Heritage Hill has undergone many diverse changes over the last 150 years. It was once the area of Grand Rapids where a lot of people wanted to build or buy a home to live and was considered the wealthy part of town. The architecture ranges from many styles.
Over time as Grand Rapids grew and developed the people who once lived in the Heritage hill area moved further away into the suburb area of the city. The homes in Heritage Hill were purchased by slum lords and the area quickly became the inner city and poorer part of town to live in. As a result of this the beautifully designed homes and neighborhood started looking run down and attracted somewhat of a criminal element to the area. As a result of this, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, banks and realtors started the now illegal practice of red lining and block busting when ever someone would come to them looking for help with their current home in Heritage Hill or if someone was looking for a new place to live in Grand Rapids. This resulted in Heritage Hill almost being razed piece by piece and lost forever. A group forward thinking individuals came together and prevented this from happening, saving and preserving an important piece of Grand Rapids History.
As a result Heritage Hill continues to serve as an important and beautiful reminder of history, diversity and challenge for the City of Grand Rapids.
Chronology:
1830's & 1840's - Earliest housing on the east side was built and lay within the river valley bottom just as it did no the west side.
1840's - The population tripled from 880 to 2,686 and saw the first few houses arising as country places beyond the settled city area.
1840 - Grand Rapids population was 880.
Between 1845 & early 1850's - Some of the earliest notable houses were built. The Greek Revival Pike house, Gothic Lucius Lyon house, the Italianate Martin Sweet house, Federal Style Aaron Dikeman house, the Classic Revival Damon Hatch house and the Greek Revival Samuel Stanford house.
These houses were the early pioneers of the Heritage Hill area.
1840's through 1920's - Most houses were built.
1840's through 1990's - All major and a number of minor architectural styles have been tried. Examples include: Greek Revival, Gothic, Italianate, Eastlake,/Stick Style, Queen Anne, Chateauesque, Romanesque, Shingle Style, Geoergian Revival, Dutch Colonial, Tudor, Prairie, Craftsman, Bungalows and Art Deco. Another style, often called "no-style" are referred to as Venacular and are found from various periods.
1850 - Grand Rapids population was 2,686.
1860 - Grand Rapids population was 8,085. By this year the population tripled again.
Between 1865 and 1927 - Heritage Hill was platted.
1860's through 1920's - This was the most active building period for the Heritage Hill district. It is longer if the country houses built in the 1840's and 1850's are counted and with some infill after the 1920's.
Before the 1870's - The hill districts began to grow. Very handsome residences were built south of Fulton Street, from Division Avenue eastward to Lafayette Avenue. These areas were later taken over by institutions and commerce.
1870 - Though the population of Grand Rapids slowed down it did double to 16,507.
Between 1870 and 1915 - A large number of African American churches were founded. Many in an area just east of the southern part of what became Heritage Hill.
1870's and 1880's - Large numbers of houses were built north of Cherry Street.
1870's through 1890's - The northern part was built up and is the older part of Heritage Hill.
Before 1880 - Italianate houses were more common but continued to be built through the 1880's.
1880 - The population of Grand Rapids population doubled again to 32,016 and was enough to generate the most active period of development in the Hill district.
1880's and 1890's - This period was the most prolific in Heritage Hill. There are several popular styles of architecture that are elaborate and pompous. They include: Italianate, Queen Anne, Stick and Shingle Style.
The most common style of architecture was referred to as Vernacular Builder style, which mean no-style.
1888 - Romanesque Revival Grand Rapids City Hall was built.
September 26, 1888 - Dedication ceremony for the new city hall.
1880's & 1890's - The most popular and common styles of architecture from this period are Vernacular and Queen Anne and are found on almost every block.
1880's through 1910 - A less popular style but still found is the curious examples of Shingle Style, which was popularized by East Coast architects. The central part, between Fulton and Cherry Streets was most active in being developed.
1890's - Large numbers of houses were built south of Cherry Street.
1890 - The Grand Rapids population doubled again to 60,278.
1900 - Grand Rapids population was 87,565.
1900's through 1920's - This period saw Georgian, Tudor and Italianate Renaissance Revival architecture in strong competition with Craftsman, Bungalows and Prairie styles.
1900's to 1920's - Revival and modern styles of architecture were in competition with one another. Most popular were Georgian, Dutch and Tudor revival styles. Less popular, but common, were Craftsman and Prairie styles.
