Somerset Apartments
Historic Photo, sourced from the National Register of Historic Places filing
Parkerest Apartments East Jefferson Ave. Residential Buildings Thematic Group Detroit, Wayne Co., MI Resource Analysts, Inc., Dec. 1983 Neg.: Michigan History Division 208 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing View from southeast Photo 4 of 23
National Register of Historic Places Filing
The Somerset is a significant example of high-quality, middle-class multi-unit residential architecture. It is a notable representation of the development of East Jefferson Avenue as it progressed through the 1920s and demonstrates the tendency of applying historical motives--in this case Georgian--to an otherwise simple and modern structure.
Physical Description
The Somerset Apartments consist of five connected rectangular-plan buildings, four stories in height, forming a row running back from the street. The front building's principal facade faces southeast toward Jefferson Avenue. The Jefferson Avenue facade is of red brick and has a limestone-faced first story. The facade is symmetrical and is Georgian and Adamesque in style. It has a white-painted frieze and dentiled cornice, green-trimmed six-over-six windows (with shutters) and arched first-floor windows and central entrance (the latter with a fanlight).
Architect/Builder
Unknown
NRHP Ref# 85002946 • Data from National Park Service • Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0
Historic Photos
(1)Sourced from the National Register of Historic Places filing
Somerset Apartments — Parkerest Apartments East Jefferson Ave. Residential Buildings Thematic Group Detroit, Wayne Co., MI Resource Analysts, Inc., Dec. 1983 Neg.: Michigan History Division 208 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing View from southeast Photo 4 of 23
Public Domain (Michigan Filing)
From Wikipedia
The Somerset Apartments was an apartment building located in Detroit, Michigan. It was also known as the Parkcrest Apartment Building. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Description The Somerset Apartments were five interconnected rectangular buildings, each four stories, built in a row running rearward from Jefferson. It had 80 units and was over 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2). The front façade was symmetrical, faced with limestone on the first story and red brick above, with arched windows on the first floor. The roofline had a dentiled cornice with a white frieze below.
History and significance The apartment building was an excellent example of high-quality middle-class residential architecture from the 1920s. The May 14, 1922 issue of the Detroit Free Press lists C. Howard Crane as the architect of the building. In the 2000s, the building was unused, and was slated for demolition by the city of Detroit. The Somerset Apartments was in a two-alarm fire on November 23, 2013. It was damaged beyond repair and was demolished 7 months later.
References
Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0
Building Details
- National Register
- Listed
- Ref# 85002946