|
Dodge
Carriage House Restoration
The
North Cass Community Union will construct an urban garden park and
restore the historic Dodge Carriage House on the vacant land at
A773 Second Ave. near Hancock in Detroit.
This
project is being led by members of NCCU, a nonprofit organization
serving the surrounding neighborhood since 1978. NCCU also sponsors
the popular street fair known as "Dally in the Alley" held on the
block containing the park and carriage house.
Proceeds
from the financially successful Dally will help fund the construction
and maintenance of this project, which awaits only the pending sale
of the land from the City of Detroit to NCCU. The park will feature
a wrought iron fence and a winding path through grass, flower gardens
and a seating area. Space will be available for small vegetable
gardens, art and other amenities as designed by the volunteer landscape
architects. Labor for the construction will be paid when necessary,
but will include volunteer help from the community and NCCU members.
This
land is the only vacant space on a dense urban block filled with
1910-era apartment buildings and has been informally maintained
by NCCU since 1980. The long time de facto use of this space as
a park is testimony for the neighborhood's need to make this a permanent
part of the community.
At
the rear of the property the historic Dodge carriage house will
be rebuilt and restored. Horace and Anna Dodge resided across the
ally at 642 W. Forest between 1904 and 1908: In 1905 Horace constructed
his own garage workshop, designed by the firm of Field, Hinchman
and Smith. This is where Horace and John Dodge probably built their
first car, when the brothers were simultaneously designing Henry
Ford's first auto assembly line.
The
wonderfully attractive one and one-half story brick structure was
a source of historic pride and a neighborhood favorite until it
was destroyed by brick scavengers in 1989. The bricks were saved,
however, and detailed architectural plans were drawn from photographs
which will allow the accurate reconstruction of the building.
The
new carriage house will be a reminder of the atmosphere which nurtured
Horace's mechanical genius and also provide storage space for the
Garden Park and NCCU.
|
