  Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1768 Registered: 11-2005 |
Anyone ever hear of the Henry Clay Hotel? I hadn't until I was scanning some old Detroit tourism pamphlets and saw it listed as one of "Detroit's leading hotels." Turns out it survives today as the Milner. Seems odd to name a hotel in Detroit after a Kentucky statesman. Here's another that stumped me "Hotel Martha Washington, Phone Cherry 2009, 214 Erskine St." Google Maps shows a large building on the site. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3625 Registered: 07-2004 |
Across the street from Patterson Terrace? Nothing there now, according to the livemaps aerial. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3626 Registered: 07-2004 |
Anyway, a lot of those "hotels" in the Brush Park area used to be grand manses that were built back on their lots. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1770 Registered: 11-2005 |
Ahh, my mistake Detroitnerd. I confused the Patterson for what could have been the Martha W. Wrong side of the street. Thanks for the catch. Off to look for photos of it. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3627 Registered: 07-2004 |
I have an old photo somewhere. Let me see ... | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3628 Registered: 07-2004 |
 This is Patterson Terrace in 2004, before the fire damaged it a few years ago.  A very old shot of the same building in 1943. May be the hotel in the right of the shot. | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 393 Registered: 10-2007 |
Re: The Martha Washington Hotel. A number of hotels by that name were opened as women's hotels. There was a very large one like that in NYC that still stands, although it's been renamed. Of course, a lot of hotels in that neighborhood, many of which were repurposed mansion, eventually became primarily African-American hotels during the bad old days of segregation in accommodations as the area's population changed. The famous/infamous Gotham Hotel was right up the street. From Google streetview it appears that something is being built on that corner (John R & Erskine). Any idea what it is? | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 394 Registered: 10-2007 |
That 1943 riot photo is scary if you know the historical context of what's going on there. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3630 Registered: 07-2004 |
Al: No idea what they're building there, but if earth-moving equipment was caught by LiveSearch (you can see a double-semi), they really must be a-working at it. Yeah, that 1943 photo is more than a little disturbing. Police were out all along John R, turning the crowds back. I have other photos; one is of a particularly tired detective with a bullhorn, trying to turn back the (predominantly) young whites up to no good. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1772 Registered: 11-2005 |
Detroitnerd, where'd you get that photo from? Virtual Motor City? Burton? I'm impressed you were able to ID Patterson like that. Doesn't seem like a building you could search for. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3632 Registered: 07-2004 |
Oh, just a coincidence that I've been watching that building for years. It's reminiscent of the Charles on Second, but it's had a much rougher time over on John R. That corner used to be famous for drugs and hookers. Amazing it's still there. The photo from 2004 is from my personal collection. The 1943 photo is in one of the print files for the 1943 race riot at Burton, Main Branch, DPL. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 960 Registered: 10-2003 |
brush park village north is what's being/been constructed there. http://www.hipcitydetroit.com/ | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 2612 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hip city? I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth. | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 401 Registered: 10-2007 |
Too bad. Gonna be hard to sell hipsters, or anyone else, on $300,000 townhouses right about now. |
