CITY -WIDE HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY Ypsilanti, Michigan. prepared by:

Transcription

1 CTY -WDE HSTORCAL AND ARCHTECTURAL SURVEY Ypsianti, Michigan prepared by:.. Resource Design Group Ann Arbor, Michigan principas: Richard Macias ASLA Macom L. Coins AA Richard A. Neumann AA Robert A. Schweitzer Archeoogica Consutant: W. R. Stinson Back History Consutant: A. P. Marsha Juy 12, 1983 This project has been funded, in part, through a grant from the United States Department of the nterior, Nationa Park Service (under provisions of the Nationa Historic Preservation Act) through the Michigan Department of State.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS. ntroduction. 1.. V. Statements of Significance A. Architecture B. History C. Archaeoogy Review of Previous Surveys Survey Methodoogy v. Anaysis of Probems V. List of Sites V. V. Nominated Resources Bibiography.. '

3 . ntroduction The foowing written, graphic and photographic materia represents a survey of historicay and architecturay significant properties in the 1 City of Ypsianti, Michigan. The study area for this project consisted i 1 1 of the present ( ) incorporated area of the City of Ypsianti. Whie historica and architectura resources are described in some detai and on the basis of extensive research and fied work, archaeoogica resources are described ony briefy in an overview statement of past activity. No attempt was made to identify, document or nominate archae- oogica resources as part of the study. The survey of Ypsianti and the resuting Nationa Register of Historic Paces Mutipe Resource Nomination meet severa requirements; but the 1 primary reason for carrying out this project was to utiize a of the., toos that historic preservation offers for city deveopment. Preservation! 1 has ong been a tradition in Ypsianti. ndividuas have maintained their own residences at higher-than-expected standards whie joining with others to see that important oca structures were not destroyed. 1 The efforts of the Ladies Literary Association and the Quirk famiy to preserve noteworthy buidings were exampes of preservation sensitivity eary in the 1900's. Severa Eastern Michigan University buidings have withstood periodic attempts to remove or modernize them, thanks to interested students, facuty members, and townspeope.

4 n more recent times, the city government has resisted the massive-scae urban reneva schemes that might have resuted in the destruction of much of Ypsianti's historic buiding stock. nstead, city officias have been directy invoved in historic preservation programs since 1972 \ ; ' or earier, refecting the concern of its citizens. n 1972, as a resut of the passage in 1970 of Pubic Act 169, the Michigan aw which provided for the estabishment of historic districts and historic district commissions, the City counci appointed a Historic District Study Committee to evauate the city's historic and architectura resources; to determine and to embark on a program to encourage carefu stewardship over these resources. n December of 1972, the Study Committee presented its report, recommending the estabishment of one, arge (for its time) historic district, to City Counci. n February 1973, the Counci the potentia for one or more historic districts or andmark designations; designated the historic district as recommended by the Study Committee; ater that year, the district was paced on the State Register. The increasing popuarity of historic preservation as a panning and economic deveopment too ed to the first major preservation panning project in the city, the Depot Town Preservation Pan, prepared in This pan sought to encourage the revitaization of the origina "eastern viage," the ocation of the rairoad stations, eary riverfront mis and a fine group of taianate commercia buidings. The area was considered to be dangerous and diapidated, but a few residents and businesses ooked beyond the conditions at the time to see the potentia for a ivey district for iving, shopping and specia events. The project o1as funded by the City and the Department of the nterior through 2

5 f the 'ichigan History Division. The Depot Tmvn story is one of the preservation success stories in the state. The area has become a vita, important, thriving speciaty business area, one that has assumed a eve of importance in the community far out of proportion to its size. n 1977, the Historic District was paced on the Nationa Register of Historic Paces; and, in the next year, the historic district ordinance was passed by the City Counci. n February 1978, the Historic District Commission began meeting. The Commission has been busy ever since; in May of 1978, it added a sizeabe section of the city, bounded by Mape, Oak and Prospect Streets, to the district. n 1979, the Ordinance was certified by the Secretary of the nterior, and the Commission began to assist owners with appications for historic preservation tax benefits. To faciitate these appications, and to provide a sound basis for ' consistent review of buiding permit requests, the Commission adopted the Secretary of the nterior's Standards for Rehabiitating Historic Buidings in n 1979, aso, the City, the History Division and the Commission once again teamed up to undertake a preservation panning project, this time focusing on the city's other main commercia area, the Michigan Avenue commercia district. A thorough evauation of the district's buiding stock was made, and facade recommendations, incuding impementation strategies, were presented in graphic form. The Downtown Facade mprovement Pan was competed in With a sizeabe portion of the city within the boundaries of the historic district, severa hundred od buidings came under the review powers of 3

6 \ the Commission or the History Division when changes were proposed. n - the case of aterations proposed by individuas, the Commission is charged with reviewing buiding permits to see that the aterations meet the Secretary's Guideines. This review process has not been without. controversy, as witnessed by the recent efforts of Michigan Avenue..- businessmen to remove the main business district from the Historic -- utiize federa funds must meet the same standards; and, in fact, the District because of perceived difficuties in meeting the rehabiitation standards and guideines. n the case of City programs, those that City must abide by these standards for projects which affect resources outside the district boundaries but which are considered eigibe for the Nationa Register. '11 The present survey project was undertaken as a resut of one of these 1 federa programs, in this case the Community Deveopment Department's housing rehabiitation program funded with Bock Grant funds. program requires that each house be reviewed for Nationa Register '\.- eigibiity; and if considered eigibe, work must meet the Secretary's Standards. At the time the origina Nationa Register District was '- This created, documentation requirements were consideraby ess stringent than they are now, particuary in terms of an accurate documentation of a buidings within the district boundaries. The origina Ypsianti district materia contained no compete buiding-by-buiding inventory, no ist of contributing and non-contributing buidings, and ony brief statements summarizing research and significance. This ack of compete information meant that photos and other information for each potentia 4

7 rehabiitation program subject house had to be sent to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Officer for a determination of significance, a time-consuming and ungainy process. This probem was the impetus for the Community Deveopment Department and the Historic District Commission to undertake a compete and thorough inventory of a historic and architectura resources within the city J imits. n this way, the Community Deveopment Department coud expedite its housing rehabiitation program; the Historic District Commission woud have the documentation it needed to carry out its duties and have a cear direction for future activities; and the Michigan History Division woud have the inventory cards, maps and other documentation it desired, districts in Ypsianti. n 1982, the City et a contract to Resource to adequatey describe and deineate a the significant properties and Design Group, a preservation panning firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to carry out a survey of the city's area and an inventory of significant properties and historic districts; and to prepare a Nationa Register Mutipe Resource Nomination based on the survey resuts. The project was funded by Bock Grant funds and by a grant from the Department of the nterior administered by the Michigan Department of State. The project team consisted of Richard Macias, president of Resource Design Group and a registered andscape architect; Robert Schweitzer, a teacher in the historic preservation program at Eastern Michigan University; Macom Coins, AA, a historic preservation architect and architectura historian; and Richard Neumann, AA, an architect and former instructor in preservation at the University of Michigan Coege of Architecture and Urban Panning. 5

8 J J J. Statements of Significance A. Architecture: Physica Description of Study Area Ypsianti, with a popuation of about 24,000, is firmy within the boundaries of the Detroit Metropoitan area, being some thirty-five mies from downtown Detroit and ten mies from the center of Ann Arbor. That ocation provides Ypsianti with a "Big-City" atmosphere, whie the city sti maintains a sma town character. The city is situated on the Huron River thirty mies inand from Lake Erie. The his and buffs of the river vaey form the topographic character of the city. Ypsianti has aways been cosey tied with education and transportation., The city is the home of Eastern Michigan University and Ceary Coege. t has a major automotive pant within the city imits and a arger automotive faciity just beyond is boundary. There is a strong retai and service sector which is dependent in part on the Univeristy. Aside from these major components, the economy is based upon a number of sma manufacturing firms. Because the University students represent amost one-haf of the popuation and the campus accounts for a arge part of the tota area, the city itsef is quite sma and has a definite "sma town" character. Residentia streets are narrow and tree-ined. The majority of the traffic is confined to a few coector streets incuding some one-\.tay pairs. The streets are aid out in the typica midwestern grid pattern, athough river topography and eary routes to adjacent towns dictated a 1 1

9 J i few diagona streets. The residentia and commercia buiding stock is of a consistent scae with few commercia structures being more than three stories in height. The majority of buidings are pre-1930's; thus the city has a distinctivey historic character. Ypsianti is unusua because it has two separate centra business districts. This resuted from the city's eary deveopment, when two riva settements were estabished, one on either side of the Huron River. As the city grew, the business districts became part of a deveopment pattern which saw the commercia areas connected by two major residentia streets. This area, bounded by Cross, River, Huron and U.S. 12 (Michigan Avenue), was the center of most of the city's eary deveopment. The major business district consists of severa bocks aong Michigan 1 Avenue both east and west of the river. The historic downtown occupies severa bocks immediatey west of the Huron River. The core has aways been dependent upon the highway traffic and draws customers from a wide area. U.S. 12 crosses the river and cimbs a steep hi at the east end of the retai core. Beyond the bridge is a fine Art Deco masonry structure, (5c:9) formery the Moose Lodge and before that an auto deaership. The remainder of the commercia district to the west consists of two and three-story taianante commercia structures. A few exampes of ater styes can be found, such as , a three-story Renaissance Reviva buiding, (18:22), though most have been covered with modern day fase ' facades. At the western end of the district is a arge taianate structure buit as the Hawkins House Hote, now apartments (18:13). 7

