Focus on Lafayette Park – A National Historic Landmark
By Daphne Hughes
Detroit is a city rich with history. From pioneering advances in the automotive and music industries to playing a major role in World War II’s Arsenal of Democracy, Detroit has influenced the world. Similarly, the city’s historic residential architecture has become internationally renowned.
One example of this distinguished style can be found in Lafayette Park on the city’s east side, which contains the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by noted architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features eight separate residential developments of varying styles.
“I’ve lived in Lafayette Park since 1967,” said Janet Jones, a resident of 1300 East Lafayette and owner of Source Booksellers in Detroit’s Midtown district. “This is my third residence in Lafayette Park. It’s been a very comfortable and easy neighborhood to live in, because of its design.”
Lafayette Park was the first planned urban renewal project in the country. The buildings were constructed between 1956 and 1965 and feature the minimalist use of steel, glass and concrete — Mies van der Rohe’s signature style.
“At the time, the Mies van der Rohe architectural ideas were very prominent,” explained Jones. “So, Detroit was able to capture that here, and the result is a really historical installation that has worked over the last 50 years or more as a place of residence where people liked living and want to live. The design was through the Bauhaus school of architecture, of which Mies van der Rohe was the leading architect of that time in what became the Mid-Century Modern tradition.”
In addition to the unique architectural history of Lafayette Park, its physical location is also steeped in history. Located between downtown Detroit and Chene Park, the community encompasses 78 acres of land in an area once known as “Black Bottom,” a predominantly African-American neighborhood in the early- to mid-1900s that got its name from the rich, dark soil and low elevation.
“Lafayette Park was actually built on Black Bottom, which was destroyed after the ’43 uprising or riot — whatever you want to call it,” said Jones. “It was about 1950 or ’53 that the houses started being built on that property. There’s a whole history of the demolition of that area, and I think when people move in they have to know what kind of shoulders they’re moving in on.”
The location offers easy access to major roadways, and popular venues like Eastern Market, the RiverWalk, Belle Isle and the Cultural Center are only a short bike ride away via the recently added Dequindre Cut Greenway. Walking paths, a spacious 19-acre park, an elementary school, and a neighborhood shopping center round out the amenities in Lafayette Park.
Prior to moving to the high-rise 1300 East Lafayette Cooperative, Jones had lived in both a two-story townhouse and a one-story courthouse in the Park. “This building offers a different amenity, because I’m up high and I love to be able to see the sunrise every morning and look at the river,” she said. “So, it’s a different kind of look. I’ve moved from living under the trees to living over the trees.”