View source for Corktown, Detroit

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name         = Corktown Historic District
| image        = Corktown Detroit.jpg
| caption      = Bagley Street in Corktown
| location     = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], U.S.
| coordinates  = {{coord|42|19|50|N|83|03|50|W|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe     = yes
| mapframe-marker = building
| mapframe-zoom = 13
| mapframe-caption = Interactive map
| area         =
| architect    =
| architecture = Colonial Revival, Late Victorian, Federal
| added        = July 31, 1978
| refnum       = 78001517<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
}}
'''Corktown''' is a [[List of neighborhoods in Detroit|neighborhood]] located in [[Detroit, Michigan]]. It is the oldest extant neighborhood in the city.<ref name = "modeld">{{cite web|url=http://www.modeldmedia.com/Cities/Corktown/|title=Corktown}}</ref><ref name = "gcdc">{{cite web|url=http://www.corktowndetroit.org/history.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203043624/http://www.corktowndetroit.org/history.htm|archive-date=2010-12-03|title=Greater Corktown Development Corporation}}</ref>  The current boundaries of the district include [[Interstate 75 in Michigan|I-75]] to the north, the [[M-10 (Michigan highway)| John C. Lodge Freeway (The Lodge)]] to the east, Bagley and Porter streets to the south, and [[Rosa Parks]] Boulevard (12th Street) to the west.<ref name="nris"/> The neighborhood was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Detroit, Michigan|National Register of Historic Places]] in 1978.<ref name = "nris"/>

The Corktown Historic District is largely residential, although some commercial properties along Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Avenue are included in the district.<ref name = "nps">[https://web.archive.org/web/20091117160724/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/detroit/d19.htm Corktown Historic District], National Park Service, retrieved 8/6/09</ref> The residential section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a City of Detroit Historic District. The neighborhood contains many newer homes and retains some original Irish businesses.<ref name = "dc"/>[[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]'s 2018 acquisition of [[Michigan Central Station]] has spurred significant development and revitalization efforts in Corktown, transforming it into a burgeoning hub of innovation and urban renewal.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/ford-to-open-renovated-michigan-central-station-june-6/ |title=Ford to Open Renovated Michigan Central Station June 6 |date=2023-05-17 |website=DBusiness |access-date=2024-05-30}}</ref>

==History==
The [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine of Ireland]] of the 1840s resulted in extensive Irish migration to the United States and Canada. By the middle of the 19th century, they were the largest ethnic group settling in Detroit.<ref name = "gcdc"/>  Many of these newcomers settled on the west side of the city; they were primarily from [[County Cork, Ireland|County Cork]], and thus the neighborhood came to be known as Corktown. By the early 1850s, half of the population of the 8th Ward (which contained Corktown) were of Irish descent.<ref name = "gcdc"/>  Historically, the neighborhood was roughly bounded by Third Street to the east, [[Grand River Avenue]] to the north, 12th Street to the west, and Jefferson Avenue/Detroit River to the south.<ref name = "gcdc"/>

By the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], [[German American|German]] immigrants had begun making inroads into the Corktown neighborhood.<ref name = "dc">[https://books.google.com/books?id=1JVigb8HjIAC Armando Delicato, Julie Demery], ''Detroit's Corktown,'' Arcadia Publishing, 2007, {{ISBN|0-7385-5155-4}}</ref>  Many immigrants had come from German provinces after the revolutions of 1848. By the turn of the century, the original Irish population had diffused through the city, and new immigrants, notably [[Mexican American|Mexican]] and [[Maltese American|Maltese]], moved into this older housing.<ref name = "dc"/>  As the century progressed, migrants from the American South and [[Hillbilly Highway|Appalachia]], both black and [[White Southerners|white]], were lured by the jobs in the automobile industry and also went to the city.<ref name = "dc"/>  By the middle of the 20th century, the area of Corktown was reduced through [[urban renewal]] schemes, the building of light industrial facilities, and the creation of the [[Lodge Freeway]] and [[Fisher Freeway]].<ref name = "gcdc"/>

