Commandant's Quarters (Dearborn, Michigan)

Last updated
Commandant's Quarters, Dearborn Arsenal
Commandants Quarters Dearborn.jpg
USA Michigan location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location21950 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, Michigan
Coordinates 42°18′23″N83°14′38″W / 42.30639°N 83.24389°W / 42.30639; -83.24389 Coordinates: 42°18′23″N83°14′38″W / 42.30639°N 83.24389°W / 42.30639; -83.24389
Area0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Built1833
ArchitectJeremiah Moors
Architectural styleFederal
NRHP reference No. 70000286 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1970
Designated MSHSAugust 23, 1956 [2]

The Commandant's Quarters at the Dearborn Arsenal is a United States military structure located at 21950 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, Michigan. Built in 1834, it is the oldest building in Dearborn still located on its original site. It is considered to be one of the seven most significant buildings in Michigan. [3] It was designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 [2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. [1]

Contents

The building is part of the Dearborn Historical Museum, which also includes the 1832 Richard Gardner House and the McFadden-Ross House (originally the 1839 Arsenal powder magazine).

History

In the early 19th century, the Detroit Arsenal was located in the city of Detroit. [3] The arsenal's main purpose was to serve as a supply depot for the United States army; storing, maintaining, and repairing arms and ammunition. [3] However, by the 1830s, the population of the city had grown such that there was fear of the stored explosives endangering the city's population. [3] The US Congress authorized the construction of a new arsenal west of Detroit in the village of Dearbornville. [3]

Construction

In July 1832, a site for the new Arsenal was selected [4] located near the Rouge River on the strategically important "Chicago Road" (now Michigan Avenue) that linked Detroit to Chicago. Approximately 1,600 acres (650 ha) was set aside for a "military reservation." [4] In July 1833, [4] work was begun on eleven buildings comprising what was at the time called the "Detroit Arsenal at Dearbornville", [2] [5] The construction of the brick arsenal lasted from 1833 to 1837. [2] The first commandant of the arsenal, Colonel Joshua Howard, proposed naming the surrounding area after Major General Henry Dearborn, a New Hampshire physician and hero of the war of Independence. Bricks for the arsenal were made locally in Dearbornville as it had rich clay deposits and a burgeoning brick industry. Sawn lumber was prepared in Detroit and barged up the Rouge River to a specially constructed dock, and slate for the roofs was imported from New York. The Dearbornville Arsenal had the first slate roofs in Michigan.

The eleven buildings of the Arsenal were spaced around a walled square, 360 feet (110 m) on a side; [6] the ten-foot-high masonry wall was thirty inches thick [4] and completely enclosed the square. [3]

These eleven buildings were the following: [6]

  1. Armory, which was the largest of the buildings and used as both a storehouse and social center. [3]
  2. Sutler's Shop, where tobacco and personal articles were sold to the soldiers. [3]
  3. Guard House
  4. Enlisted Men's Barracks
  5. Surgeon's Quarters
  6. Carpenter Shop, which around 1865 was converted into a chapel. [3]
  7. Smith's Shop
  8. Saddler's Shop, where equipment for horses was made and repaired. [3]
  9. Gun Carriage Shed
  10. Arsenal Office
  11. Commandant's Quarters

The powder magazine was located outside the walled square, approximately 300 yards to the east.

Dearbornville Arsenal Commandants Quarters, Office and main gate. Ca. 1864. Commandant's Quaters - ca. 1864.jpg
Dearbornville Arsenal Commandants Quarters, Office and main gate. Ca. 1864.
Dearbornville Arsenal.jpg

After 1877

Rear of Commandant's Quarters Rear view, Commandant's Quarters, Dearborn, Michigan.jpg
Rear of Commandant's Quarters

The arsenal was eventually judged to be no longer useful, and in 1877 the US government auctioned off the buildings. [6] The only building remaining of the original eleven that is still in its original location and form is the commandant's quarters. [6]

After 1877, the armory was adapted as a civic center named the "Liberty Hall," hosting events such as dancing, lodge meetings, and roller skating. [3] In 1899, the armory was converted into a woolen mill; in 1910 the mill was destroyed in a fire. [6] The bricks from the building were used to build new houses, some of which still stand in the area. [3]

The guard house, enlisted men's barracks, and the surgeon's quarters were used as residences. In 1893, all three were demolished to build a school. [6] The sutler's shop was remodeled and used for, among other things, a doctor's office. [6] The carpenter shop and the smith's shop were combined into one two-story, three-unit building. The structure was used as a lumber mill and later by the Detroit-Dearborn Motor Car Company and by a paint shop. [3] [6]

The saddler's shop was used as a residence, and in the 1920s was converted into the Dearborn Town Hall. It was used for meetings until 1928. [3] It was sold to S. S. Kresge and removed from the property. [3] The structure was destroyed in 1946. [6]