10 Across the street to the south at 229 W. Michigan (50:10) is the od post office, a Beaux Arts edifice recenty converted to a pubic ibrary. This business district extends one and a haf bocks to the north and south of Michigan Avenue aong Washington, Huron and Pear. Many of the best remaining commercia buidings are on these side streets. The second business district, today known as Depot Town, is ocated aong Cross and River Streets east of the river and is one mie north of Michigan Avenue. This commercia area deveoped to serve the mis and associated river industries, and ater businesses reated to the rairoad. t i compact compared to the Michigan Avenue district, but it contains a fine coection of taianate mercantie structures, most of which remain argey unatered. This is in direct contrast to the buidings 1 of Michigan Avenue which have been substantiay modified. The Foett House Hote on Cross Street (17:25) and the Michigan Centra Rairoad freight (73:34) and passenger (51:20) stations provide a sense of the origina character of the area. n recent years an active redeveopment program based on preservation panning techniques has ed to a revita- 1 ization of Depot Town. Severa buidings have been rehabiitated; street scape improvements have been made; the riverbanks have been incorporated into the city park system; and the freight station has been converted to a farmers' market. historic themes each year. The area hosts severa specia events based on ndustria structures were historicay custered aong the river banks and the rairoad; this trend continues to the present day. Two of the 8

11 J 1 1, 1 1 eariest remaining industria buidings are on N. River: the Shaffer chinery Works (27:33), ( ) from 1840 and the Thompson bock at River and Cross ( 8:31), ( N. River), an eary wagon factory, circa Most new industria deveopment has occurred to the east of the downtown. Severa architecturay important institutiona buidings remain throughout the city. The od high schoo, a fine Coonia Reviva brick buiding on Cross Street (29: 2); the Od Ypsianti Fire Station at 110 W. Cross, a Romanesque structure adjacent to the high schoo (29: 3); severa fine churches in a variety of styes; the Water Works Standpipe; and the core buidings of Eastern Michigan University are prime exampes. The most historicay significant residentia structures occupy two streets, Huron and River, which run aong opposite sides of the Huron River, connecting the two business districts. Some of the eariest houses in Ypsianti were constructed on these and adjacent streets. These two streets, in contrast to ater residentia streets, are quite wide and refect their eary importance. Many of the eading eary citizens erected substantia dweings backing on the river, in cose proximity to their businesses. Styes from the settement period and throughout the nineteenth and eary twentieth centuries are represented. Cassic Reviva, taianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Octagon and Tudor homes of the highest quaity ine the two streets. A wide variety of buiding materias are in evidence, incuding brick, stone, wood and stucco. 9

12 ; 0 the east of Depot Town ies an eary residentia neighborhood that deveoped aong with the mis and other industries on the east shore of : :1e river. This neighborhood, incuding the business area, once separated itsef from the rest of the community and estabished a separate government ;s the city of East Ypsianti (the segregation asted ony tweve months). The housing stock is diverse with arge mansion homes such as the Gibert (Second Empire, 227 N. Grove), (66:13) and Hutchinson (Queen Anne, 600. River), (33: 2) houses and smaer bungaows and Queen Anne dweings bounded by Forest, Prospect and River Streets and the Rairoad, this section maintains its own distinct identity to this day. South of Michigan Avenue near the Huron River is a section of the city that has ah.;rays had a mixture of residentia scaes. There are severa arge homes, such as the Gover house (22:26), (118 S. Washington, a massive Queen Anne structure with rounded tower) on both Huron and Washington Streets. As one moves farther south from the business district, the homes become smaer in scae but not acking in detaiing. Many of these homes, however, have had their siding covered and architectura 1 detais removed. To the north of Michigan Avenue and west of the Huron River is an area of high quaity residences dating from the 1840's to the 1890's. These homes represent the dweings of the second wave of we-to-do citizens who coud not obtain ots cose to the river. As the University expanded, facuty members purchased and buit homes in this area. The quaity of ' 10

13 J J J r rchitectura detai is high with many finey detaied Gothic and Queen Anne homes covered with vergeboard and shinges. One of the eariest homes in the area is now the Ladies' Literary Cub at 218 N. Washington (19:23); it has cassic coumns and denti modings. Due to the area's coseness to the University there has been a number of conversions to student apartments and a resuting tendency to cover siding with manmade materias and to remove some detaiing. The neighborhood to the south of the University to Michigan Avenue and between Summit and Norma streets is another distinct residentia area. Here there begins to be a mixture of eary twentieth century styes such as Tudor, Bungaow and Craftsman. These homes are intermixed with earier Queen Anne and Coonia Reviva residences to give a turn-ofthe-century favor to the area. This neighborhood remains a strong singe-famiy area with ony minima intrusions from campus andords on the north i 11

14 --- ARCHTECTURAL STYLES - A GLOSSARY A r c h i t e c t u r "' 1 :::. t :;. 1 e i :::. u -:::. e d t o d e i n - t e :::. t r u c t u r e :::. t o ov.t t.e t t er.o<.n.::d ::.-'Z "' t ion their r i c h n e :.-:.. The 0::-d :tr d Er" 1 i :.h Diction.O<.r ;. defines stye as a definite type of architecture, distingushed by specia characteristics of structure and ornament. The buidings of Ypsianti can be cassified into severa distinct types. One can better distinguish the more remarkabe buidings by pacing them into stye catagories These remarkabe buidings are referred to as "Landmarks". Landmarks refect the highest orders of stye. A r c h i t e c t,1 i 1 1 i am C a u d i 1 1 h a s. VJ r i t t en t h a t r e <.1 h i :::. t cr r i = a 1 styes are meaningfu symbos of the history of humanity, symbos of power, symbos of ingenuity, and symbos of greatness. The great bu i 1 dings. of ancient Eg> pt, Greece, and Rome spe.:d< 1 cud and c 1 e.r about the peope of that time; how they thought, their vaues, stye of iving and what they did to advance humankind. So too do the homes and commercia buidings of Ysianti speak of the history and peope of nineteenth century Michigan. The architecture is rich in fcrr m.and detai 1 t incudes exampes of styes ranging from the eary days of settement in the 1830's to many fine Twentieth Century styes. The descriptions beow attempt to give a brief historica summary of each stye and to reate typica features of the most common styes. The buidings of Ypsianti contain a number of outstanding and significant exampes from each of the major s-t:es. crf the per icrd ( 1E:30 to 1'7'40). The>- '.as.c cc ntain man;/ interesting exampes where the typica features of severa styes were used on a singe structure. CLASSC REVVAL 1830 to

15 ,. " :e became popuar on the East Coast soon after the Arner1can 0ng --ms tie to the democracy of ancient Greece and Rome deveoped. Jefferson studied cassic architecture whie in Europe and J fthered ceign 1780'' J. J its introduction into major American buidings with the of the state capita buiding at Richmond, Virginia in the Other notabe American architects foowed suit, and many nationa exampes of the Cassic Reviva can be found throughout the Estern haf of the country. Two noteworthy specimens are the U.S. Treasury buiding in Washington D.C. by Robert Mis and the Second i ::<. t i on :<. 1 E: an < c f T h e U n i t e d S t a t e -:;. b >-"' 'i 1 i am S t r i c<. n d i n Phiadephia. This taste in architecture soon spread throughout the nation with coumned-perched homes stretching from Maine to t'1i chi g.:;..n. The major prototype buidings of the eary Cassic Reviva period were constructed of stone to emuate their ancient counterparts. As the fashion became more broadbased and J widespread its construction materias became whatever the ocaity provided; cobbestone, brick and wood were the most popuar materias in the Michigan area. The ornament of these buidings was based on cassica GreeK eements. Coumns, piasters, capitas and denti 1 s,,,er e formed in,,,c od faithfu to their ancient Gr ee< 11 counterparts. The massing of these structures was usuay rectanguar with a ow trianguar gabed pedimenta roof. The short or pedimenta end of the buiding most often faced the street. t'-an1 Cassic Reviva buidins had sma one-story wings attached to! either or both sides. This configeration has become known as the "hen?.nd chid<s" type. Often one or more porches with coumns were 13

16 _,. J'.:...Z:, '. cjntrced J t across the front and/or at the wings. Windows and doors, ".;;- r e c":' 1 d 1 ::/ de f i n e d.;:.. n d :. t r on g 1 ::..- './ e r t i c 1 The doors tended to be :neied with six or fewer sections. The windows were ong and doube hung with combinations of four and six panes. Shutter s.,!j mny times painted dark green, fanked each opening. The mo ::.t J popuar type of exterior covering was wood capboard or board and J batten, painted white or a ight paste yeow or gray. Whie simpe compared to ater nineteenth century styes, the Ca3sic Reviva structure was nonetheess covered with many designs motifs of fine quaity workmanship. Anthemion eaf designs and nd egg and dart modings were popuar as was the "Greek Key" design in upper story window gris. Entry doors were surrounded by side and transom ights (windows). Facade windows were often topped with heavy modings ca ed ears or crossettes. The cornice or frieze was traditionay wide and in many cases contained denti modings. But the most notabe feature of the design is the wide return cornice on the g.t.] e end. T h i s e 1 em en t, aong with coumns used as piasters or standing aone in porches, describe the hamark of the stye. One of the finest exampes of this stye in the city is at 218 West Washington. This one and a haf story buiding with a one story wing was constructed in 1842 and features square coumns and finey detaied denti modings. Another fine instance is that at Done in brick, this two story tempe stye has fu height round coumns in the Doric mode. Fronting as it does on Huron street it must have been an impressive dweing dwarfing a 1 others in the city for most of the nineteenth century.... GOTHC REJ!)AL 1840 to

17 J During the ate 1830/s, Americans became increasingy entranced bv a romantic movement that migrated from Europe. Th i ::. mo\.-'emen t featured a fascination with the exotic, the Midde Ages, and the untamed widerness. The fue for this movement was suppied, in part, by the gothic noves of Sir Water Scott. The first American champion of the gothic stye in architecture was Andrew Jackson Downing, whose books on residences heped spread the gospe of ---. r mnan tic styes. Downing was one of the first writers who caed for designing homes not just for the wea thy, but for the common man as we. The coaborator on Downing/s books was Aexander JacKson Davis who designed and buit Lyndhurst on the Hudson in 1838 for 'J i 1 1 i am P au 1 i n g. Lyndhurst has been termed the finest gothic residence in America. t is a rambing stone residence with pointed arched windows, rich in picturesque irreguarity. Most gothic mode buidings tend to be residentia and compact. They have a much higher pitched roof than the Cassic Reviva and are richer in e:> t er i or de t a i 1 Ornate porches with finey detaied posts and raiings pus varge-board on the eaves were characteristic of the gothic stye residences. These romantic homes often featured pointed-arched-windows and were painted in a variety of coors from tan to bue, but never in white. Whie Gothic Reviva commerica buidings are quite rare, the church buiding became the most popuar use of the stye. Ypsianti is bessed with a number fine Gothic houses. The most unique is at 118 Co ege pace, i t v.j.:<.s designed by Downing and appears in his book on the architecture of counr t>- hou:.es.. Other notabe exampes are ocated at 103 N. Adams 1 (containing ancet windows and detaied vargeboard) 513 N. Adams and 301 Grove (t,,d th arched porch and pointed shutters). 15

