The brewsterdouglass housing projects officially named the frederick douglass homes, and alternately named frederick douglass projects, frederick douglass apartments, brewsterdouglass homes, and brewsterdouglass projects were the largest residential housing project owned by the city of detroit, located in the brush park section on the east side of detroit, michigan, near the chrysler. If you want to hear why they were built, listen to our recent story here. In addition to the four towers, there were two sixstory apartment buildings and 16 row houses. Add brewsterdouglass housing projects to your topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media. View videos or join the brewsterdouglass housing projects discussion. The demolition of highrise public housing such as the robert taylor homes can only improve the lives of those presently subjected to its debilitating and dangerous grasp, right. Pictures and history of the abandoned police headquarters of highland park, a suburb of detroit. That, at least, is the carefully thoughtout view of sudhir alladi venkatesh in american project. I grow up in a getto like this but not so beautiful built like this with its brick fassade. Public housing projects may not strike some as worthy of landmark status in terms of architecture, but many have storied pasts.
Why do so few public housing projects receive historic. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten numberone hits. By the 1960s, the tenants living in public housing began to grow more deeply poor and. In 1988, brewsterdouglass residents protest that the city was leveling houses in the city while they were stuck in squalor in the projects. The frederick douglass addition, completed on june 30, 1965, is a 16story building with 306 residents on. The nations first federally funded public housing development for african americans and childhood home of future motown stars, smokey robinson and pictured here walking through the projects in 1965 the supremes diana ross, mary wilson and florence ballard. Following detroit bankruptcy, billionaires snap up prime. The rise and fall of public housing in nyc guernica.
What we have been told throughout history is housing projects were constructed in. If youve ever wondered about why they were created or what it was like to live in them, wed love to fill you in with our threepart series. Following detroit bankruptcy, billionaires snap up prime real estate. At one time he was a resident of the brewsterdouglass housing projects, where notable figures such as diana ross. The first federallyfunded housing projects for africanamerican families were built in detroit in the 1930s. Department of housing and urban development has approved the sale of the former brewsterdouglass housing projects site in detroit to. More often, though, housing for blacks and whites was located in separate parts of a city. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. Brewsterdouglass housing projects to lexington 5 ways. The housing projects of atlanta are all but wiped from the landscape of atlanta. Hud approves sale of brewsterdouglass site to gilbert for. After being removed from the supremes in 1967, ballard tried an unsuccessful solo career with abc records before she was dropped from the label at.
Black bottom was a predominantly black neighborhood in detroit, michigan demolished for redevelopment in the early 1960s and replaced with the lafayette park. They were the first public housing project built for africanamericans, and were home. The brewsterdouglas housing projects towers were built in in 1952 and designed by noted detroit architects smith, hinchman, and grylls. This dream has fallen so far that even many residents of some of the nations most infamous housing projects have called for their demolition. That, combined with the establishment of the new york city housing authority in 1934, led to larger projects like the red hook houses in. All this week on stateside, were looking at the history of the brewsterdouglass housing projects in detroit.
But it wasnt always like this in the 325 housing projects owned and managed by the new york city. Government segregated america author richard rothstein says the housing programs begun under the new deal were tantamount to a statesponsored system of. Governmentfunded housing projects in the united states nearly all began with a common dreamto end urban slums and provide an affordable, safe housing option for low to middleincome families. Rome2rio makes travelling from brewsterdouglass housing projects to milwaukee easy. There was a time when the city of detroit, michigan, shone bright with the talent of three young singers from the brewsterdouglass housing projects. Dig deep into neighborhoods, history, and architecture. Demolition of brewsterdouglass housing projects to begin. Heres why the brewsterdouglass housing projects were built in. Brewsterdouglass homes ethnic layers of detroit college of.
A compact history in public housing that worked, nicholas dagen bloom offers the best examination to date of the origins, choices, mistakes, and. How section 8 became a racial slur the washington post. Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. May 11, 2015 here are some images of the projects in their day brewsterdouglass projects old photos historic detroit stay safe and healthy. There are 5 ways to get from brewsterdouglass housing projects to lexington by plane, bus, night bus or car. A book and exhibit tackle the long, complicated history of. Old photos home projects detroit photo galleries history city gallery antique photos home projects detroit photo galleries history city gallery antique photos.