The gun carriage shed was converted into a two-story structure in 1906 for use by the Masonic Temple. It was later used by Pride Cleaners; it is currently home to a European Bakery. [6] The arsenal office was used as a residence, and later as a commercial store. It was demolished in the early 20th century. [6] The powder magazine was converted into a private residence in 1883 by Nathaniel Ross. [3] The structure was donated to the city of Dearborn in 1950. [3] Currently located at 915 Brady Street, it was renamed the McFadden-Ross House after it was donated to the City to be used as a museum. [6]

The last remaining structure of the original eleven, the commandant's quarters, served as a social and cultural center in Dearborn until 1875. The building was later used as a library, American Legion hall, a town hall, police station, school, and a newspaper office. [2] [3] [6] In 1949, the commandant's quarters was purchased by the Dearborn Historical Commission for use as a museum. [2] [6] The building was restored in 1959, and in 1970 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [1] It currently houses the Dearborn Historical Museum. [2]

Description of the Commandant's Quarters

A view of the Commandants Quarters Parlor C. 2020 The CQ Parlor.jpg
A view of the Commandants Quarters Parlor C. 2020

The Commandant's Quarters is a two-story, square, red-brick building on a raised piano nobile. [2] The exterior of the building is classically Federal in design, while the interior was designed in the then fashionable Greek Revival style. Originally the red brick was whitewashed in the entire Arsenal. The low pitched hipped roof is covered with slate, and has gabled dormers and a balustrade. [2] A two-story verandah with square columns extends around the rear and sides of the building, which was recreated in the 1970s to the original design. [2] The wrought iron railing near the front entrance is handmade and original to the building. [4] The building was surveyed by the HABS surveys in the 1930s and drawings are in the National Archives.

The interior is a typical center hall plan with a hall and staircase running front to back, with two rooms on each side. There are four bedrooms upstairs off the center hall, and a large walk up attic which was finished as a servants quarters. Kitchens were in the basement, and the home has 10 fireplaces.

Much of the interior of the Commandant's Quarters has been restored to resemble the original makeup of the building. The wall and sliding doors between the Parlor and dining room on the first floor has been replaced, and the second floor partitions, removed in the 1930s, have also been re-installed. [4] The building is currently undergoing restoration to repair plaster and repaint rooms to historic colors. Period 1840s rooms are set up in the formal Parlor and Dining room, while other rooms are being transitioned into a chronological history museum about the city of Dearborn.

Related Research Articles

Dearborn, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States per capita. It also is home to the largest mosque in the United States.

Citadelle of Quebec Building in Quebec, Canada

The Citadelle of Quebec, also known as La Citadelle, is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of both the Canadian monarch and the governor general of Canada. It is located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec. The citadel contains the oldest military building in Canada, and forms part of the fortifications of Quebec City, which is one of only two cities in North America still surrounded by fortifications, the other being Campeche, Mexico.

Albert Kahn (architect) American architect

Albert Kahn was an American industrial architect. He was accredited the architect of Detroit and designed industrial plant complexes such as the Ford River Rouge automobile complex. He designed the construction of Detroit skyscrapers and office buildings as well as mansions in the city suburbs. He led an organization of hundreds of architect associates and in 1937, designed 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States. Under a unique contract in 1929, Kahn established a design and training office in Moscow, sending twenty-five staff there to train Soviet architects and engineers, and to design hundreds of industrial buildings under their first five-year plan. They trained more than 4,000 architects and engineers using Kahn's concepts. In 1943, the Franklin Institute posthumously awarded Kahn the Frank P. Brown Medal.

The Henry Ford United States historic place

The Henry Ford is a history museum complex in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, United States. The museum collection contains the presidential limousine of John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln's chair from Ford's Theatre, Thomas Edison's laboratory, the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop, the Rosa Parks bus, and many other historical exhibits. It is the largest indoor–outdoor museum complex in the United States and is visited by over 1.7 million people each year. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 as Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1981 as "Edison Institute".

Fort Mifflin Fort on the Delaware River below Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery and also known as Mud Island Fort, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud Island on the Delaware River below Philadelphia, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia International Airport. During the American Revolutionary War, the British Army bombarded and captured the fort as part of their conquest of Philadelphia in autumn 1777. In 1795 the fort was renamed for Thomas Mifflin, a Continental Army officer and the first post-independence Governor of Pennsylvania. The United States Army began to rebuild the fort in 1794 and continued to garrison and build on the site through the 19th century. It housed prisoners during the American Civil War. The army decommissioned Fort Mifflin for active duty infantry and artillery in 1962. However, while the older portion of the fort was returned to the City of Philadelphia, a portion of the fort's grounds are still actively used by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, making it the oldest fort in military use in the United States. Historic preservationists have restored the fort, which is now a National Historic Landmark.

Fair Lane Historic house in Michigan, United States

Fair Lane was the estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. It was named after an area in Cork in Ireland where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The 1,300-acre (530 ha) estate along the River Rouge included a large limestone house, an electrical power plant on the dammed river, a greenhouse, a boathouse, riding stables, a children's playhouse, a treehouse, and extensive landmark gardens designed by Chicago landscape architect Jens Jensen.