18 'J T t21 L At -A T E 1::::40 t n Downing/s books on country houses there were many references to the taian via stye, aso termed the the Tuscan or Genera!J Grant stye. The for mer becau.e of its 1 i<ene.s to farm hc u.es in J northern tay and the atter to its popuarity during and after the Civi War. This mode of dweing became extremey popuar in Michigan during the 1860/s and 1870/s. Nationay important exampes. the be.t. The sty e is characterized by a :=.quare h,,o-stc ry cen tr a 1 section with a variety of squares or rectanguar additions arranged e::< i ::.t in Souther n t!i chi gan, t.<j i t h t 1ar sh a 1 1 and c n i a be-:.. ;. tin g :.c me of asymetricay about it. A square tower was occasionay part of the composition, athough many of the homes were simpe cubes. was usuay fat or very ow pitched and coud contain a bevedere J or viewing room. The eaves were extended over the was and were _ supported by arge brackets of uniquey ornate designs. Windows were ong and sender with rounded tops; many aso were adorned with intes or hoods encompassing fower or eaf designs. The first bay windows occurred in the taianate stye; they were sma 1 and J decorated with brackets simiar to those under the eaves. Porches. _ carried square piars and were tucked into niches in the asymmetrica design. Baconies set atop porches or over arge brackets were common. The main buiding materias of the stye were brick and stone but many fine exampes are finished in wood capboard. The two finest exampes in the city are at 324 W. Forest (a massive brick structure with eaborate brackets and arched windows) and 708 Congress which is another Downing-designed 16

19 met-=-1 roo-f. Ther e ar- 7! :r.o-.n'/ e:=-:: :e ent e:=<amp e :. of this. type in the cit::.-.:..nd their r-;-r,e =-=- r:r:rmp.:..r es favor ab::.-' tr: -=-ur:h f-.mous. tai-=-nate :. -=--= in r: ni-=-. SECm,D Et-1P RE 1870 to 1890 After the Civi War the dominant fashion in pubic buidings ws the Mansard-roofed French import. The stye has it base in the J! t -"' - :: bu i 1 ding of the Lou\..'re in Paris. as. v, e a':- many C ther gr.and pubic t u i 1 d i n g -:. of t h e F r en c h c a p i t a 1. T h e c h i e f d r: m e s t i c p r o p on.an t c f tne stye was federa government supervising architect Afred 8. : u 1 1 et t. His -:.tr i < i ng State 'ar, and Navy bu i 1 ding in 'a-=-h i ngton begun in 1871 is an outstanding exampe of the type in America. The major design component of the stye is the Mansard roof that extends the top foor into useabe space. This was not a major residentia type of buiding but when exampes are found they are often taianat in massing with a Mansard roof on the body of the house or on a t ov, er Large heavy-ooking dormers were usuay paced on the roof giving the buiding an even more ornate appearance. Many times the roof was of coored sate in diamond patterns or stripes; meta and wood shinge roofs were aso used. The most common buiding matera of the Second Empire taste was brick, but many - fine t'jc od capboard exampe-:. can a-:.o be found. The mc st famc us Second Empire buiding in the town is the Od City Ha ocated at 304 N. Huron and its carriage barn in the rear. The combination of materias and detaiing make these two structures a rare 17

20 rchitectura combination.,, OCTAGON 1850 to 1870 One of the strangest and unique buiding forms in America <they are found in no other country) are the eight-sided Octagon dweings. Deveoped by phrenoogist Orson Fower through his ectures and books this mode of buiding was popuar for ony a short time at mid-century. Fower's premise was that the octagon was the cosest form to the naturay perfect circe shape and therefore provided the most perfect buiding form. Whie his buiding type proved anything but successfu, the buiding technique he empoyed (sand grave) proved years ahead of its time, for the use of concrete on a arge scae awaited the twentieth century. Most octagon buidings were residences and fittedout in taianate manner. Some were widy decorated and others were used as schoos and farm buidings. Michigan is the proud professor of some forty-four octagon buidings, two of which are ocated in Ypsianti. The finest of those is on River street, and whie being pain in detaiing sti recas an era of speciaity in Amerian architectura history. The other, now ony particay visabe in ocated on South Huron. 18

21 f " t:. 1':;.,.,. c; u:: :: 1,_.; <f E t:=:70 to 1'?10 This stye aso has European origins. Steming from the work ) ;r1tish architect Richard Norman Shaw in the 1860's, this manner ::<''='''' to pc pu ari t./ in America in the 1 as.t quar ter of the Nineteenth Century. n Engand the buidings of the Queen Anne stye were uooosed to represent a historica reviva of the pre-georgian buidings from the days of Queens Ann and Eizabeth. n Am e r i c "' t h e stve was caed "Brick-a-Brack" or "Tossed Saad" because of the r1chness and variety of its decoration. Amost no type of buiding materia or pattern v.jas. eft untr ied. Wood, stone, brick, and terra-cotta were mixed into wid shapes and designs to create the most visuay interesting homes of the century. The ta=.te is, characterized by a variety of forms and shapes incuding, high pitched gabes, towers and turrets. Windows were arge, and many contained stained gass. Roofs were of meta or sate with ornate ridge boards, chimneys were mammoth and compex. Siding incuded not ony capboard but fish scae shinges and other machine cut wood designs. Many of the houses carried arge wrap-around porches with turned posts and raiings. The painting of these sometimes coossa homes was muti-shaded with as many as five different coors. city is rich in design exceence in the Queen Anne manner. The Ther e are many houses that can excite the eye with textura deight and de t.:d 1 Tt,JC of the bes. t ar e at 601 F c r e-::. t ( t.,i t h i t :. 1 ar ge t c t.,jer and grand porches) and 600 N. river with its ever changing variety of facade textures and window shapes. COLONAL REt) t)al 1880 to 1'?20 19

22 Emergeing from the centennia ceebration of 1876 sentimenta rememberances initated, inked to Americas a period of coonia past. A situtation simiar to a fad deveoped in which an entire cuture revived around the ideas, ifestyes and buidings of the pre-revoutionary war days. There were hundreds of attempts to revive coonia arts and crafts, incuding the detais of architecture. These attempts can be cassified into four catagories of house types; Georgian, Dutch, Modern and Vernacuar. The basis of these cassifications is the massing of the buiding. For exampe the Georgian Coonia Reviva houses resembed the southern Virginia pantation house and those of Wiiamsburg. They are rectanguar in shape and have dormers with symmetrica window and door openings. They tended to be of brick with white wood detais. The Dutch variety is typified by the four-part gambre roof. The modern type is coser to what is being buit today, with itte detai except around door and window openings. Vernacuar Coonia Reviva homes tended to have Queen Anne type irreguar massing and many have a sight return cornice. Detais on a these buidings are strongy cassica featuring counms, denti modings, paadian windows and pediment window hoods. Among many fine exampes of these varied - stye are a fine Georgian specimen at 105 N. Adams with stuccoed was and three arched dormers, and an exquisite Dutch type at 128 N. Norma featuring two front facing peaks. BUNGALOW 1890 to

23 t... ' This typicay one-to-one-and-a-haf story home is singy the mo ::.t popu.:..r bui 1 t in the period. t is the forefather of the j modern ranch house. nspiration for these homes came from ndia and the ong ow buidings used there as wayside stops between cities. J The name itsef is an adaption of an ndian word. On Bungaows J the roof ridge paraed the street, and genty soping roofs often covered a arge porch that ran the ength of the house. Other J features of the stye are exposed rafter ends at the roof, exposed braces on porches, wide windows in bands and arge shed-roof ( dormer-s.. 81Ji 1 ding materias. A.o?re br ick (the mos.t popuar ) vk Od shinge and stucco. Ypsianti has two wonderfu exampes, one at 211 Ferris in shinge with cobbestone chimney and porch and one at ( 304 Jarvis competey done in cobbestones. f 1 CRAFT Stv1At-- 19(113 t 0 1 '?40 The Arts and Crafts movement that began in Engand in the ate nineteenth century was the inspiration for this hous.e t:-,... pe. n J America the eading proponent of the fashion was Gustav SticKey. He pubished a magazine in the teens and twenties entited "The Craftsman", which summoned the return to a more simpe method of construction and decoration. n the Craftsman magazine an abundance 21

24 oi o ns were pictured. Many of these were simpe box or cube type : : _; : t!j r- e.;;:, '-'er >' ::.imp 1 e in dec or.::.. t ion. Th e ::.e h ou ::.e ::. r..o.jer e u s.u.:o. 1 > ' i:..o.jo : r tr_ ro-nd--h:.. f ::.tor ies. high 1.. 1i th.::.. -:o.r 9e dc.r mer s.imi.:o.r to the Crftsman hc.mes aso featured a fu facade porch 'J uooorted by coc.nia or rustic posts. Rc.ofs were c.ften medium pitch in hei9ht or hipped. The stye, often caed the box house ppeared in mai order house pan books such as those of the Radford j company, and the Aaddin Company of Bay City. They were intended J for the arger and home-desiring midde casses who were beginning to inhabit the city edges and suburbs. Their cost was modest-$1,950 to $3,500. n various ways craftsman homes were simiar to the mid-century taianate cubes that were buit in the Civi War era. Many of these modern cube homes were very simpe in decoration, unike the houses shown in Stickeys magazine. Many appear with entended roof rafters, rubbe porch posts, bands of windows with three-over-one doube-hung sash. Exterior surfaces were mixed, with capboard the most popuar aong with stucco. Shinges. and Tudor-iKe haf timbering were aso popuar surface materias. These homes were we received and are quite common in many midwestern towns. Some finer exampes exist at 120 & 315 N. Adams and 329 Mape. A of these homes feature a fine combination of surface textures and windows. 22

