Willis-Selden Historic District

The Willis-Selden Historic District maintains one of the largest concentrations of architecturally significant, late nineteenth century and early twentieth-century historic buildings of mixed uses extant in Detroit. Substantial single family and small-scale, multiple unit residential buildings, churches, and commercial buildings (residential in style and scale) - constructed primarily of brick- are evidence of the district's early development into a streetcar suburb of Detroit. The additional construction of commercial (many auto-related), industrial, and institutional buildings reflects the further growth of the district into one of Detroit's commercial centers in the early 1900s. The overall character of the district has been maintained by the high concentration of buildings, most of which have been minimally altered over time. However, some resources have deteriorated from neglect, absentee landlords, and abandonment. Widespread demolition has also diminished the number and concentration of historic resources surrounding the district. The Willis-Selden Historic District, located one and one-half miles north of the Detroit River, contains 102 buildings and covers approximately 210 acres. The overall boundaries of the district are West Canfield on the north, Woodward on the east, the alley south of Selden on the south and the alley west of Third on the west; however these streets are the outermost parts of the district as the boundary is irregular. This mixed use district covers the land originally known as the Park Lots and the Cass Farm, with one building located in the Jones I Crane farm. A grid system was utilized in the subdivision and development of the Cass Farm Survey Area, therefore main thoroughfares run north-south with intersecting east-west streets. The north-south and east-west streets are similar in character. The streets are approximately four lanes wide, with Woodward Avenue the exception at nine lanes wide, and contain a variety of building types. The district's early residential buildings with shallow yards are primarily located in the 400 and 600 block of West Alexandrine, the 400 block of West Willis and the northern half of the 3900 block of Second Avenue. Larger scale, multiple unit residential buildings are primarily located on east-west streets throughout the district. Commercial buildings and other uses are interspersed on all streets throughout the district. The majority of large scale residential and commercial buildings occupy the full depth of their lot, thus creating a more urban and open character on streets such as Selden, the 100 block of West Alexandrine, and the north side of the 400 block of West Willis. Of the 102 buildings within the Willis-Selden Historic District, eighty-eight buildings, constructed between the late 1870s and 1940, are contributing to the district. The district includes the following property types: forty multiple dwellings, thirty commercial buildings, twenty-three single family dwellings, three industrial buildings, two transportation related buildings, two religious buildings, and one each of recreational and governmental buildings. In varying stages of upkeep, the buildings display a variety of architectural styles, materials, stylistic decoration, and craftsmanship. Architectural styles range from the Late Victorian period through the Modern period, including high style to vernacular interpretations of these styles. The most prevalent styles include Colonial Revival, Romanesque, Commercial, Queen Anne, Beaux Arts, and Art Deco styles. The forty apartment buildings were built between the 1890s and the 1920s, with the main concentration of construction taking place within the 191 Os. The buildings range in size and scale from a two story duplex with front yard to an eight story, full lot apartment building. The 600 blocks of West Willis and West Alexandrine contain the largest concentration of well-maintained, brick apartment buildings. The late 19th and early 20th century buildings on these blocks are interspersed with single family residences and commercial buildings. Architecturally notable, small scale apartment buildings from the first phase of apartment construction include: the Spanish Medieval Revival El Moore Flats (1898) at 624 West Alexandrine; the Beaux Arts Venn Apartments (1904) at 4142 Cass; the Colonial Revival apartment building (1906) at 4251 Cass Avenue; the Romanesque Coronado Apartments (1894) at 3751-73 Second; the Jacobethan Revival Charles apartment building (1908) at 500 West Willis; and the Craftsman Burcorns Apartment (1912) at 675 West Willis. Notable, large scale buildings from the second phase of apartment building construction include: the Spanish Colonial Rainer Court Apartments (1922) at 711 West Alexandrine; the Late Gothic Billinghurst Apartment (1922) at 71 West Willis; the Neo-Georgian Lindley Hall Hotel (1916) at 479 West Willis; and the Beaux Arts Dunlap Apartments (1925) at 488 West Willis. Construction of the thirty commercial buildings located IMthin the Willis-Selden Historic District spans the period between the 1870s and the 1950s, IMth seventy-five percent constructed after 1920. The commercial buildings, ranging in height from one to three stories, are primarily located on Cass, Woodvvard, and the 600 block of Selden. Designed primarily in twentieth century revival styles and Art Deco, many of the commercial buildings also reflect vernacular forms of these architectural styles. Additionally, some buildings have been altered beyond recognition of their original form. Fine examples of commercial architecture include the ltalianate store (c. 1879) at 4101 Third; the Colonial Revival store (1897) at 4146 Woodvvard; the Classical Revival Watkins & Radcliff store (1908) at 4145 Woodvvard; the Commercial Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. building (1924) at 4201 Cass; Sullivanesque Stuber-Stone Buildings (1916) at 4221-29 Cass; the Art Deco Springfield Metallic Casket building (1930) at 627 West Alexandrine. Twenty-three single family residences are located in the Willis-Selden Historic District. Built between 1870 and 1920 and designed in the popular architectural styles of the time, seventy-tiM) percent of the houses were built during the 1880s. The 400 and 600 blocks of West Alexandrine contain the finest concentration of primarily brick residences, interspersed among apartment buildings. Late Victorian architectural styles predominate and include Victorian Eclectic, Gothic, Queen Anne, Stick I Eastlake, Romanesque. Significant examples of the above mentioned styles include: the Victorian Eclectic Thomas Beck House (c. 1879) at 3972 Second; the Gothic RobertS. Woodvvard House (1880) at 646 West Alexandrine; the Queen Anne Thomas G. Craig House (1883) at 461 West Alexandrine; the Stick I Eastlake Frederick Hubel House (1885) at 478 West Alexandrine and the Romanesque Campbell Symington House (1882) at 3977 Second. The three industrial buildings IMthin the Willis-Selden Historic District were constructed between 1915 and 1950. Industrial buildings, typically small in scale, are interspersed throughout the neighborhood. The tiM) story brick Blue Valley Creamery building, modernistic in style, vvas constructed at 634 Selden in 1915. The four story brick Overland Storage Company, located on 444 West Willis, vvas constructed in 1916 and is an example of an industrial style building from the Modem Movement. The tiM) story brick, Late Georgian Revival style 0'M)sso Casket Company vvas constructed in 1927 at 644 Selden. Other buildings in the Willis-Selden Historic District include the transportation-related Neoclassical Motor City Maintenance building (1919) and the livery stable (1886), the Gothic and Classical Revival Emanuel Memorial Episcopal Church (1897), the Romanesque Cass Avenue Methodist Church (1883), the Northern Renaissance Revival Engine House #5 (1909), and the Beaux Arts Garden Theater (c. 1890). The overall character of the district has been maintained by the high concentration of buildings, most of W"ich have been minimally altered over time. However, some resources have deteriorated from neglect, absentee landlords, and abandonment and IMdespread demolition of older buildings has also diminished the number and concentration of historic resources surrounding the district. Fortunately, the district is centrally located IMthin the largest employment, educational, medical and cultural district in Michigan W"ich is experiencing growth and reinvestment by local institutions, non-profit organizations, and private developers. North of the historic district lies the North Cass Park Historic District and the West Canfield Historic District. To the east across Woodvvard lies the Detroit Medical Center. South of the district lies a number of buildings, individually eligible for the North Cass Corridor Historic District. To the west lies the Fourth/Willis Historic District.