Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District
Encyclopedia
The Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District is a historic district located on East Jefferson Avenue between Eastlawn Street and Alter Road in Detroit, Michigan
. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2004.
on the south. Jefferson Avenue runs approximately through the center of the Jefferson East neighborhood, and is primarily commercial in nature for thirteen blocks from Dickerson Street to Alter Road. This section of Jefferson Avenue is also known as the Jefferson East Business District. Historically significant structures exist along Jefferson Avenue for eight blocks from Eastlawn Street to Alter Road; this section of the Jefferson East Business District is designated as the Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District.
The Historic Jefferson-Chalmers Business District is one of a few early twentieth-century neighborhood commercial districts that still survive in Detroit. During the 1920s, this district along Jefferson was the center of the east-side neighborhood's commercial, social, and cultural life. The district is unique in that two big-band era ballrooms, the cultural fulcrums of the early 20th century social scene, still exist within the district: the Monticello and the Vanity Ballroom.
The district has recently seen a resurgence, with a Michigan Cool Cities
grant, five million dollars worth of streetscape improvements, and rehabilitation of a number of anchor buildings in the district, such as the Platte Warehouse at Jefferson and Ashland and the Chalmers Building at Jefferson and Chalmers.
s and Arts and Crafts houses built in the early 20th Century. John Carlisle (Detroitblogger John) of the Metro Times
said that the houses "still have beauty and character despite weathering over the years." Most blocks have many owner occupied houses and mowed lawns. There are some vacant lots along side streets and some boarded-up foreclosed houses.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2004.
Nomenclature
The Jefferson East neighborhood of Detroit is bounded by Alter Road on the east, St. Jean Street on the west, Charlevoix Street on the north, and the Detroit RiverDetroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
on the south. Jefferson Avenue runs approximately through the center of the Jefferson East neighborhood, and is primarily commercial in nature for thirteen blocks from Dickerson Street to Alter Road. This section of Jefferson Avenue is also known as the Jefferson East Business District. Historically significant structures exist along Jefferson Avenue for eight blocks from Eastlawn Street to Alter Road; this section of the Jefferson East Business District is designated as the Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District.
History
The district has recently seen a resurgence, with a Michigan Cool Cities
Cool Cities Initiative
Cool Cities Initiative is an initiative started by Governor Jennifer Granholm to spur growth and investment in Michigan during a period of economic decline. The Initiative was proposed in 2003 in response to students attending college in Michigan and then seeking employment out of state...
grant, five million dollars worth of streetscape improvements, and rehabilitation of a number of anchor buildings in the district, such as the Platte Warehouse at Jefferson and Ashland and the Chalmers Building at Jefferson and Chalmers.
Cityscape
The housing consists of bungalowBungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
s and Arts and Crafts houses built in the early 20th Century. John Carlisle (Detroitblogger John) of the Metro Times
Metro Times
The Metro Times is the largest circulating weekly newspaper in the metro Detroit area. Supported entirely by advertising, it is distributed free of charge every Wednesday in newsstands in businesses and libraries around the city and suburbs...
said that the houses "still have beauty and character despite weathering over the years." Most blocks have many owner occupied houses and mowed lawns. There are some vacant lots along side streets and some boarded-up foreclosed houses.