==Revitalization==
[[File:Tiger Stadium, Detroit.jpg|thumb|[[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]] was in Corktown at the corner of [[U.S. Route 12 in Michigan|Michigan Avenue]] and Trumbull Street until its demolition in 2009.]]
[[File:UIS Irish Plaza.png|thumb|right|The [[UIS Irish Plaza]] is a park and memorial dedicated to honoring Metro Detroit's Irish immigrant community and their descendants.]]
Corktown has seen a number of revitalization projects since 2005. These include the [[UIS Irish Plaza|United Irish Societies Irish Plaza]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hayes |first=Dennis |date=May 16, 2006 |title=Plaza erected in Corktown to honor Irish heritage |url=http://www.modeldmdedia.com/devnews/irish45.aspx |magazine=Model D |location=[[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]] |publisher=Issue Media Group |access-date=October 26, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> dedicated in 2006; the 66,000-square foot (6,100 m2) [[Quicken Loans]] Technology Center, opened in 2015;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.quickenloans.com/press-room/2014/construction-underway-on-new-detroit-based-quicken-loans-technology-center/ |title="Construction Underway On New Quicken Loans Technology Center" |access-date=May 26, 2014 |archive-date=May 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527220545/http://www.quickenloans.com/press-room/2014/construction-underway-on-new-detroit-based-quicken-loans-technology-center/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/06/30/detroit-corktown-quicken-gilbert/29504683/ Dan Gilbert unveils new Quicken Loans computer center], ''Detroit Free Press,'' 30 June 2015</ref> and the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) headquarters, and youth sports facility at the old Tiger Stadium site at Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, developed in 2016. Opposite the PAL facility, a $37-million [[mixed-use development]], ''The Corner'', with 111 apartments, and 34 townhomes for sale, broke ground in early 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2016/02/02/detroit-pal-baseball-sports-duggan/79695956/|title= Detroit PAL to use artificial turf at stadium site}}</ref> Also in 2016, the new Trumbull & Porter boutique hotel opened after a $10 million renovation;<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160928/NEWS/160929582/corktown-hotel-gets-7-85-million-loan-to-complete-renovations |title= Corktown hotel gets $7.85 million loan to complete renovations|date= September 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170609/NEWS/170609833/red-dunn-kitchen-opens-in-corktown |title= Red Dunn Kitchen opens in Corktown|date= June 9, 2017}}</ref> and in 2017, Soave Enterprises broke ground on Elton Park, a multi-phase, multi-year $150 million, 420 apartment mixed-used development.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170507/NEWS/170509853/elton-park-project-construction-to-begin-this-week-in-corktown |title=$150 million Elton Park project breaks ground in Corktown | date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

In 2024, [[Detroit City FC]] announced the acquisition of the site of the former [[Southwest Detroit Hospital]] with plans to build a new soccer-specific stadium. The goal is to have the stadium ready by the 2027 season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.detcityfc.com/news_article/show/1261788 |title=Detroit City FC Acquires Land in Southwest Detroit To Build Soccer-Specific Stadium |date=2024-05-16 |website=Detroit City FC |access-date=2024-05-30}}</ref>

===Ford Corktown Campus===
[[File:MichiganCentral2024.jpg|thumb|Built in 1913, the historic [[Michigan Central Station]] served passenger traffic until 1988, after which it was abandoned. Ford Motor Company purchased it in 2018. The building was renovated to become a mixed-use development which opened in 2024.]]

A major redevelopment push in the area was started by the [[Ford Motor Company]], which began development on an urban campus in Corktown in 2017 with its purchase, renovation and occupation of The Factory building at Michigan Ave. and Rosa Parks Blvd.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180121/news/650706/how-ford-plans-to-use-its-new-corktown-digs|title=How Ford plans to use its new Corktown digs|date=2018-01-21|work=Crain's Detroit Business|access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref> Ford later bought other parcels of land in Corktown, including the [[Michigan Central Station]] and the adjacent [[Roosevelt Warehouse]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180617/news/663776/fords-future-train-station-to-be-part-of-new-transportation-model|title=Ford's future: Train station to be part of new transportation model|date=2018-06-16|work=Crain's Detroit Business | access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref> Ford plans a new $740 million Corktown campus, including 1.2 million square feet of mixed-use development spread over the Michigan Central Station, Roosevelt Warehouse, the Factory building at 1907 Michigan Avenue, and build a new mixed-use 290,000-square foot (27,000 m2), four-story building on the vacant brass factory building site, known as "The Alchemy", at 2051 Rosa Park Blvd.<ref>{{cite web|url=  https://www.freep.com/story/money/2018/06/21/ford-train-station-building-corktown-penthouses/721406002/ |title= Ford would demolish this vacant Detroit building | date=June 21, 2018}}</ref> Ford also announced plans to build two new parking structures.

The focus of the Corktown campus will be on [[autonomous vehicles]] and [[electric vehicles]]. Ford expects to move 2,500 of its employees to the campus with space for an additional 2,500 entrepreneurs, technology companies and partners related to Ford's expansion into [[Autos 2.0]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2018/06/17/how-ford-plans-resurrect-train-station/702723002/|title=How Ford plans to resurrect the train station|work=Detroit News|access-date=2018-06-19|language=en}}</ref> Ford is also seeking $104 million in tax breaks from the city as part of a $250 million incentive package over 34 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180815/news/668501/ford-motor-co-to-spend-740-million-on-corktown-campus |title=  Ford Motor Co. to spend $740 million on Corktown campus | date=August 14, 2018}}</ref>

In 2020, Ford revealed a new site plan for its 30-acre Corktown Campus, a walkable Mobility Innovation District built around the Michigan Central Station that includes green spaces, new buildings, and community involvement.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2020/11/17/ford-plans-mobility-innovation-district.html |title= Ford Motor Co. REVEALS PLANS for its New Corktown Campus. | date=November 17, 2020}}</ref>