Point Iroquois Light Lighthouse in Michigan, United States

Point Iroquois Light is a lighthouse on a Chippewa County bluff in the U.S. state of Michigan. Point Iroquois and its light mark the division line between Whitefish Bay and the western end of the St. Marys River, the connection between Lake Superior and other Great Lakes.

Fort Wayne (Detroit) United States historic place

Fort Wayne is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray neighborhood. The fort is situated on the Detroit River at a point where it is under half a mile to the Ontario shore. The original 1848 limestone barracks still stands, as does the 1845 fort. On the grounds but outside the original fort are additional barracks, officers quarters, hospital, shops, a recreation building, commissary, guard house, garage, and stables.

National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan.

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park Park in Michigan, USA

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is a historical park operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at Copper Harbor, Michigan. The park preserves the restored 1844 army military outpost, Fort Wilkins, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The state park's 700 acres (280 ha) include camping and day-use facilities as well as the Copper Harbor Lighthouse, built in 1866. The park is a "Cooperating Site" of the Keweenaw National Historical Park.

Michigan State Capitol State capitol building of the U.S. state of Michigan

The Michigan State Capitol is the building that houses the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the portion of the state capital of Lansing which lies in Ingham County. The present structure, at the intersection of Capitol and Michigan Avenues, is a National Historic Landmark that houses the chambers and offices of the Michigan Legislature as well as the ceremonial offices of the Governor of Michigan and Lieutenant Governor. Historically, this is the third building to house the Michigan government.

Seventh Regiment Armory United States historic place

The Seventh Regiment Armory, also known as Park Avenue Armory, is a historic National Guard armory building located at 643 Park Avenue in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The building is a brick and stone structure built in 1880 and designed in the Gothic Revival style by Charles Clinton.

Architecture of metropolitan Detroit Architecture style of Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, USA

The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.

Allegheny Arsenal Supply center for the Union Army during the American Civil War in Lawrenceville, PA

The Allegheny Arsenal, established in 1814, was an important supply and manufacturing center for the Union Army during the American Civil War, and the site of the single largest civilian disaster during the war. It was located in the community of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, which was annexed by the city of Pittsburgh in 1868.

Riverwalk Hotel Detroit United States historic place

The Roberts Riverwalk Hotel and Residence Detroit, formerly the Parke-Davis Research Laboratory also once known as Building 55-Detroit Research, is located on Joseph Campau Street at the Detroit River, in Detroit, Michigan. The former research facility was redeveloped as a boutique luxury hotel located on the Detroit International Riverfront. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its historic significance as an early research laboratory.

Hook and Ladder House No. 5–Detroit Fire Department Repair Shop United States historic place

The Hook and Ladder House No. 5 and the Detroit Fire Department Repair Shop are two cojoined structures located at 3400 and 3434 Russell Street in Detroit, Michigan. The Hook and Ladder House No. 5 is the second oldest surviving fire station in Detroit, was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

The Dearborn Inn United States historic place

The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel, is a luxurious historic hotel, conceived by Henry Ford, who saw a need for food and accommodations for visitors flying into the nearby Ford Airport, making it one of the first airport hotels. It is located in Metro Detroit at 20301 Oakwood Boulevard in the suburban city of Dearborn, Michigan near The Henry Ford and the world headquarters building of Ford Motor Company. Albert Kahn designed the Dearborn Inn in the Georgian architectural style. The Dearborn Inn is owned by Ford Motor Land Development Corporation and managed by Marriott International.

Clover Hill Tavern United States historic place

The Clover Hill Tavern with its guest house and slave quarters are structures within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. They were registered in the National Park Service's database of Official Structures on October 15, 1966.

14th Regiment Armory United States historic place

The 14th Regiment Armory, also known as the Eighth Avenue Armory and the Park Slope Armory, is a historic National Guard armory building located on Eighth Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets in the South Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, United States. The building is a brick and stone castle-like structure, and designed to be reminiscent of medieval military structures in Europe. It was built in 1891–95 and was designed in the Late Victorian style by William A. Mundell.

Dearborn City Hall Complex United States historic place

The Dearborn City Hall Complex is a complex of three government buildings located at 13615 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, Michigan. The complex includes the 1921 Dearborn City Hall, the 1929 Police and Municipal Courts Building, and an office/auditorium concourse addition constructed in 1981. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Commandant's Quarters, Dearborn Arsenal Archived 2009-04-21 at the Wayback Machine from the state of Michigan, retrieved 1/5/10
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Craig Hutchison, Kimberly Rising, Dearborn Historical Museum, Dearborn, Michigan, Arcadia Publishing, 2002, ISBN   0-7385-2307-0, p. 15-22
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Floyd L. Haight,[ permanent dead link ] "History of the Dearborn Historical Museum," The Dearborn Historian, Volume 1 No, 1, January 1961, pp. 3-11
  5. ↑ Commandant’s Quarters of the Detroit Arsenal/Dearborn Historical Museum from detroit1701.org, retrieved 1/5/10
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 The Dearborn Arsenal [ permanent dead link ] from Wayne County History, retrieved 1/5/10
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.