1900 to 1930 - A number of house designs are copies of each other or of published plans.
Between 1900 and 1930 - The southern section was still being developed.
After 1900 - The area south of Cherry Street saw the most development.
1905 - Flood walls began being built.
1907 - More than six sizable blocks in the northern and central section had not been platted.
1910 - Grand Rapids population was 112,571.
1910's and 1920's - In the newer section of the southern section of the district Craftsman and simple Bungalows are the most common type of architecture found.
1912 - A new system for identifying streets and buildings was implemented in Grand Rapids.
1913 - Even at low incomes due to employment as domestic servants, African Americans were known for becoming home owners in the Hill district because decent rental housing was hard for them to find.
1920 - The initial build up of the district was complete. Grand Rapids population was 137,634.
1920's - Some wealthy, entrepreneurial business people who lived in the Hill district built and sold houses other than their own. The migration of African Americans form the south began in this decade.
1920's to 1930's - The Art Deco style of architecture was popular.
1920's and 1930's - The re-birth of an interest in applied decoration came largely after the Hill district was built up. As a result the Art Deco style is largely absent. When the population of Grand Rapids took another jump it may have been partly responsible for the conversion of single family to multi-family buildings.
1930's - This decade constituted a stable period in the evolution of the Hill. Initial development was largely complete. Some conversions of single family to multi-family units were takign place. But not as many as would happen later.
1930 - Grand Rapids population was 168,592.
1939 - The section that had not been platted as of 1907 were finally platted.
1930's and 1940's - Some houses were replaced by apartment buildings. The new machine based moralistic approach of the International style in one one rather good apartment block.
1940's - The population of Grand Rapids jumped and remained stable through 1960. The migration of African Americans from the south reached major proportions. They settled into three major areas of what became Heritage Hill.
1940 - Grand Rapids population was 164,292.
1950's - Members of many of the elite families of the Hill district were gone by this decade. When they left many of the houses were subdivided.
1950 - Grand Rapids population was 176,515.
1957 - In the southern section Mary Free Bed Hospital razed structures in the designated historic district boundaries to build a parking lot.
1959 - Davenport College purchased the long vacant White house. This put pressure on the northern section of the Hill and doomed a large portion of it because the both Davenport College and Junior College wanted to expand. This was the start of the so called urban renewal and would have destroyed the entire district had been allowed to flourish.
1950's and 1960's - Large parcels of land started to change during this period. The now illegal practice of red-lining and block-busting by banks and realtors occurred the most during this era. Throughout the district there were significant drops in percentage of residential units that were owner occupied. The percentage went from 32% in 1950 to 18% by 1970. The drop was higher in the northern and central parts of the district.
1960's - Urban renewal was initiated which led to drastic to reverse the decline in central business districts and slum areas. A big increase in the African American population occurred in the Hill district. Less than 1% in the northern and central parts, but 19% in the southern part of the district. The Hill district became the target of developers as expansion for space for the downtown. The irony was at the same time the downtown spaces were being abandoned, but it did not make this trend any less powerful.
1960's and 1970's - Heritage Hill was in great danger of being razed, piece-by-piece. These decades brought multi-unit residences, a number of office buildings and a television station. The new machine based moralistic approach of the International style as a pale adaptations is present in some undistinguished office buildings. The total Grand Rapids population dropped by over 1,000, 13% but the number of housing units increased 121 or 3%.
1960 - Grand Rapids population was 177,313.
1966 - Preservation law passed.
1967 - Urban riots hit Grand Rapids.
February 1968 - Heritage Hill Association was founded.
Halloween Day 1969 - The effort to save the old City Hall, built in 1888, was dead.
1969 - The Romanesque Revival Grand Rapids City Hall built in 1888 was destroyed. This was the final phase of urban renewal in the 1960's sparking an increased awareness in historic preservation. This resulted in the placement of the entire Heritage Hill District on the National Register of Historic Places. The Association got the city to declare a moratorium on demolitions while they studied the historic character of the neighborhood. The first Heritage Hill Tour of Homes was organized to help raise funds to match the grant from the National Trust.
1969 and 1970 - Research was done on all buildings in the district to support the original historical designation.
