West Canfield Historic District

The West Canfield Historic District is a neighborhood historic district located primarily on Canfield Avenue between Second and Third Streets in Detroit, Michigan. A boundary increase enlarged the district to include buildings on Third Avenue between Canfield and Calumet. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1970 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971; a boundary increase was added in 1997. The revitalized 1870s era neighborhood is one of the residential areas surrounding the city's Cultural Center Historic District in Midtown. Nearby, East Canfield Avenue leads to the Detroit Medical Center complex, the Romanesque Revival styled St. Josaphat's Catholic Church, and the Gothic revival styled Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church.HistoryThe area around the West Canfield Historic District was once owned by Lewis Cass, an early governor of Michigan. When he died in 1866, his two daughters inherited his holdings. Three years later, they divided the property, with Cass's daughter Mary receiving the portion where the West Canfield Historic District is now located. Mary's husband was Captain August Canfield, a graduate of West Point and a major investor in the construction of the ship canal at Sault Ste. Marie. In 1871, Mary Cass Canfield subdivided her land, naming Canfield Avenue in honor of her husband.