25 TUDOR REVVAL 1900 to 1940 This popuar stye of buiding, often caed the Engish cottage or Jacobean Reviva, was extremey prevaent in the eary twentieth century. The buiding type takes its name from the Engish roya famiy that reigned from 1485 to n many ways these buidings are architectura modes of rura Engish manor houses and Cottswod cottages, with a itte of the Arts & Crafts movement incuded. The basic theory behind this type of structure was again the return to a more simpe, honest, handcrafted method of construction. Some of the first renditions of this reviva came from the mind of Richard Norman Shaw in Engand and in America by the famous Richard Morris Hunt. The major features of these homes were their irreguar massing (due to the emuation of European homes with successive additions), high pitched gabes and exposed framing members Cthe tudor beaming effect). Massive chimneys on sate roofs over brick exteriors were common. Much of the brickwork was eaborate featuring pressed-in designs and patterns, intes were made of stone. Stucco, stone and wood were used in combination to produce a picturesque "countryside effect". Nindows were casement type, many with diamond panes. Doors coud have rounded or arched heads with rustic nai head designs on the surface. The home at 209 North Huron is one of severa fine exampes, with its diamond design brickwork on a massive chimney facing the street. The 16 South Norma residence has an interesting combination of brick and stucco on the facade and fearures an arched entryway. 23

26 1 " '.". PEPOD F.:Et..JVAL::;; 1'?20 to Pr e-:.en t i Many of the residentia styes constructed since the 1920s... can be grouped under a genera heading of this type. Spanish i Coonia, Cape cod, some mixtures of the coonia reviva styes and Chateau, are a 1 paced into this catagory. Like many of the earier styes these were aso based upon European prototypes. these homes had faithfu renderings of detais but made use of the most current materias and foor pans. A good exampe of one of! 1 : t... t.. these buidings is at 410 West Cross where a Spanish and Tudor combination residence stands. VERNACULAR ARCHTETCURE This type of structure is usuay defined as one that is naive in its forma use of styistic detais. n other words, its features are not exacty as those that are found on higher styed buiding= t is aways difficut to characterize a vernacuar buiding, but usuay they are simpe in form and have a minimum of det.:d 1. n our study of Ypsanti many homes that possiby beonged to a identifiabe stye are now, t the remova of detais, cassified as vernacuar. Aso buidings that fit no standard measure of stye are paced into this 24

27 j CHURCH ARCHTECTURE f The major reigious architecture in the city fas into three distinct catagories: Gothic, Romanesque and Neo-Cassic Reviva. As is the case with most reigious buidings Gothic was the favorite stye of buiding in Ypsianti. Throughout the nineteenth century a series of reigious revivas swept the nation, and with each 1 succeding reviva a wave of church buiding foowed. The century J was strongy reigious and communities often revoved around their reigious organizations rather than their governments or socia institutions. The eariest Gothic Reviva churches were brick with were often times buttressed. Roof pitches were generay high but roof shapes were simpe in design, spire topped towers often were present as part of the pan. Later designs were more compex and thick was and deepy set windows framed by pointed arches. Nas J were carried out in stone or more eaberate brickwork. Larger, more massive, towers were present and the use of arched entryways was aso common. Stained or coored gass has aways been popuar in churches but as the century wore on and gass took on even more importance, churches began to be embeished to a arger extent. ; 0..<.i ndov.j North Huron is a massive structure with fine arched There are four outstanding Gothic stye churches in the city. 209 North Washington features a we detaied tower and arge quatrefoi entry-ways and ong narrow windows. 201 North River is constructed i ' of stone and has a notabe tower and finey detaied windows. The church at 214 North Adams, aso done in stone, features simpe openings and represents the ater era of ate century Gothic design. Starkweather Chape in the Highand Cemetery is a striking exampe of the Romane.que Revi\/a. Thi. poychromatic.tc ne one-and a-haf 25

28 '. story buidirig has many detais and Su 1 ivanesque pressed brickwork. t Romanesque buidings usuay have a brighter surface than the Gothic. The use of coored stone and terra cotta were aso ( ha!marks of the stye. The cemetery itsef with its ro 1 ing his and winding roads is a direct resut of the naturaistic trends in park design throughout the century.. t 1.. ; At 300 North Washington stands a arge twin-towered Neo-Cassic Reviva church. This buiding refects some of the infuence of the Coonia Reviva. ts denti modings, piasters and trianguar pedimants are a part of the mystique. The symmetricay paced windows, red brick and white trim are copied from Jefferson's University of Virginia and Bufinche's Boston State House CVC AND COMMERCAL ARCHTECTURE The civic and commerica areas of a town were its pride in the nineteenth century. Visitors woud proudy be shown the "Main Street", the Hote and the Rairoad station. The American towns' uniqueness comes from its commercia and civic buidings, most of ( which portray a specia meaning to its residents and are themseves one-of-a-kind structures. Acting as foca points, these stores and ( firehouses created a sense of neighborhood and community Commercia and civic structures often share common architectura characteristics, athough commercia buidings tended to be buit t prior to civic buidings. Thus in Ypsianti there is an abundance F 26

29 of taianate commerica buidings but few buit for civic purposes. Technoogica advances and the avaiabitiy of arge amounts of Most schoos and pubic buidings tend to be of ate nineteenth or eary twentieth century vintage. TAL A'ATE to 1891 capita heped infuence the type of commerica buidings in the period of the Civi War to the turn of the century. These so- caed taianate commercia sturctures were usuay buit of brick, and 'A'er e hk or more.tor i e. t a 1 1, '-"' i t h.r c h ed VJ in dm.j-:. abc ' /e 1... ' ;. n d a c omm e r c i a 1 s t or e f r on t a t t h e g r o u n d 1 eve 1. T h e y' h ad \-'. r y' i n g degrees of ornamentation incuding wood or meta cornices (with brackets), brick corbeing, stone or meta window hood modings, ower cornices and cast meta storefront coumns. The vast majority t : % ;; ; 1.; '... i i 1!. s i of a midwestern "Main Streets" were constructed in this mode. Because the stye was so versatie it remained popuar ong after the residentia stye waned from popuar fashion. There are severa good exampes of the stye on Michigan Avenue, at 101 and (Quite possiby there are many more hiding behind modern meta fronts.) Depot Town ikewise has some exceent exampes in the Foete House, the Oiver House, 52 E. Cross (featuring some Moorish first foor windows) and the rairoad freight station. i. j. ' ; ; 27

30 COLONAL REVVAL This stye is sometimes mixed in cassification with the Beaux! '. Arts Cassicism stye. Buidings are simpe in form but with more compex brickwork. Many of the famiiar cassic detais are present C such as pediments and cornices with dentis. Windows usuay were square and had fat stone caps. Ypsianti has three outstanding exampes of this reviva stye. The Masonic Lodge at 76 N. Huron;.. w i t h i t = c o 1 u m n e d en t r yv.j a y, Pear 1, an d t h e P u b 1 i c L i b r a r )'' ( ct d Post Office) at 229 W. Michigan.! ': ; ' '. j ROtvJANESOUE 1870 to 1910 ' k c; ' '... i Buidings of this type were generay of a rough masonry construction. Many aso featured arge arched openings. Civic buidings often contained towers (firehouses were quite popuar in this s t :/1 e) Pear is the best Romanesque structure in the city with its four massive second-story windows. 119 N. Huron aso dispays a giant arch over two stories. The od firestation at 110 West Cross is a fine exampe of the civic buiding in Romanesque; with its tower it stands as a andmark for the whoe east side. ),, ART DECO 1920 to 1950 The 1920s saw new styistic infuences from Europe that finay broke the cassic tradition. The stye represented a mode of decor that was particuary rectiinear, with geometrica curves paying a 28

31 ii i t ' secondary roe. t was not ony an architectura stye but aso appied to cothing, furniture and jewery N. Washington, 64 N. Huron, 2 Nest Michigan and the Ypsianti High Schoo Gymnasium are a fine exampes of this modernistic stye. ECLECTC There are aways structures that defy specific stye catagories. These buidings tend to have either a mutitude of i i t 'i! ' t styes representated or make their own statements about stye and 1 : i t. t j taste. One such Ypsianti buiding is the Water Tower on Nashtenaw. This arge stone and shinge structure is a andmark visabe from severa mies away and is the unique identifying feature as one enters the city from the west. J.i.! 29

32 B. Historica Significance When the Northwest Territory was estabished by Congress in 1787, Detroit was aready a busy, if not thriving, settement serving as a center for fur and ndian trading. The area changed hands severa times, coming under American contro after the War for ndependence. At the time of the estabishment of the Territory of Michigan in 1805, two thirds of the popuation of Detroit was French, with the rest British or Amrican citiens. A god dea of trading, trapping and exporation had been undertaken by the French in the area around Detroit. After the War of 1812 removed the British infuence from the region that was to become southeast Michigan, Territoria Governor Lewis Cass ordered the Michigan Territory surveyed. The estabishment of a and office in Detroit in 1818 ed to the opening of the area to settement by Americans, who used Detroit as a port of entry from the east. Nine years prior to the and office opening, three Frenchmen, Coone Gabrie Godfroy, Romaine LeChambre and Francoise Pepin, estabished a trading post on the Huron (then Pottowatamie) River 25 mies inand from Lake Erie (there is some evidence that the post was actuay estabished r much earier, but it was registered with the Territoria Government in 1808). The ocation was chosen due to access via the navigabe river to Lake Erie, and the convergence of severa ndian trais eadng from the interior to Detroit, Lake Erie, Monroe and Canada. The site was characterized by hardwood forests with picturesque oak stands, sma akes, sat springs and cearings, which to many eary arrivas ooked man-made and were referred to as "groves." Severa ndian tribes hunted in the area. The area was so supportive of anima ife that riva tribes shared its bounty with few probems. 30

