National Register of Historic Places

Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation)

Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
April 3, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85000696

About this property

The Ossian H. Sweet House is a privately owned house located at 2905 Garland Street in Detroit, Michigan. The house was designed by Maurice Herman Finkel, and in 1925 it was bought by its second owner, physician Ossian Sweet, an African American. Soon after he moved in, the house was the site of a confrontation when a white mob of about 1,000 gathered in protest of the Sweet family moving into the formerly all-white neighborhood. Rocks thrown by the mob broke windows, and someone in the house fired out, wounding one man in the mob and killing a bystander. Sweet and ten other persons from the house were arrested for murder. Contacted by the NAACP, nationally known attorney Clarence Darrow joined their defense team. After a mistrial, in the second trial the first defendant was acquitted. The prosecution dropped charges against the remaining defendants. The case was considered important as part of the civil rights movement and establishing freedom of residence. The house was designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Location

2905 Garland St.
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
42.37019, -82.98447

Categories

ETHNIC HERITAGE-BLACKLAWSOCIAL HISTORY
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Amity Lodge No. 335 Temple-Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army Temple
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Chateau Frontenac Apartments
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Pewabic Pottery
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Hurlbut Memorial Gate
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0.7 mi
Indian Village Historic District
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Nearby Battles

Siege of Fort Detroit — British Naval Action
1763Colonial
1.6 mi
Battle of Bloody Run
1763Colonial
1.6 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Detroit, 1763)
1763Colonial
2.1 mi
Pontiac's War – Battle of Bloody Run Detroit 1763
1763Colonial
2.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation) listed on the National Register?

Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation)?

Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation) is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation)?

The period of significance for Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation) is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Sweet, Ossian H., House (Additional Documentation)?

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