Executive Committee Meeting 10-15-24

President's Report

Page 45 of 95

EXPLORE DETROIT

TO THE EAST: RIVERFRONT, BELLE ISLE, AND LAKE ST. CLAIR

River, this small museum is of interest for understanding the ecosystem, but also the role of the Great Lakes in the scope of the city's historical, cultural, and economic development. Magnificent: the marvelous Gothic Room aa immerses visitors in the setting of the opulent gentleman’s lounge of the City of Detroit III, a steamer which, at the turn of the 20th century, connected Detroit to Cleveland and Buffalo via Lake Erie. Fun: there’s a simulator that puts you in the shoes of the captain of a cargo ship. Educational: the impact of microplastics on our planet and what each of us can do to combat this threat. Several objects are on display outside, including the anchor of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a cargo ship that was sunk during a storm in Lake Superior in 1975 with the loss of its 29 crew members. Its history is extensively presented in the museum.

www.belleisleconservancy.org - Fri.- Sun. 10am-4pm – free entry, suggested donation $5. 1904, Albert Kahn The country’s oldest aquarium still in operation is also the smallest and the most beautiful you can see in the US. Built in the Beaux-Arts style, it consists of a single long room where the vaulted ceiling, covered with original iridescent green tiles, and the semi-darkness give the impression of being inside the tank with the fish! There are a ton of freshwater fish, especially those from Great Lakes, but other types too. The site plays a crucial role in protecting species and natural environments, but also in educating the public. Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory a 4 Inselruhe Ave - t 313 821 5428 - www.belleisleconservancy.org - Closed for works, reopening scheduled for Spring 2025. 1904, Albert Kahn. Next to the aquarium, with which it forms a pair, the botanical garden initially included a large timber-framed greenhouse. It is also the oldest in the country that is still open, and has evolved over time, particularly after the legacy of Anna Scripps Whitcomb, daughter of James E. Scripps, who donated her collection of around 600 orchids. Today, the garden has several greenhouses (palm trees, cacti, tropical plants, and more), a fern garden, and a lily pond. Dossin Great Lakes Museum a 100 Strand Dr - t 313 821 2661 - detroithistorical.org - Fri.-Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. 1pm-5pm - $5. Located on the banks of the Detroit

Indian Village a 3.7 miles east of the RenCen following the Detroit River. historicindianvillage.org

Served by the McArthur Bridge, this 1.5-sq. mile island on the Detroit River has long been a place of leisure pursuits. It is crisscrossed with roads and trails leading to picnic areas, an active lighthouse (closed to visitors) , a golf course, sports areas and playgrounds, and the city’s only beach . landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted —also responsible for Central Park in New York—dates back to the 1880s. On the southern tip, the James Scott Fountain (1925, Gilbert Cass), water cascading over its white marble gradations, catches the sun’s rays as it sets over the river panorama. Decidedly versatile, Belle Isle also served as a training ground for marines before setting off for the Pacific during the Second World War. Aquarium a 3 Inselruhe Ave - t 313 331 7760 - Whatever the reason, and given that any money is good money, the bequest was accepted, the fountain was built and so was the statue. A big one at that. It has even hosted F1 races. The island’s development by Any Money is Good Money The erection of the Belle Isle fountain went ahead, not without hesitation, thanks to the patronage of James Scott , the ill-reputed, spendthrift son of a real estate magnate. In 1910, he left the family’s fortune to Detroit provided a statue was erected in his honor. But could the city really put up a statue of such a dubious character? Well, maybe if it was just a little one...

w Every year, on the first weekend of June, several houses and gardens open to the public during the Historic Indian Village Home and Garden Tour. Created in the late 19th century, this affluent district remains a sought-after address. For good reason: its streets, which bear Indian tribe names, are lined with stunning residences, some designed by great architects—the likes of Albert Kahn, Louis Kamper, Rogers & MacFarlane, William B. Stratton— in varied Revival styles. Stroll along Seminole Street or Iroquois Street to admire them and note the carriage houses, where the horse-drawn carriages were kept, found at the back of most of the houses.

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Pottery Made in Detroit A small Tudor Revival-style half-timbered house stands somewhat incongruously on Jefferson Avenue. Since 1907, it has been home to the Pewabic Pottery , whose name means “metal” in the language of the Ojibwa Indians. Founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace James Caulkin, the workshop enjoyed rapid success thanks to the production of its brightly colored ceramic tiles. It went on to become one of the main representatives of the Arts and Crafts movement in Detroit, in its local version: the American Craftsman Style . Examples of its production can be found in the city, on the Guardian Building, in the Grand Hall of DIA, at the zoo, and more recently at the People Mover stations, including Times Square and Cadillac. Pewabic has been exported to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, plus countless private residences. The company has since branched out and now manufactures jewelry, homewares, and more. The workshop is open for visitors on certain days. 10125 E. Jefferson Ave - t 313 626 2000 - www.pewabic.org - 10am-5pm - closed Sun.-Mon. Small museum and superb shop. T Addresses.