33 Godfroy's trading post, a og structure ocated on the west side of the river just north of the present Michigan Avenue bridge in Ypsianti, was the first structure buit in what was to be Hashtenaw County. The post thrived unti the various treaties, incuding the Treaty of Saginaw signed by Governor Cass in 1819, forced the ndians westward and opened a of Hashtenaw County to pubic sae. Having estabished their trading operation in 1809, the three Frenchmen purchased deeds to 2632 acres of and on the west side of the Huron. These came to be known as the French Caims and woud pay an important part in the deveopment of Ypsianti. The French Caims were the first ands patted and sod in the Ypsianti area. They were subsequenty,, 1..' subdivided and sod, beginning the era of and specuation that charac- terized frontier town deveopment. The second pioneer effort in the Ypsianti vicinity was that of Benjamin Woodruff and a group of Ohioans wishing to purchase Michigan and, the Congress having authorized the sae of thousands of acres in This group chose a site a mie south of Godfroy's post in 1823, and commenced to buid a settement. By most accounts, Godfrey's had been abandoned by that time; and it appeared that the new settement, caed Hoodruff' s Grove, might be the commercia center of the area, particua 7 after Washtenaw County's boundaries were defined in However, in 187.5, the French Caims were transferred to three Detroit residents, Judge August Brevoort Woodward, John Stewart and Wiiam Harwood. Harwood had aready purchasec over 100 acres north vf Woodruff's Grove on the east 31

34 32

35 1.;.. side of the Huron. Woodward, who was responsibe for the surveying of the Chicago Road (now U.S. 12) which foowed the Sauk ndian Trai connecting Detroit with Chicago, saw the deveopment potentia of the caims, which contained and that possessed more potentia for water power and was more open and eve than that at Woodruff's Grove. With the competion of the road survey, Woodward, Harwood and Stewart began to deveop their caims, specuating heaviy by seing ots. When the road passed north of Woodruff's Grove, Woodruff and his neighbors picked 1 -,; j_ '...,>: up stakes and moved to the center of the new town, which was named Ypsianti, in honor of the Greek patriots Demetrius and Aexander Ypsianti, by Judge Woodward. The od Godfrey cabin was the first residence in the new viage, serving as home for Oiver Whitmore, Justice of the Peace. The first county eection to send a deegate to Congress was hed there in May of As the Erie Cana and other improvements in transportation eased the hardships invoved in setting the frontier, Ypsianti deveoped aong the ines of pioneer settements throughout the Northwest Territory. Most setters were from New York and New Engand. They brought their architecture, ideas, and enterprising spirit with them, so the eary deveopment in Ypsianti had a decidedy Yankee nature. Land-use patterns were determined which sti appy to this day. Eary industry, consisting primariy of four and umber miing, custered around the river with much of the activity being on the east side of the J! f: 33

36 t river north of the Chicago Road. This was due to the fa of the river J... { in that area, and the infuence of eary deveopers such as Mark Norris who acquired and and buit the mis. A business district deveoped adjacent to the mis, aong Cross Street east of the river. A second business district, centering at first on servicing traveers and outfitting those moving on west (Ypsianti was for severa years a primary outfitting center for westward and northward migration in Michigan) deveoped aong the Chicago Road (ater caed Congress Street, now Michigan Avenue). Both districts were aso commercia centers for the agricutura deveopment of the surrounding rura areas. Both commercia areas continued to deveop and diversify, resuting in a considerabe! rivary between the two, which sti exists to some extent today. The viage was patted in Commercia buidings were to be found on both sides of the river by that year. As the two business districts deveoped, residentia areas grew around them. The finest residences ).. t 11 from the eary days through 1900 were to be found aong Congress Street west of and within the commercia district, aong Huron Street to the west of and running parae to the river and River Street, to the east of and parae to the Huron. Two pubic squares were aid out, one each at the east and the west ends of Congress Street. The deveopment of Ypsianti and of transportation systems proceeded together. Washtenaw County was estabished in 1826 (being a part of Wayne County prior to that date). Ypsianti was incorporated as a viage in Athough the Chicago Road had been surveyed under 34

37 Judge Woodward's direction severa years earier, the Chicago Pike, aso known as the Sauk Trai, did not officiay open unti 1835, thereafter becoming the great road to the west with new tovns springing up aong its ength. Ypsianti's first great period of growth resuted from its f strategic ocation on the road. Trave from Detroit had been by stagecoach since 1830; and by 1832, three stage ines served Ypsianti. Severa efforts were made to open the river to commercia navigation, J but none of these succeeded. The great eap forward occurred in February of 1838 when the first train of the Centra Rairoad (ater the Michigan Centra, then New York Centra, now Conrai) arrived at the depot ocated at Cross and River Streets in Ypsianti. The ine reached Chicago in Miing, umber and rea estate interests had succeeded in getting the rairoad to ocate on the east side, resuting in a good 1. '.'.. dea of deveopment occurring around the depot. A second rairoad came to town in 1870, connecting Ypsianti with Hisdae, ater becoming a!. branch of the New York Centra. '. Athough the coming of the rairoad was seen as a boom to the town's deveopment, in actuaity it ed to a sow decine at most, or a stagnation, at east, in the industria growth of Ypsianti (growth in other sectors of the economy kept the city as a whoe in reative prosperity). As previousy mentioned, miing and outfitting/agricutura suppy were 1.1 ; f the major industries. As the rairoad pushed west, the mis and stores came to serve ony the immediate area surrounding Ypsianti. Thus, no major industria expansion occurred (with the exception of paper manufacturing) from the time of major miing activity of 1830 to 1870 to the Detroit area's automotive boom in the eary 1900's. 35

38 < ' Whie deveoping rapidy, Ypsianti sti had the appearance of a frontier community in the 1840's. Most stores, residences and mis were roughy buit of wood (though a few dignified wood and brick homes coud be seen). The viage was cosey bounded by dense forests, roing his and swamps. Roads were often impassabe in winter and spring. n part, making up for Ypsianti's faiure to deveop into a major industria center,.,as its emergence as an important focus of pubic education in Michigan. The first schoohouse was buit in 1832; and from that date through the 1840's various opportunities for pubic and private education existed. Severa eary efforts to provide eementary and secondary courses ed to the estabishment of the Ypsianti Seminary. This institution began as a private schoo, but the town saw the vaue of pubic education and purchased the Seminary to provide it. The Mode Schoo, as it was caed, opened its doors in 1849, accepting boarding students from out of town as we as oca residents. This schoo was said to be the first "graded" schoo in Michigan, and was highy regarded throughout the state. Simutaneousy with the deveopment of the Seminary/Mode Schoo, the Michigan State Norma Schoo (now Eastern Michigan University) got its start. Founded in 1849, its history dates to 1837 when the Michigan State Legisature passed an act to seect a suitabe site for a schoo to train teachers. Severa communities vied for the schoo, \'ith Ypsianti being successfu on the basis of a generous offer of and, money and community support. The first buiding, Od Main (demoished} 36

39 1 -: f was dedicated in 1852, with the first cass enroment isted as 122. The State Norma Coege at Ypsianti was the fifth teaching coege estabished in the United States, and the first west of the Aegheny Mountains. From this one buiding on a sma site at the western edge of town (on Cross Street) has deveoped the present Eastern Michigan University campus consisting of 42 buidings on 459 acres. Enroment 1 ;. J today stands at more than 18,000. Ypsianti's first Back famiies, who ocated in town in 1842, opened a strong association with back history. With the rise of anti-savery 1 '_, f sentiment in the North carne the estabishment of the Underground Rairoad in the 1850's. There were severa stations in Ypsianti, with severa Back and white "conductors." The town as a whoe was toerant, if not supportive, of this activity. The Back popuation remained sma unti the industria boom of the 1910's and 1920's; but many Backs were prominent in town affairs from the eary days. The Back community has been centered on the south side of the Congress Street business district for many years, due to the presence there of eary '_'. 1 1'.. i 1 Back schoos and churches. The face of the Congress Street business district was changed substantiay as the resut of a disastrous fire in As in so many other communities, the quicky-buit wood structures typica of the day offered itte resistance to fire. Thirty-three buidings were destroyed; but soon new we-buit and substantia-ooking brick buidings were rising to take their paces. 37

40 ' to.:.;....,. /;\".. \ \... ' \.!.. >.. \ <,... ( rr.. " ' ( '' t p c. i :.; '.. r r to,.. o. J r.,ua "'

41 1.. i ; :.! t!!.. i ' t The previousy-mentioned competition between the "East Viage" and the "West Side" continued to grow during the dynamic 1840's and 1850's. The east boasted of its mis and rairoad station, the west of its merchants and the town post office. Fear of one side or the other receiving inadequate returns on its tax doars ed to the secession of the east side from the viage in 1857 to set up East Ypsianti. A president and board of trustees were eected; but apparenty fears and jeaousies were overcome by the reaization that promotion and government service woud ;; '.... suffer from the division. n 1858, the sides were reconcied and the State Legisation chartered the City of Ypsianti. The tota popuation (i 1 1!.. " was estimated at 5,000. Maps of the period show the ayout of the city to be cose to that of the district proposed in this nomination in terms of the extent and boundaries of deveopment. The industria character of the Huron Riverfront continued to deveop as new, sma industries ocated aong the river and the rairoad, mis expanded and such new faciities as a gas pant for street ighting (1858) were buit. Bridges had been buit at Congress (Michigan Avenue), Cross Street, and Forest (ony two additiona bridges, on Spring Street and Leforge Street, have been buit since). r i ij ' r When the Civi War broke out, Ypsianti was caught in the patriotic fever; the city's contribution of men and commerce were proudy made; but the continued deveopment of the city progressed with itte interruption. Sma industries such as breweries, carriage component manufacturers, cabinet making, and others continued to open; some survived for ong periods, others quicky faied. The Norma Schoo expanded at 39

