Grosse Pointe is a city in
Wayne County in the U.S. state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
. As of the
2010 census, the city had a population of 5,421.
Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...
along
Lake St. Clair. It is located along
East Jefferson Avenue and shares a small northwestern border with the city of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
. It is one of five cities within the
Grosse Pointe area. Grosse Pointe was originally incorporated as a village in 1880 and again as a city in 1934.
History
It was incorporated as a city in 1934. There are five Grosse Pointes: Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores.
Together with
"The Park" and
"The Farms", "the City" comprises part of the southern Pointes, which are older and more densely populated than the northern Pointes (
Grosse Pointe Woods and
Grosse Pointe Shores). It became heavily populated between 1910 and 1930 as one of Detroit's first commuter suburbs; in the previous century,
Grosse Pointe was home to cottages, resorts, farms, and widely spaced lakefront mansions. Grosse Pointe ("the City"), Grosse Pointe Farms, and Grosse Pointe Park make up the
Grosse Pointe South High School district. Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores make up the
Grosse Pointe North High School district. Downtown Grosse Pointe, along Kercheval Avenue from Neff to Cadieux, nicknamed "The Village," is considered by many locals to be the central downtown for all five of the Grosse Pointes, although each of them (except Grosse Pointe Shores) has several blocks of retail properties.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The water is part of
Lake St. Clair.
The street layout of Grosse Pointe is basically a grid inside of its Cadieux, Mack, and Fisher Road boundaries. Inside this small rectangle, most blocks contain rows of
single-family homes built between 1910 and 1950, on parcels wide on average. Some streets offer large backyards, such as Washington and Lakeland, while other streets are more compact. In some areas, homes are configured in a traditionally urban, close-together fashion, while other nearby blocks may offer yards up to wide.
Home sizes and styles vary widely, from , but slightly under on average. Most of the largest homes are within a few blocks of the lakefront; there are several blocks of mansions south of Kercheval Avenue. Predominant architecture includes the
neo-Georgian,
Tudor revival,
Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house. Modern versions built in the early 20th century are more accurately referred to as "Dutch Colonial R ...
, and arts and crafts styles. Some
Victorian homes and traditional bungalow homes can also be found, mostly just north and south of the Village retail district. Some blocks, generally just south of the Village, have townhouses and apartments. Most of these were built in the 1920s, and can be seen along St. Paul, Maumee, and Jefferson avenues, mostly west of Rivard Boulevard, and between Notre Dame and Cadieux south of the Village retail district.
There are retail and low-rise office buildings along Kercheval Avenue in the Village district, on Fisher Road near
Grosse Pointe South High School, and along Mack Avenue bordering Detroit.
Climate
This
climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system, Grosse Pointe has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2010, there were 5,421 people, 2,236 households, and 1,481 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 2,446 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 3.3%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1%
Native American, 1.6%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.2% from
other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 2,236 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median age in the city was 44.7 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 to 44; 33.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 5,670 people, 2,388 households, and 1,559 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 5,297.9 per square mile (2,046.0/km
2). There were 2,504 housing units at an average density of 2,339.7 per square mile (903.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.18%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 0.79%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.07%
Native American, 1.04%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.30% from
other races, and 0.60% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population. 19.9% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 14.8%
Irish, 13.9%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
, 7.8%
Polish and 7.2%
Italian ancestry according to
Census 2000. The largest reported religious affiliation was
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
.
There were 2,388 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $89,492, and the median income for a family was $101,889. Males had a median income of $79,637 versus $44,167 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $53,942. About 2.2% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.
Downtown development
The City's Master Plan permits additional growth in downtown Grosse Pointe, also known as "The Village", allowing an expansion of the shopping- and amenities-focused district. In particular, two lots (on either side of St. Clair Avenue) currently used for municipal parking directly north of the current row of retail are the focus of planned development.
