Metro Detroit Photo of the Day

[ZachariahDaMan]

[dtown]

Thats a nifty little mural.

PS- I really like that old Bell Telephone Building a few posts up. I like the roof tile, you dont see that a lot anymore.

[wolverine]

^ Then you need to go to Los Angeles

[dtown]

LOL, i thought about that right after i posted that. I guess i shouldve said, you dont see that around here much.

[ZachariahDaMan]

The next few days I am going to post pictures of old houses in danger of demolition.

Here is the David & Elizabeth Bell Boldman House

This early house was built about 1840-1845 by David Boldman. This house is very unusual because of its shape, which is called the "Basilica" form of the Greek Revival, unique to Michigan. This form has also been known as "hen and chicks" as it resembles a hen with spread wings to shelter her little chicks. This style of Greek Revival was quite prominent in Canton, but is the last of its kind left in the township. It has a higher central portion with two lower "wings." The front facade is dominated by a full-height entry porch with a triangular pediment. This type of porch is unusual in the North.

According to the 1876 atlas, there was a cheese factory on the site, remnants of which can be seen south of the house.

The house remained in the Boldman family until 1944. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Place in June 2000.

[wolverine]

And it's threatened by demolition....ridiculous.

What is going up on that site? I can't believe the thoughts that go through some of the government leaders in Canton twnshp. To let history just go to waste like this.

Well, on a lighter note, this is a bit more "rural" but worthy of a posting! I believe this is the highest point in Wayne County. "Mount" Will-Carleton.

And I think you can guess what I'm standing on.

[dtown]

Is that a garbage dump?

[wolverine]

Yep that's right. It's a garbage dump. Most of the garbage is from the cities of Detroit and Toronto.

A friend of mine is doing an architecture project that has to do with reusing landfills. After we checked in with security, we drove up the long winding road to the top. The lower part is actually really nice because it was covered in grass and trees. But when we got to the top it was all fresh garbage. Surprisingly it didn't smell at all, but you could see the remains of what our society throws behind. We took pictures of matresses, a barbie doll, basketballs, a television. I was shocked to find very little "typical trash" like wrappers, packaging, food, etc. It just wasn't there. It was like someone took the most random objects and tossed them on the top of the pile. There was a lot of things I didn't expect to see.

My friend from Staten Island, NY is doing this project and needed me to drive to the landfill. What is ironic is Staten Island is home to the Fresh Kill Landfill where NYC used to dump most of its trash. Alot of it has and is been reclaimed for new housing. Probably a far better example than Will-Carleton. I didn't mention it though

[dtown]

Oh, they should turn it into a ski hill, like Mount Holly.

I wonder if on a clear day you can see Detroit from up there.

Edited January 28, 2007 by dtown

[wolverine]

According to one of the workers there, you can. But it was pretty hazy that day.

[dtown]

I know you said you had to ask, but would they just let anybody up there to look around?

[wolverine]

Anyone can go up there as long as they call ahead of time and have some sort of reason. There wasn't really anything dangerous unless you did something stupid like drive underneath one of their mega trucks We took about 130 pictures total. We documented the process in which the trash was burried, placement of methane traps etc. The methane is piped downhill and put in large storage containers. Recently, companies such as General Motors purchase the methane gas from landfills and it is used to power their plants. Such actions help decrease global warming since it was recently found that releasing the gas from landfills as well as cows and pigs are major contributers to greenhouse gases.

[RustTown]

Wolverine, where is the "hill" exactly?

One a side note you can get some great views of downtown from the highpoints in Oakland County.

Also, Greek Revival must have been a prominent style in Michigan, because the style is all over Lansing, and I hear in Ann Arbor, too.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Greek Revival definately was very popular. Out of the 9 19th century Canton homes I have researched, only 2 are not Greek Revival.

[dtown]

LMich, what hills specificly in Oakland County offer some good views? Sometime this year id like to check them out to get some pictures.

[wolverine]

hmmm, Auburn Hills? I kid. I don't know. Pictures of what? If you are in Top of Troy tower maybe you can see downtown, but I've never heard of any hilly locations for taking pictures of anything other than sprawl.

LMich, the landfill is on Will-Carleton Road, exit 8 off I-275

Edited January 29, 2007 by wolverine

[RustTown]

Of downtown from the highlands of Oakland County and Macomb County, but I'm not exactly sure where. I think I've heard people saying there are faint views of downtown out past 26 Mile Road, even.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Here is another Canton home on the verge of demolition. I don't really know any information on this house but I plan on hiting up the Historical Society for some. You can't tell because of where I took this pic but a new house was built directly behind it so that is why it's being demolished.

[Zissou]

From what Ive been told there is a large hill in Stoney Creek park where you can actually see downtown Detroit. I may have to check it out.

[dtown]

If you can see downtown, let us know.

I like the old stone foundation on that house Zach.

[wolverine]

^ That's a good clue. That house could be late 1800's or very very early 1900's. Although they were still building stone foundations in more rural houses until the 1920's. Many houses I've seen however, had switched to block foundations

It also appears to have had an addition.

[dtown]

That reminds me of last spring when i helped my grandpa tear down an old carriage house at his house. That rock is so hard to break up, exept in the spots where the mortar is bad. And the beams were about 18" by 18" of hand cut oak, it was so hard that it broke the saw blade twice. They really built those old houses to last.

[tapezord]

The rails in Ypsilanti by the *future* commuter rail station in depot town.

[ZachariahDaMan]

St. Patrick's Church in Northfield Township, built 1878.

[andrew.w]

^ That's a good clue. That house could be late 1800's or very very early 1900's. Although they were still building stone foundations in more rural houses until the 1920's. Many houses I've seen however, had switched to block foundations

It also appears to have had an addition.