42 1 :.. ' a rapid rate, and the area's merchants and services came to depend a great dea on the students who were attracted to the schoo... ' A major industria deveopment was the estabishment of the Peninsua Paper Company in Whie severa sma paper mis had existed 1. previousy, none were of the scae of the Peninsua. Located just.. northwest of the city imits on the south bank of the Huron (near 1! ' ' 1... ; f LeForge Street), the mi prospered, in part thanks to its owners' ties to the Chicago Tribune, resuting in an excusive contract with that newspaper to suppy paper. The company buit a second mi in 1873, whie another mi, that of the Ypsianti Paper Company, was buit in 1874 about a haf mie west of the Peninsua. The Peninsua Paper Company continues in operation today, in severa buidings adjacent to the LeForge Street bridge. Rea estate deveopment continued during the war with equa activity on j the east, west and south sides. The Congress Street and Cross Street } business districts continued to prosper and serve their areas of town. (with some speciaization drawing those from "cross-town" as we) ; 1.. From the end of the Civi War in 1865 to 1870, the Norma Schoo continued to expand its enroment and faciities. The city began to provide a wider range of services, and such organizations as the Ladies Library Association and the Od Lyceum provided for cutura needs. Many fires occurred in the business districts, resuting in imposing Victorian-era, brick repacement structures. An organized fire department was estabished 40

43 in 1873, financed argey by the Cornwe Paper Mi, which had an interest in efficient fire protection. The industria economy of Ypsianti experienced a brief boom in the 1880's keeping pace with the burgeoning American economy. Cothing items such as dress stays and underwear were among the goods manufactured and widey distributed. Retaiing, ikewise, expanded to serve the town and the Norma Schoo. The Ypsianti Opera House on Congress Street and the Norma Schoo's Conservatory of Music were both opened in the eary 1880's, boosting the city's cutura status. The Opera House was considered the finest buiding in the city, buit of poychrome brick in the Second Empire stye. However, the buiding was destroyed by a tornado in The accidenta discovery of minera water in Ypsianti in 1882 brought another spurt in the city's economy. Seeking pure water for its factory, the Ypsianti Paper Company dried a we which produced water considered to have great medicina vaue. Other wes were dried neary with the same resuts. Two sanitariums were buit to capitaize on the discovery and the we water was sod throughout the nation. However, no buidings i, reating to the minera springs remain. n 1883, Ypsianti's educationa base was expanded with the founding of Ceary Coege. Begun as a schoo of penmanship, the schoo prospered as it capitaized on technoogy, offering courses in etegraphy, type- 41

44 '.r j ' writing and shorthand. The coege erected a buiding for its use in ';. i i J t J For severa years starting in 1915, the coege was affiiated with the Norma Schoo. Today, Ceary Coege is ocated in a newer buiding outside the study area, and is an independent business coege. The 1880's and 1890's were years of refinement, redeveopment and technoogica change in Ypsianti. Teephone service was introduced in 1884; fagstone sidewaks were instaed in 1886, eectric ights in City water service was provided in 1889 when a pump station on the river and a water tower (isted on the Nationa Register) across Cross Street from the Norma Schoo were erected. Buidings considered f... ';. ' to be andmarks, incuding the Water Tower, Starkweather Ha on the Norma Schoo campus and the Starkweather Memoria Chape in Highand Cemetery, and severa fine commercia bocks aong Michigan Avenue, were buit during this period. Free mai deivery was impemented in 1889, and street car service to Ann Arbor was inaugurated in The ine was eectrified in 1898; and the "Ypsi-Ann" inked Ypsianti with Detroit, Ann Arbor, Saine and Jackson by Ypsianti's park system had its beginnings in 1892 when a Park mprovement Society was estabished by severa young women of the city. Prospect J 1: { ;,... Park was the most immediate resut when the bodies in the od cemetery on the site were moved to Highand Cemetery. Prospect Park came to be known for its fowers and pond. A dancing paviion and band stand were provided. Gibert Park on East Michigan Avenue was once the eastern Pubic Square. Recreation Park on Congress Street was for a ong time 42

45 the fair grounds. ts major features were a fine oak grove, a swimming poo, a cubhouse and a gymnasium. Waterworks Park was we-iked for its riverside ocation and fower gardens. The area behind the Quirk. ' House became a series of beautifu terraces eading to open pay fieds and river banks foowing its donation to the city in 1914 by Danie L. Quirk. The Quirk property, Waterworks Park, and the immacuatey main-. tained grounds of the Michigan Centra depots (famous for eaborate fora designs), a contributed to the estabishment of the river bottom area between Forest and Michigan Avenue as an area of natura beauty and recreationa opportunity at a reativey eary date in the city's history. n 1913, the firm of noted andscape architect Frederick Law Omstead prepared a report which outined proposed improvements eading to a Genera City Pan. This report, dated 31 December 1913, was 93 pages ong and prefaced by the comment "city panning means keeping everastingy at it aong those ines, with an outook as broad as the whoe city and as far-reaching into the future as reason and sound judgement wi carry." The report was in two parts. The first part entited The Main Probems and the Main Methods of Deaing with them. This part was broken into... '.'. 1 ; i..; J eight sections as foows: A. Steam rairoads and industria districts B. Eectric Carines and Main Thoroughfares c. The aying out of Secondary Streets and Loca Subdivisions 43

46 1.- ' ;, 11 D. Detai of Street Design!. :,1 ] J E. Pubic Parks and Paygrounds F. The River and its Shores G. Cemeteries H. Pubic Buidings and the Civic Life ] ' Part two was entited Specific Suggestions which isted the foowing 39 items: 1. Congress Street East 2. South Huron Street 3. Chicago Avenue and a portion of Hest Congress Street 4. Geddes Avenue 5. West Congress Street 6. North Huron Street 7. River Street! f 8. East Forest Avenue 9. East Cross Street 10. Prospect Street 11. Davis Street extension and reservation 12. Rawsonvie Road and Bee Street extension 13. Proposed extensions of Harris and Race Streets 14. Proposed South Bouevard 15. Harriet Street widening and extension 16. Hamiton Street extension 17. Brower Street extension North and South 18. West Bouevard extension 44

47 19. Proposed Norma Vaey Parkway 20. Proposed North Shore Parkway 21. First Avenue extension 22. North Shore Park 23. Frog sand and the adjacent river shores 24. Centra River Park 25. East shore of the river between Cross and Congress Streets 26. River shores of Congress Street Bridge 27. The Barnard Meadows and the east bank of the river 28. Waterworks Park 29. South River Park 30. River Shores South of proposed South Bouevard 31. Highand cemetery 32. Prospect Park 33. Fifth Ward Park 34. Recreation Park 35. State Norma Coege 36. Water Tower 37. High Schoo and proposed Manua Training Schoo 38. Raiway Station and yards 39. Proposed pubic and semi-pubic buidings aong Huron Street overooking the river Other invovements of the Omstead office in Ypsianti incuded specifications for ba fied and payground and the suggestions for construetion of a sheter buiding in Ypsianti Recreation Park, 1908 to

48 There was a report prepared for City Ha Park, for Prospect Park, for River Park in back of the City Ha, for the Fifth Ward Park, on Juy 19th, 1916 which incuded panting ists and a pond designed for Prospect 1 :. f 1. f Park. An interesting episode invoving principes of urban design sti debated today occurred in the ate 1890's. For severa years, arge wooden awnings, which residents caed sheds, had projected from buiding fronts to provide shade and protection from weather. Some in town fet they were od fashioned and unattractive. Editorias and etters in Ann Arbor and Ypsianti newspapers fueed the controversy. When the city counci voted to remove the sheds, storekeepers choose to defy the order; so at midnight on November 3, 1899, a City-empoyed work crew demoished the sheds. Soon thereafter, merchants adopted canvas awnings f to suit the same purpose. The first decade of the 20th Century saw southeast Michigan in the midst of a remarkabe industria boom. The avaiabiity of arge suppies of r.. hardwood; economica shipping, via the Great Lakes, for transport of coa, iron ore and stee; and the coincidenta proximity of a number of innovative, enterprising inventors and industriaists ed to Detroit and Fint becoming centers of the rapidy growing automobie industry. For a time, however, Ypsianti did not share in that growth except to become a bedroom community for workers in the nearby River Rouge compex of the Ford Motor Company (easiy accessibe by bus or interurban). The estabishment of severa sma companies reated to the auto industry 46

49 j. and the rapid expansion of the Norma Schoo due to the state's increasing weath kept the city from decining, however. At the university, severa : i new departments were added, major new buidings constructed and enroment was greaty increased during the period of Efforts to promote the city were boosted when the Ypsianti Board of Commerce was organized in Among its many acitivites was the buiding of the Huron Hote to suppant the city's od hosteries and provide a first-cass hote faciity. ts construction was financed by seing shares to townspeope. The hote opened on New Year's Day in The buiding was recenty converted to office use, with a popuar restaurant on the main foor, using the historic preservation tax incentives provided by the Tax Reform Act of The city imped through the Depression bouyed by the continuing (though temporariy sowed) growth of the auto industry and the Norma Schoo. n 1931, the Ford Motor Company purchased the od Cornwe Paper Mi on Factory Street to construct a parts pant. The pant began operations in 1932, empoying severa hundred empoyees. Except for a period i.' '; : ' 1 during Word War when it produced defense parts, the pant has continuousy produced auto parts, expanding from 63,000 square feet in 1932 to amost 1,000,000 square feet in Henry Ford aso purchased severa hundred acres aong a stream caed Wiow Run east of the city. The and was used as a farm/camp for sons of Word War veterans from 1939 to With the invovement of the t 47

50 United States in Word War, the U.S. Government chose the Ford Motor Company, with its expertise in mass production and reputation for efficiency, to buid a huge manufacturing compex to construct the B-24 "Liberator" bomber which became the workhorse of America's air forces. Construction of the Wiow Run pant began in Apri of 1941, and the air fied was competed in the foowing December. Whie the factory was outside the city imits, it had a tremendous impact on Ypsianti. The pant at one point empoyed 42,000 workers, many of whom moved to the Ypsianti area from out of state. Others were provided with easy access from Detroit via the newy-constructed fourane Wiow Run Expressway. As the city had no excess housing stock (the coege aone taxed the housing suppy), government housing was buit between the factory and the east city imits. The city's economy boomed as much as it coud under war time restrictions. The new community of Wiow Run was bigger in popuation than Ypsianti by At its peak, the Wiow Run Bomber Pant produced one bomber every hour of every day. The three-quarter-mie ong assemby ine produced 8,685 B-24's by the end of the war. Even before the end, however, improvements in pant efficiency had reduced the work force to 16,000. By December of 1945, ony 600 famiies remained in Wiow Run. The area's housing quicky found new users, however, as returning war veterans and their famiies were housed in the "temporary" Wiow Run Viage dormitories... ' i and apartments, originay buit to ast no more than five years. with G.. Bi students increasing enroment, the expanding student Then, 48