== Architecture ==
The original buildings in Corktown are [[Federal architecture|Federal-style]] detached homes and rowhouses built by Irish settlers.  A worker's row house circa 1840 is located on Sixth Street and is one of the oldest existing structures in the city of Detroit.<ref name = "gcdc"/> In later years, modestly sized [[Victorian architecture|Victorian townhouses]] with Italianate, Gothic, and Queen Anne elements were constructed in the district.<ref name = "nps"/>

[[Michigan Avenue (Michigan) | Michigan Avenue]] in Corktown is notable for its historic red brick pavers, which have been a defining feature of the neighborhood for decades. These bricks, originally laid in the 1890s, are a remnant of Detroit’s early efforts to improve road quality and have been preserved to maintain the area’s historic charm.<ref name="brickpavers">
{{Cite web |url=https://wdet.org/2018/07/03/curiosid-why-does-michigan-avenue-have-brick-pavers/ |title=CuriosiD: Why Does Michigan Avenue Have Brick Pavers? |last=Tinsley |first=Bre'Anna |date=2018-07-03 |website=WDET |access-date=2024-05-30}}</ref> Recent development plans aim to restore and reuse these historic pavers as part of the ongoing revitalization of the Michigan Avenue corridor.<ref name ="brickpavers2">
{{Cite web |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2021/06/14/brick-road-charm-michigan-avenue-spotlight-after-ford-move/7631813002/ |title=Brick road charm on Michigan Avenue in spotlight after Ford move |last=Kurth |first=Joel |date=2021-06-14 |website=Detroit News |access-date=2024-05-30}}</ref>

==Education==

Residents are zoned to [[Detroit Public Schools]]. Residents are zoned to Owen at Pelham and [[Martin Luther King High School (Detroit)|King High School]].<ref>[http://www.corktowndetroit.org/interactive_map.htm "Interactive Map"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808100947/http://www.corktowndetroit.org/interactive_map.htm |date=2009-08-08 }}. ''Greater Corktown Development Corp'' Retrieved on April 24, 2009.</ref><ref>"[http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/schools/boundaries/282.pdf Owen MS Attendance Area]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." ''[[Detroit Public Schools]]''. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.</ref><ref>"[http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/schools/boundaries/529.pdf M. L. King HS Attendance Area]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." ''[[Detroit Public Schools]]''. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.</ref>

The [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit]] operates the Most Holy Trinity School in Corktown. It is one of the four remaining Catholic grade schools in the city.<ref name=Cathschool>[http://www.freep.com/article/20130201/NEWS01/302010079/Detroit-area-s-Catholic-schools-shrink-but-tradition-endures "Detroit area's Catholic schools shrink, but tradition endures"](). ''[[Detroit Free Press]]''. February 1, 2013. Retrieved on September 13, 2014.</ref>

==Notable resident==

* [[Sheila Cockrel]], former [[Detroit City Council]] member<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bridgemi.com/urban-affairs/sheila-cockrel-corktowns-transformation-capitalism-baby |title=Sheila Cockrel on Corktown’s transformation: ‘This is capitalism, baby’ |last=Kurth |first=Joel |date=2019-06-03 |website=Bridge Michigan |access-date=2024-05-30}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[North Corktown, Detroit|North Corktown]]
* [[New Center, Detroit|New Center]]
* [[Midtown Detroit|Midtown]]
* [[Mexicantown, Detroit|Mexicantown]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Corktown, Detroit}}
*[http://reuther.wayne.edu/node/10375 Corktown Detroit], [[Walter P. Reuther Library]], Wayne University,  Article detailing the history of Corktown and related material
*[http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/Annual-2015/148M-Lightweight-Materials-Institute-Opens-in-Corktown/ "$148M Lightweight Materials Institute Opens in Corktown"]—''DBusiness,'' 16 January 2015 
*[http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/Annual-2014/Exclusive-National-Innovation-Institute-Heading-to-Detroits-Corktown/ "National Innovation Institute Heading to Detroit’s Corktown"]— ''DBusiness,'' 21 May 2014
*[http://www.DetroitIrish.org/ Information about the Irish Community in greater Detroit], DetroitIrish.org 
*[http://detroit1701.org/Corktown.htm Detroit1701]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071011083317/http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/historic/districts/corktown.pdf Corktown Historic District], City of Detroit

{{Detroit Neighborhoods}}
{{National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan}}
{{Architecture of metropolitan Detroit}}

[[Category:Appalachian culture in Michigan]]
[[Category:Corktown, Detroit| ]]
[[Category:Maltese diaspora in the United States]]
[[Category:Neighborhoods in Detroit]]
[[Category:Irish-American culture in Michigan]]
[[Category:Irish-American neighborhoods]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Detroit]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan]]