Public history graduate student at umass boston and former columbia point resident jim conway discuss putting together a public history of. Its main commercial strips were on hastings and st. They were a landmark of urban renewal, dedicated by eleanor roosevelt in 1935, and home to diana ross and the supremes. He supported them through jobs requiring menial labor. Part of the brewsterdouglass projects, six public housing towers were built in they were closed in and were demolished in. Three girls from the brewsterdouglass housing project in detroit, michigan, formed the legendary girl group the supremes in 1958. Like many of the infamous housing projects, queensbridge was the home to a host of notable hiphop artists nas, marley marl, mc shan, roxanne. East lake meadows, the public housing project opened by the atlanta housing authority in 1970 and demolished a generation later, is the subject of a new documentary by sarah burns and david. Compre o livro african american history in detroit, michigan. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the brewsterdouglass housing projects of detroit michigan and there is nothing to celebrate.
Chicagos cabrinigreen housing project in the 1960s. Find all the transport options for your trip from brewsterdouglass housing projects. The demolition of brewsterdouglass and our abandonment of the. This area will soon be transformed by new developments, making the history of these. In addition to being a symbol of detroits decline, brewsterdouglass was a symbol of the disastrous public housing projects of the 1950s and institutionalized segregation. They were the first public housing project built for africanamericans, and. The deal, which could close in 2018, is subject to approval by the u.
The brewsterdouglass housing projects were the largest residential housing project owned by the city of detroit, located in the. For several years now this section of the city, already infamous for its vacancy, has been completely abandoned. Brewsterdouglass housing projects resource learn about. The history of chicagos public housing in highrisers. Just after labor day, bulldozers arrived on the near east side of detroit to take down what remains of the brewsterdouglass housing projects. In 1935, the first public housing complex in new york, prosaically christened first houses, landmarked since 1974 on the lower east side of manhattan, offered 122 apartments featuring oak wood floors and brass fixtures. Get brewsterdouglass housing projects essential facts below. Three in four families who qualified for assistance received nothing. The history of chicagos public housing in highrisers cabrinigreen was a symbol for public housing in the late 20th century until it was torn down.
Rampant crime began to destroy the formerly familyfriendly environment. Brewsterdouglass projects old photos historic detroit. Brewsterdouglass projects old photos brewsterdouglass projects. Hud oks sale of former brewsterdouglass site to bedrock.
In detroit in 1958, florence ballard, a junior high school student living in the brewsterdouglass housing projects, met paul williams and eddie kendricks, who were two members of a detroit singing group known as the primes. Nyx was born in indianapolis, indiana, but moved to detroit in the 1930s, where he married twice and raised a family of eight children. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Abandoned hospitals, fire stations, police stations in detroit. Brewsterdouglass housing projects to milwaukee 6 ways. Black bottom neighborhood detroit historical society. A new look at the new deals legacy of public housing the new. Department of housing and urban development for the project, which at. Housing commission to sell brewsterdouglass site to.
Brewsterdouglass projects old photos gallery historic. The site of the brewsterdouglass homes has long been associated with. Government segregated america author richard rothstein says the housing programs begun under the new deal were tantamount to. The fredrick douglass housing projects as seen from the nearby. The brewsterdouglass projects rank up there with many of the other. The architecture of affordable housing is a thoroughly researched 208 page book which focuses on affordable housing in the usa, with occasional comparison examples from other countries such as canada, france, and italy. Florence ballard, betty mcglown, and a girl who then went by the name diane ross were signed to motown records in 1961, where they would soon become the biggest girl group of all time. The towers were built as an addition to the frederick douglass homes, which were lowrise apartment block as and small rows of apartments that were first built in 1938. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Louiss pruittigoe project, completed in 1954, housed whites in the igoe apartments and blacks in the pruitt homes.
Most natives who are hard to find in atlanta these days vividly remember the housing projects of atlanta. Detroits landmark towers of brewsterdouglass housing. In the early 1950s, back when housing projects were considered the. But at the end of their life, the buildings were burnedout, marred with graffiti and littered with trash. Brewsterdouglass projects old photos gallery historic detroit. Instead of waiting lists, public housing projects became mostly empty units in search of tenants. This well researched and clearly written book will undoubtedly trigger a fierce debate both among historians and those interested in current housing policy. Current views of the city of atlanta show no traces of housing projects. The brewsterdouglass housing projects were the largest residential housing project owned by the city of detroit, located in the brush. Named one of the best books of 2018 by booklist, mother jones and the. The brewsterdouglass projects rank up there with many of the other wellknown u. Books by douglass, frederick sorted by popularity project. Distant view of apartment buildings in brewsterdouglass housing projects. Florence ballard, mary wilson, and diana ross formed the popular trio known as the supremes, and their albums and tv appearances got people of every race and gender singing.
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