51 h: ranks at the Norma Coege and at the nearby University of Michigan caused the excess Wiow Run housing stock to be offered for student housing. J ' The Wiow Run factory was converted to peace time use as an auto assemby pant by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation in The company f 1.1 J ;. j ceased operations in 1953 and, soon thereafter, Genera Motors purchased the compex. Since then, additiona buidings have been buit. Prior to recent recessions, the pant empoyed over 12,000 peope Wiow Run Airport was the major Detroit/Metropoitan area airport from the end of Word War to 1966, when a new faciity designed for jet aircraft opened a few mies southeast of Wiow Run. The od airport is now a center for private aircraft, air freight and University of Michigan research faciities. " 1! f,! q i i J JJ The Wiow Run Viage housing was repaced by sprawing suburban deveopment in the 1950's and 1960's, part of the suburban Detroit region that presses against Ypsianti's eastern boundary. The City of Ypsianti's ties to Detroit were improved with the construe- 1'.. i tion of nterstate 94 freeway ( ). This, aong with the city's proximity to Ann Arbor, symboize its reationships with the auto industry and with the educationa estabishment of the Ypsianti-Ann Arbor area. \ Recent deveopment has been subject to the cycica nature of the auto. ).. industry; but the city has escaped the devastating effects of singe- 49

52 industry dependence, such as that of Fint, by virtue of the importance of higher education. Unti just recenty, Eastern Michigan University (as Michigan's State Norma Coege was renamed in 1956), gave the city a reativey stabe economy; but with the state's worsening financia situation, even the educationa sector has begun to suffer. The deveopment of Ypsianti has hit another of the us characteristic of its history. Today, the city, through its history, is simpe to understand, and ceary refects its deveopment. The current and area is acres, whie the popuation is about 24,000. The Michigan Avenue and Cross Street commercia areas remain the business centers, with the addition of severa bocks of Cross Street west of the river which changed to business use after the 1900's to serve the needs of the Norma Schoo students and facuty. ndustry remains concentrated aong the river/rairoad corridor. Residentia deveopment from the eariest settement to 1920 is for the most part contained within the study area boundaries. A second tier of home construction from the boom years of ' r can be discerned to the north and west of the Summit-Norma area, and to the east of the Eastern Viage neighborhood. A third ring is to the south and west of Michigan Avenue and South Hamiton cose to -94, and to the north and south of the eary residentia neighborhood tied to the Depot Town commercia area, whie the most recent deveopment ' r is to the west and north within and beyond the city imits. The campus has expanded in a directions except south (toward the city) from its origina ocation. 50

53 The city sti possesses a remarkabe stock of historic houses, the basis for the Nationa Register district estabished in The finest are aong Huron, with severa on River Street and some houses scattered on the fringe of the downtovm and near the university. Depot Town, as the commercia area which grew up around the rairoad station and served the Eastern Viage, as now caed, has benefitted tremendousy from a continuing historic preservation/urban design/redeveopment effort. The same eve of preservation activity has not been achieved u by the Michigan Avenue commercia estabishments, probaby because of the extent of renovation of historic structures that occurred in the past; the fact that the Depot Town area had deteriorated further; and k. fj \ f because of the obtrusive effects of Michigan Avenue, a wide, busy state and federa vehicuar route. The residentia stock has benefitted from federa and oca district designation and the efforts of the Historic District Commission, as we ' ; : J as city programs such as Bock Grant housing rehabiitation oans and grants. Many of the great eary and Victorian-era houses have been preserved or restored. ndividua preservation success stories are pentifu. The restoration and re-use of the Od City Ha, the Ypsianti Historica Society's use of the Asa Dow House, the adaptive re-use of the Huron Hote, the conversian of the Od Post Office to the Pubic Library, the various improvements and rehabiitations in Depot Town, the riverfront park deveopment, the preservation of the Water Tower and Starkweather Ha on the E.M.U. campus, the Ladies Library Society house restoration and many individua 51

54 efforts a attest to the quaity of Ypsianti's buiding stock and the commitment of city and citizens. There have been setbacks, such as the recent controversy surrounding the improvement of a Michigan Avenue commercia buiding which has resuted in the discussion concerning the remova of the Michigan Avenue area from the oca historic district and the apparent indifference of the Eastern Michigan University Administration to the continuing deterioration of Wech Ha, one of the eariest remaining university buidings. However, these setbacks do not detract from the City's success in using historic preservation as a way to save and utiize its historic buidings, neighborhoods, and settings on a daiy basis. The continuing preservation debate keeps these issues before the pubic. The debate and ongoing projects promise to set the tone for the next severa years of Ypsianti's history in the same way projects just described have heped define the past twenty years. Sites of Significance in Back History The Underground Rairoad was neither underground nor a rairoad, but did.; provide a method of escape for thousands of saves on their way to Canada. Ypsiantians were heaviy invoved in operating way stations from the very ; beginning of this activity which increased after the Fugitive Save Act of Though there were severa rest stops at homes or in barns in or around Ypsianti, the most noted ocations were at the residence of Mark Norris on River Street, the Leonard Chase home on Cross Street, and the home of George McCoy, who ived in the Starkweather Pace just off,. :. i J i'. i 52

55 Forest Avenue. n t t A major route brought the escapees from Toedo to Bissfied, through Adrian, Cinton, Saine, Ann Arbor, Ypsianti, Romuus or Pymouth, to Detroit, for crossing into Canada. George McCoy, a former save from Kentucky, moved his famiy to Ypsianti about 1854, where he ived on the Starkweather Farm. Here he engaged in the manufacture of cigars from tobacco which he raised and bought from his feow farmers. An active participant in the Underground Rairoad, he reguary transported escaped saves to Detroit in conceaed compartments of his wagon. Eijah McCoy, son of a former save, moved with his famiy to Ypsianti when he was about ten years od. When he was about 16, his father sent him to Scotand where he was either apprenticed or schooed in engineering. Foowing his return to Ypsianti about 1865, he went to work for the Michigan Centra Rairoad as a fireman. Later he worked for Edwards, McKinstry, & Van Ceve. McCoy's invention of an oi cup for use on rairoad engines started him off on a series of inventions which brought him wide accaim, particuary from the owners of the rairoads. McCoy. i '.] eventuay moved to Detroit about 1882, but continued his activities in that ine we into the 1920's producing more than 60 inventions. John Hiram Fox, of Afro-American descent, grew up in Pittsfied Township, but ived with the Nathan Foett famiy whie going to high schoo in Ypsianti. Foowing his graduation from the University of Michigan, he practiced aw and sod insurance from his office in Ypsianti at the Hawkins House Hote which sti stands at the northeast corner of Huron and Congress. He died in June of 1886 at the age of

56 r i ' L ' ' Soomon Bow, an Afro-American, operated a grocery store at 52 South Washington, near Harriet, from the eary 1870's unti his death about His wife continued the business after his death. A son ater entered the business of house moving which asted we into the 20th century. James Trust, an Afro-American, opened a barber shop on the corner of Washington and Michigan in 1840, becoming the first with that background to operate a business in Ypsianti. His shop was the forerunner of a ucrative iveihood for other Afro-Americans we into the 20th century. ' : i The Second Baptist Church was started by 11 persons of the Afro-American community who met at Adams Street Schoo. They continued meeting there unti 1864 when the od Presbyterian Church buiding on Pearson Street, between Adams and Hamiton Streets, was purchased. A third ocation was on the west side at 207 Babbitt Street. A fourth meeting pace was on the "south side of Chicago (Michigan Avenue), between Norma and Baard Streets. Moving to its present ocation about 1890, it has remained in (!' t that ocation. The present structure was competed in Brown Chape African Methodist Episcopa Church grew from informa meetings hed in the homes of Syus Jones and Forence Thompson, the atter a runaway save, in n 1847, papers of incorporation for the African Methodist Episcopa Society were fied with the County Court in Ann Arbor. A minister was assigned in 1855, and the and on which the buiding now stands was donated by Jesse and!sa Stewart in The current buiding, the third, was competed in

57 Adams Street Schoo deveoped from a desire to estabish the neighborhood concept, and was first opened in 1860, under the eadership of John W. Ha, a cooper by trade. Wiiam saac Burdine came in 1864 and was the head teacher for severa years. Accomodating the first four grades, a move to expand the schoo was defeated in the courts in t ceased operation as a schoo with the competion of the Harriet Street Schoo (now Perry Chid Deveopment Center), in C. Archaeoogica Significance A review of archaeoogica iterature for southeastern Michigan indicates that imited research has been conducted within the city and county. Research in the Ypsianti area is marked by surveys dating from the first quarter of the twentieth century (Hinsdae 1927, 1931), amatuer research (Hoy and Fouchey 1981) and one professiona investigation (Shott 1980). The major cutura/historica traditions identified for the eastern [ r portion of North America can be isted as: f Paeo-ndian Archaic 13, B.C B.C. Woodand 1000-A.D Historic post c. A.D.1650 Direct evidence for occupation of Ypsianti during any of these periods is imited to the atter part of the Woodand and the Historic period 55

