor of Ralph A. Ulveling (1902 - 1980). Mr. Ulveling was an influential figure in the annals of the American library system. He served as President of the Michigan Library Association (1937 - 1938), Associate Director of the DPL (1934 - 1941), Director of the DPL (1941 - 1967) and President of the American Library Association (1945 - 1946). His tenure in Detroit also saw the growth of the system, including the opening of several branches, and the creation of the much-beloved Bookmobile service. In 1942, Ulveling helped form the Friends of the Detroit Public Library, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the DPL through volunteering and fundraising. #Detroit #CulturalCenter #MidtownDetroit #Modernism #CassGilbertJr #FrancisKeally #CassAvenue #archi_ologie #MidModMondays #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #Local4 (at Detroit Public Library)

John C. Portman, Jr., architect of the Renaissance Center and many other "neo-futuristic" buildings around the country, died last Friday at age 93. Portman, who founded his own firm, John Portman & Associates, in 1953, transformed the skyline of downtowns across America, most notably Atlanta, where Portman & Associates is based. His work was (and still is) a constant source of controversy. Critics and non-critics alike often lament that Portman's buildings are not only isolated from the rest of the downtown areas that they were, ironically, intended to save, but frustrating to navigate. There is no bigger (literally and figuratively) example of that than the Renaissance Center from 1977. Intended as a spark for revival for a downtown Detroit in the midst of great decline, it was instead seen as a fortress that is walled off. The Ren Cen would not truly live up to its full potential until the late 1990s, when it was purchased by General Motors, who relocated there from its historic headquarters on West Grand Boulevard, designed by Wirt Rowland while chief designer with Albert Kahn & Associates. GM really opened up the interior, which had previously been a maze of confusion. The Wintergarden, shown here, is the best example of this open space. No matter what you think of his architecture, John Portman should be commended for investing in cities when it was not exactly "cool" to do so. We salute you, Mr. Portman. #Detroit #Downtown #Postmodernism #Neofuturism #Skyscraper #JohnPortman #EastJefferson #archi_ologie #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 (at GM Ren Cen)

Had an authentic Detroit dining experience earlier this week, visiting Buddy's Pizza, that is the O.G. location on Conant & West McNichols (Six Mile) Road. Buddy's is the originator of "Detroit-Style" deep-dish pizza, which is square with a crispy bottom. Much better than some other style that I will not speak of. #Detroit #Eastside #ConantGardens #BuddysPizza #DetroitStylePizza #ConantStreet #6Mile #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 #DetroitFood (at Buddy's Pizza)

Pallister Park at dusk. #Detroit #NewCenter #PallisterPark #Winter #PedestrianOnly #RawDetroit #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #PureDetroit313 #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #ThisPlaceMattersDetroit #MichiganPlacesMatter #SceneFromDetroit #ThisDetroitLife #HellYeahDetroit #Local4 #GalaxyS8 #withGalaxy #ShotFromTheGalaxy (at New Center, Detroit)