The former Jacobson's Department Store building along Kercheval, west of St. Clair, has been completely redeveloped. Upper-floor office space accompanies a slate of new retailers, including a
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's is an American chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. The chain has over 569 stores across the United States.
The first Trader Joe's store was opened in 1967 by founder Joe Coulombe in Pasadena, Californi ...
grocery occupying specialized space in the renovated building. In addition, a new building rose in 2011 to replace the former
Kroger grocery store at the corner of Kercheval and Notre Dame Street.
Education
Grosse Pointe Public School System operates public schools.
Lewis Maire Elementary School in Grosse Pointe and Pierce Middle School in
Grosse Pointe Park serve the western half of the city, while
Père Gabriel Richard Elementary School and Brownell Middle School, both in
Grosse Pointe Farms, serve the other half. All residents are zoned to
Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe Farms. Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores attend Grosse Pointe North High School
The Grosse Pointes are also home to one of the state's top private/independent schools,
University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods. Liggett serves grades prekindergarten through 12th grade. Liggett is known for its progressive curriculum, starting with the Reggio Emilia approach in prekindergarten and lower school grades.
Notable places
* The Village shopping district, Kercheval Road between Neff and Cadieux.
* Neff Park, at the foot of University Place. A restricted-access park with pier and harbor on southern Lake St. Clair, pool, playgrounds, picnic areas, volleyball courts, and ice-skating in the winter.
* George Elworthy Field. A city park with tennis courts, sports fields (including Little League Baseball diamonds), and playgrounds, within walking distance of the Village. Bounded by Neff Rd., St. Clair Ave., Waterloo St., and Charlevoix Street.
* Ralph Harmon Booth House, 315 Washington Road. The largest house in the city; an architecturally significant English Revival mansion, designed by
Marcus Burrows, in the midst of other historic homes. The former home of the President of Booth Newspapers, who served as U.S. Minister to
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
and a key
Detroit Institute of Arts philanthropist, Ralph Booth, the brother of George G. Booth.
* Henry Tiffany Cole House, 394 Lakeland at Maumee. A large, distinctive Tudor mansion.
* John M. Dwyer House, 372 Lakeland. A huge Georgian Colonial mansion, part of a row of mansions on lower Lakeland Ave.
* Waterman House, 330 Lincoln. A
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
Georgian mansion built in 1911 at the corner of Maumee. Once the home of the inventor of the
outboard boat motor. Features a chapel imported from England.
* The Murray Sales House, 251 Lincoln. An Italian villa in white stucco off Jefferson Avenue built-in 1917. Designed by the famed
Louis Kamper, the architect of some downtown Detroit skyscrapers, among other buildings.
* "Rosecroft," the B. Tobin House, at 266 Lakeland Ave. A unique 1912 Tudor designed by
Albert Kahn.
* "Woodley Green," the Benson Ford House, on the shore of Lake St. Clair. A notable 1934 Georgian/Regency designed by
Hugh T. Keyes.
* Several blocks of mansions and architecturally significant houses (including some townhouses) on Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt, Rivard, University, and Lakeland, south of Kercheval.
* Historic smaller homes, among the oldest in the city, along St. Clair Ave. and Notre Dame Ave., especially near Kercheval.
* Several blocks of houses representing the upscale residential architecture of the 1910-1930 period.
* Dodge Place, a mid-century subdivision built on part of the former Horace and Anna Dodge mansion(s) site.
* Fisher Road retail district (between St. Paul and Maumee), across from
Grosse Pointe South High School.
* Mack Avenue business district, along the length of Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe, constituting the border with Detroit.
* Maire Elementary School (Cadieux near Kercheval), the only one of the Grosse Pointe Public Schools within the small city.
* Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church (Maumee near Neff), the only church within the one square mile city.
Notable people
regg Alexander, singer, frontman of the
New Radicals
*
Anita Baker, singer, winner of eight
Grammys
*
Edward A. Batchelor, early 20th Century journalist, resided in Grosse Pointe
*
Miguel Cabrera, MLB player for
Florida Marlins and
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
*
Roy D. Chapin Jr.