1970's - The Heritage Hill Foundation was created by the Heritage Hill Association. This was so it could receive tax deductible donations. The Foundation bought dilapidated houses under threat, rehabilitated and re-sold them. The first house was the Kendall home. Hiding within a structure vacated by Temple Ahavas Israel. This Italianate home was known as the Philo Fuller home and was surrounded on two sides by additions to make the Temple. Many examples of each major style of architecture has been lovingly restored.
The health care boom of this decade had a diffuse impact on the Hill. As a result both what is now Spectrum Health and Saint Mary's Hospital adjacent to the northern section had both direct an indirect effects on the district. Both wanted to expand and destroy the houses in the southern section of the district to do so. This would have leveled all of the houses on Cherry Street, mostly for parking space. Much of this was stopped because people who wanted the district preserved purchased the properties the hospitals intended to raze. One such purchase was by attorney John Logie, who became the Mayor of Grand Rapids in the 1990's. Even with the efforts of people and the association for the preservation of Heritage Hill not everything could be or has been saved from the wrecking ball. But it would have been much worse during this decade had no effort been made at all.
Owner occupied units has increased gradually.
1970 - Michigan passed an enabling act, called the Local Historic Districts Act. Growing by 20,000 the population of Grand Rapids was 197,649. It was observed that the African American population in the district occupied both well maintained and problem properties. No doubt some renters who occupied some of the units owned by slumlords who extracted as much money out of the properties as they could while putting very little, if any, money back into the property. A report showed the African American population remained less than 1% in the northern and central parts of the district but increased to 64% in the southern section. Part of this was because of the now illegal practice of red-lining and block busting commuted by both banks and realtors. The banks and realtors helped facilitate what was called white flight.
1970's & 1980's - The Federal Model Cities Program appropriated funds to improve public amenities such as trees, street signs and lighting. Very few younger middle class African Americans moved into the Hill district through out this decade. Many of the new owners were white.
1970's to 2000 - The total population and the number of housing units of Grand Rapids dropped by 23%. Number of units occupied by owners increased by 32%. After the historic designation of Heritage Hill the percentage of the African American population went down almost as dramatically as it had increased during the 1960's, dropping as much as 42% district wide. But it did become more evenly distributed. The northern section saw an 9% increase in African Americans, the central part had an increase of 17% but the southern section leveled out at 29%. The total district was at 20% by the year 2000.
1971 - The entire Heritage Hill district is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city council for the City of Grand Rapids passed the Historic Preservation Ordinance and established the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission.
1973 - The moratorium was extended several times and all elements of the local Historic Preservation Ordinance were finally in force.
1977 - Money was raised to quickly counter the offer of a developer who would have razed the Philo Fuller home. This was the Foundation's first project. The additions were razed but efforts were made to secure the property from further damage. Mary Free Bed Hospital opened its new facility after razing several houses to build it within the historic district boundaries.
1978 -Not all of the infamous urban renewal was aimed at institutional or office redevelopment. Some of it was focused on housing. One project in the southern section had a painfully long history and was only completed in 1998. It affected a block south of Logan Street between Lafayette and Jefferson Avenues, well within the historic district boundaries. Half of the block was cleared of structures and a town house development was built.
1980 - The population declined in Grand Rapids population to 181,843.
1982 - Restoration on the Philo Fuller home was complete and the house was sold.
1980's and early 1990's - It is believed that because other housing areas opened up to the parents of the younger African American buyers, often out of lack of choices, this younger population has stayed away from moving into the Hill district.
1990's - The destruction of historic houses continued even into this year. The defenders were few and were more concerned with drawing a line to stop future hospital expansion which will destroy what is left of this section of the Hill district.
1990 - The Grand Rapids population grew only a little to 189,126.
1993 - The last of the destruction was complete so a new professional building and parking ramp could be built. At this point residents and the Heritage Hill Association made it very clear they would oppose any expansion into the historic district beyond Prospect Avenue next to the hospitals and beyond Claremount Court next to the Butterworth campus.
1997 - A carriage house was saved and moved to a different location so Saint Mary's Hospital could build a parking lot.
1999 - The new State of Michigan historic tax credit took effect.
2000 - Returning to the level it had in 1970 the population of Grand Rapids was 197,800.
Information source: Almost Lost: Building and Preserving Heritage Hill Grand Rapids, Michigan by Thomas H. Logan
Website: Heritage Hill Historic Association
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