58 ( 1 : ' i f i! 1 (Fitting 1970). Fitting (1965, 1970, 1978), Brose (1978), Caender, Pope and Pope (1978), and Tuck (1978) have a reported that the southeastern Michigan area was one of constanty shifting cutura affiiations and that a number of ndian groups are known to have occupied the area whie on their way to the western akes or from the ower to the upper Great Lakes. The groups known to have passed through the region incude, 1!! r, (':''. the Fox, Potawatomi (Cifton 1978), Kickapoo (Caender, Pope an Pope 1978) and Huron or "Huron-Like (Fitting 1970). Review of the research of W.B. Hinsdae during the eary part of this f, century reveas that the transient nature of these occupations is 1',* y strongy supported. Hinsdae (1927) reports that no ess than five ndian trais crossed the present ocation of the City of Ypsianti. The most prominent of these was aong the present day Michigan Avenue route. Other trais paraeed the Huron River on both banks, whie some are traced by the present day Prospect and Cross-Packard Streets (Hinsdae 1927, Hoy and Fouchey 1981). Hinsdae conducted a considerabe amount of research in the state and is best known for the most impressive archaeoogica site in Washtenaw County, the mound which f:. 3 bears his name ocated on the campus of Concordia Coege. On the basis of the impressive artifacts recovered by Hinsdae from this mound, the site dates to the atter part of the Woodand period. Hinsdae aso 1,1 recorded severa other sites within the Ypsianti city imits. Modern era scientific research into the archaeoogy of Ypsianti is imited to that of Shott (1980) who conducted a preiminary survey into 56

59 the Riverside Park area for the City Community Deveopment Department. Shott paced shove tests in the park area and ocated one seaed 1890's trash dump. The Michigan History Division maintains archaeoogica site fies and maps a recorded sites on standard U.S. Geoogica Survey quadranges. Recorded sites are identified by a nationa system which gives state (Michigan 20), County (Washtenaw = WA) and sequence number (1, 2, 3, ). A review of Michigan History Division site fies and maps resuted in the identification of eeven recorded sites. Approximate ocations of thse sites are shown on Map. Two sites, 20WA89 and 20WA124, not taken from Michigan History Division maps, have had their ocations interpreted on the basis of a avaiabe data. No effort was made to ocate or verify any of these sites, its existence or to search for any 1. j ' as yet unrecorded site within the corporate imits of the city....? 1 t!. f ' r r. Archaeoogica Potentia Based upon the review of previous research, reevant iterature, examination of state site fies and years of previous archaeoogica experience (Abers and Stinson 1981, Stinson and Wheaton 1982 and Stinson eta. 1980) an estimation of the prehistoric and historic archaeoogica potentia has been made for the City of Ypsianti. The resut is indicated on map. No differentiation has been made between prehistoric and historic potentia because the two often occur together and are of equa scientific vaue shoud there be a site at any particuar ocation. ( 57

60 Areas of the greatest historic archaeoogica potentia incude the vicinity of the origina Woodruff's Grove settement near the intersection of Grove and Prospect Street and an area bounded by Cross, Park, Catherine and Hamiton Streets. Within this area are numerous oder homes and businesses which coud have associated archaeoogica deposits dating to earier historic or prehistoric occupations. Aso incuded in this area are a number of eary 19th century industria and commercia deveopments aong the Huron River incuding four and wooen mis (Coburn 1923). Shott (1980) and Stinson consider the potentia for archaeoogica research to be high within the City of Ypsianti. There appears to have been imited subsurface modification of the eary Ypsianti andscape. f this is the case, data of considerabe importance to a better understanding of the deveopment of Ypsianti from settement to frontier to an urban center coud be seaed under the yards, streets and standing structures of today. That this is a possibiity is demonstrated by the arge amount of research recenty conducted in the downtowns of major cities such as Washington, D.C.; New York and Phiadephia. Archaeoogists invoved in these projects have been surprised to discover that intact and we-preserved materias exist where one woud have 1 previousy thought there woud have been considerabe disturbance caused by ater construction. n order to protect potentiay vauabe archaeoogica materia from destruction, the city shoud continue with its program of professiona survey investigations preceding construction. n the event that materias shoud be discovered during construction, the State Historic Preservation Office shoud be contacted immediatey. 58

61 TABLE 1 Reference Map A Site No. 20WA22 20WA23 20WA24 20WA35 20WA51 20WA89 20WA122 20WA123 20HA124 20WA136 20WA142 Occupation Prehistoric Prehistoric Prehistoric Prehistoric Prehistoric Prehistoric (?) Prehistoric Historic Historic Historic Historic Prehistoric Site Data Hinsdae reference-cemetery Hinsdae reference-viage Hinsdae reference-viage campsite, no other data amatuer coection, very arge area which probaby incudes the ocations of 20WA22 and 20WA35 No exact ocation, artifacts at University of Michigan Museum of Anthropoogy Beakes and Coburn referencescemetery Trading post referenced by Beakes and Coburn, Godfroy Pepin-Chambre Beakes and Coburn references, Trading post Godfrey-Pepin Chambre mis-mapped in state fies 1880's dump no site data Tota Sites Prehistoric Occupations Historic Occupations L

62 ( r ' r!i!.,.. 8 r. - [;..J ii.,-... i L MAP "A" '"' h.j ra ' r.. r i: 1:; # 60

63 . Review of Previous Surveys Ypsianti's weath of fine historic architecture has been known-to residents of the city and to those throughout the state for many years. As mentioned esewhere, preservation activities have been underway in Ypsianti for at east 70 years. t shoud come as no surprise, then, that the origina Ypsianti Historic District was one of the first and one of the argest (at the time) historic districts to be nominated and isted in Michigan. At the time, however, the requirements for district designation were not as rigorous or thorough as they are nmv. Thus, no buiding-by-buiding survey was undertaken or documented. Those who prepared the nomination knew the area we; and a ist of those buidings that shoud be incuded were easy to formuate. That ist, and photographs of most (or a) of those buidings, pus the nomination form, is a the forma documentation of the district that exists. No survey forms or cards (with photos and sides), no ist of owners or of contributing versus non-contributing buidings, and no substantia statements of architectura or historica significance of the district as a whoe were written. Hhen severa bocks were added to the district some time ater, the same ack of documentation was in evidence. Thus, the survey documented in this report is the first compete survey of Ypsianti undertaken. V. Survey Methodoogy The project commenced with a windshied survey of the entire city of Ypsianti to deineate the boundaries of the genera study area within which a buidings and structures woud be inventoried on Michigan 61

64 History Division cards. This survey was carried out by the consutant team, with the addition of Richard Hood of the City Panning Department, and Robert 0. Christensen of the Michigan History Division. Based on this survey, preiminary district boundaries were estabished and the area to be inventoried in detai was designated. Severa Eastern Michigan University graduate preservation program students, a trained in survey techniques and photography, carried out 1 :.. ' the fied work, using Michigan History Division guideines and consutantdesigned inventory forms to document a the structures in the inventory area. The fied information, photos and other data were transferred to Michigan History Division inventory cards. The ocations of a recorded 1... properties were mapped. Once inventory forms and cards were competed, the consutant team evauated every structure using Nationa Register and History Division criteria and 105-point scoring system to refine district boundaries and to determine andmark structures and pivota buidings. A review session with the Historic District Commission was hed to discuss the proposed individua sites and districts, and a further refinement of the boundaries took pace. The fina ist of individua sites and the fina district boundaries w ere determined as a resut of a meeting of the consutant team and Robert Christensen of the r r History Division in February, This nomination, aong w ith the pubication of a fina survey/panning report describing the project, the resources, and the potentia uses of the information coected, represents the end product of the project. r 62

65 The survey undertaken represents an assessment of a historic and architectura resources that are at east fifty years od at the present date. Whie there ceary is more research that coud be done in these two categories, the basic work has been competed to the eve of detai required. Further archaeoogica research and fied work shoud be considered, as outined in the archaeoogica summary presented ater in this nomination. There shoud, furthermore, be a continuing effort to update the survey documentation in ight of changing trends and the passage of time. At east one area of the city, that to the west of the proposed new district boundary and to the south of the university, has a ; i ' 1 '.. i definite character and consistent architecture. t was excuded ony because of the reative newness of much of its architecture: most of the residences in the area were buit in the ate 1930's or eary 1940's. Whie not meeting today's criteria, in a few years the neighborhood may very we quaify as a district. So whie the survey and nomination project may be thorough and compete as of 1983, in a few years more information wi be required and expansion of the district boundary may be a rea possibiity and/or necessity.! 1. i. f V. Anaysis of Probems The project team was carefuy assembed for the Ypsianti survey project. The four principas were a very famiiar with the city and surrounding area and the city's buidings. The fied surveyors were a students at Eastern Michigan University, and most ived in Ypsianti. Thus, the ogistics of the survey were easy to work out. Famiiarity with the resources being surveyed aowed the principas to research 63

66 and evauate easiy and thoroughy. The city administration had ong advocated historic preservation as a panning, deveopment and redeveopment too. As a resut, the reationship between the consutants and the city was aways positive and mutuay beneficia. The same can be said for the reationship between the consutants and the Michigan History Division, Department of State. The eve of cooperation and mutua assistance during a phases of the survey and nomination preparation assured a smoothy-functioning project. i,, :i!1!!, 1 n :, r. f Ji ij J There were no significant probems in defining or carrying out the work. The ony probem throughout the project was one of time, or the ack of it. Certain eements of the survey work, in particuar, took onger than expected. Specificay, processing of project photographs took more time than the consutants aowed for; and this resuted in deays further down the ine. These deays resuted in a shortened schedue for review and comment on the draft nomination and report. However, with the cooperation of the City of Ypsianti and the Michigan Department of State, the fina schedue was adjusted to aow sufficient time to produce survey documentation, nomination and report of the expected and desired quaity. t

67 V. List of Sites A. DSTRCTS AND STRUCTURES N YPSLANT CULRENTLY LSTED N THE NATONAL REGSTER Ypsianti Historic District Ladies' Literary Cub Buiding (Wiiam M. Davis House) 218 North Washington Starkweather Reigious Center 901 Forest (Eastern Michigan University campus) Ypsianti Water Works Standpipe Summit and Cross Streets Brinkerhoff - Becker House Forest at Perrin Streets B. DSTRCTS & STRUCTURES NOMNATED TO THE NATONAL REGSTER AS A RESULT OF THS SURVEY Ypsianti Historic District Enargement Eastern Michigan University Historic District Highand Cemetery Historic District Brown Chape African Methodist Episcopa Church (39:24) 401 S. Adams First Ward/Adams Schoo (39:16) 407 S. Adams Abeson House (15:15) 304 Jarvis Sherzer House (37:23) 935 Pear 65

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