National Register of Historic Places

Cultural Center Historic District

Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
November 21, 1983
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
83003791

About this property

The Cultural Center Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, which includes the Art Center (or Cultural Center): the Detroit Public Library Main Branch, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Horace H. Rackham Education Memorial Building were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district contains several cultural attractions. The Detroit Public Library and the Detroit Institute of Arts were built in the 1920s, heralding a City Beautiful movement in Detroit that aimed to establish the area along Woodward as the cultural center of the city. Wayne State University, then housed in the former Central High School, began offering four-year degrees. These institutions formed a core area that attracted other public-oriented institutions to the area, including several music schools, the Merrill-Palmer Institute, the Detroit Historical Museum, and College for Creative Studies. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Michigan Science Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit are also located in the Art Center area. Substantial residential areas, including the East Ferry Avenue Historic District and late-19th century homes to the east of the Detroit Institute of Art. These neighborhoods have been infilled with townhomes and other residential developments and revitalizations.

Location

5200, 5201 Woodward Ave., and 100 Farnsworth Ave.
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
42.35882, -83.06513

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Cultural Center Historic District

This page lists Cultural Center Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Maccabees Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Smith, Samuel L., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wardell, The
Industrial
0.1 mi
Scarab Club
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cathedral Church of St. Paul Complex
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Pontiac's War – Battle of Bloody Run July 31 1763
1763Colonial
1.2 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War, 1763)
1763Colonial
1.2 mi
Pontiac's War — Battle of Bloody Run
1763Colonial
1.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cultural Center Historic District listed on the National Register?

Cultural Center Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Cultural Center Historic District?

Cultural Center Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cultural Center Historic District?

The period of significance for Cultural Center Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Cultural Center Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cultural Center Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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