New Amsterdam Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

New Amsterdam Historic District

Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
May 29, 2001
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
01000570

About this property

The New Amsterdam Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan. Buildings in this district are on or near three sequential east-west streets (Amsterdam, Burroughs, and York) on the two blocks between Woodward Avenue and Second Avenue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The New Amsterdam Historic District was recognized by both the National Register of Historic Places and the City of Detroit as a historic district in 2001. Specific buildings in the general area are included in the designation; these buildings are located at 435 and 450 Amsterdam Street, 41-47, and 440 Burroughs Street, 5911-5919 and 6050-6160 Cass Avenue, 6100-6200 Second Avenue, and 425 York Street. In addition, the city designation includes 6001 Cass Avenue. Major railroad infrastructure, known as the Milwaukee Junction, was built in the 1890s to facilitate industrial expansion in the city of Detroit. To take advantage of the rail line, industrial plants were built in this area on both sides of Woodward Avenue, with the automotive industry prominently involved. Part of this area east of Woodward is now the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District, while the area west of Woodward and south of the railroad tracks is the New Amsterdam Historic District. Some commercial buildings were also built in this area, particularly along Cass. Although not part of the New Amsterdam Historic District, part of the early industrial character of the area was formed by the enormous Albert Kahn-designed Burroughs Adding Machine factory at Second and Burroughs, which is now the Henry Ford Health Systems administrative offices. This building was incorporated into the University Prep School's Mark Murray Campus. === Cadillac Assembly Plant (450 Amsterdam Street) === The Cadillac Assembly Plant was designed by George D. Mason in 1905 for the Cadillac Motor Car Company. The plant was constructed in only 67 days after a fire damaged the original buildings on the site. Cadillac moved their production to the Clark Street plant in Southwest Detroit in 1920, after which Wescott Paper and other tenants leased the building. Like theAlbert-Kahn-designed Packard Motor Company Building #10, the use of reinforced concrete in this building is considered to be a pioneer application in industrial buildings. === Graphic Arts Building (41-47 Burroughs Street) === The Graphic Arts Building was designed and built in 1926 by Murphy and Burns. It features a striking terra cotta exterior. The original tenants were graphic art professionals, including a commercial engraver, a photographer, and art studios.

Location

435, 450 Amstersam;440, 41-47 Burroughs;5911-5919, 6050-6160 Cass; 6100-6200 Second; 425 York
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
42.36584, -83.07207

Categories

INDUSTRYARCHITECTUREENGINEERING
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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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
General Motors Research Laboratory
Industrial
0.2 mi
General Motors Building
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0.3 mi
Sprague, Thomas S., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Fisher Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Pontiac's War – Battle of Bloody Run July 31 1763
1763Colonial
1.7 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War, 1763)
1763Colonial
1.7 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War)
1763Colonial
1.8 mi
Pontiac's War — Battle of Bloody Run
1763Colonial
2.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was New Amsterdam Historic District listed on the National Register?

New Amsterdam Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 2001.

What type of historic resource is New Amsterdam Historic District?

New Amsterdam Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for New Amsterdam Historic District?

The period of significance for New Amsterdam Historic District is recorded as the colonial era.

Can I research the history near New Amsterdam Historic District?

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