Roy Dikeman Chapin Jr. (September 21, 1915 – August 5, 2001) was the chairman and chief executive officer of American Motors Corporation (AMC). Chapin's father, Roy D. Chapin Sr., was one of the co-founders of the Hudson Motor Car Company; Huds ...
, chairman and CEO of
American Motors Company
American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the ...
*
Laura Devon
Laura Devon (born Mary Louise Briley; May 23, 1931 – July 19, 2007) was an American actress, singer, and model.
Early life
Laura Devon was born May 23, 1931, in Chicago. Her birth name has been given as either Mary Lou Briley or Mary Laura Br ...
, actress
*
Jeffrey Eugenides, Pulitzer-Prize winning author, attended
University Liggett School
*
Edsel Ford
Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business executive and philanthropist who was the son of pioneering industrialist Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He was the president of Ford Motor Company f ...
, automaker, resided and died in Grosse Pointe Shores
*
Edsel Ford II, automaker, resides in Grosse Pointe Farms
*
Elena Ford, auto executive, granddaughter of
Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 – September 29, 1987), sometimes known as "Hank the Deuce", was an American businessman in the automotive industry. He was the oldest son of Edsel Ford I and oldest grandson of Henry Ford I. He was president ...
, resides in Grosse Pointe Farms
*
Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 – September 29, 1987), sometimes known as "Hank the Deuce", was an American businessman in the automotive industry. He was the oldest son of Edsel Ford I and oldest grandson of Henry Ford I. He was president ...
, auto executive, lived in Grosse Pointe
*
Martha Firestone Ford, principal owner and chairwoman of the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL), widow of William Clay Ford Sr., and daughter of
Harvey S. Firestone Jr.
*
William Clay Ford Sr., principal owner and chairman of the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL), resided and died in Grosse Pointe Shores
*
Chris Getz, professional baseball player,
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
*
Kirk Gibson, MLB player for
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
and
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
, former
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activitie ...
of
Arizona Diamondbacks, resides in Grosse Pointe
*
Jared Lee Gosselin, Grammy-winning music producer
*
Julie Harris, actress, Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee, born in Grosse Pointe
*
Edward Herrmann, actor, attended
Grosse Pointe High School
*
Hal Hudson, professional baseball pitcher,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
and
St. Louis Browns
*
John Hughes, American film director, producer, and screenwriter famous for numerous films including ''
Home Alone
''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Hea ...
'', ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', ''
Sixteen Candles'', grew up in Grosse Pointe
*
Julanne Johnston, silent-film actress
*
Bill Kennedy, actor, TV Talk Show Host (Bill Kennedy at the Movies, channel 50, 1pm, in the 60's thru 80's), resided in Grosse Pointe
*
Aaron Krickstein, professional tennis player
*
David Legwand, NHL hockey player
*
Matt Letscher, actor
*
Lisa LoCicero, actress, ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
''
*
John Lowery, guitarist for
Rob Zombie,
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again fro ...
,
Marilyn Manson,
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English heavy metal singer. He is the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has ...
's
2wo, and
K.d. lang, among others
*
Debbie Massey
Debbie Massey (born November 5, 1950) is an American professional golfer.
Before joining the LPGA Tour, Massey worked as a skiing instructor. She was LPGA rookie of the year in 1977.
Massey won three events on the LPGA Tour, not including back-t ...
, LPGA Tour golfer, twice winner of
Women's British Open, born in Grosse Pointe
*
Jim Miller, former NFL quarterback
*
Carly Piper, swimmer, gold medalist at
2004 Athens Olympics
*
J.K. Simmons, actor, Academy Award winner for ''
Whiplash'', born in Grosse Pointe
*
Charles M. Swift, lawyer, businessman, founder of
Meralco and several railroads
*
Mark Tremonti, guitarist for
Creed
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
and
Alter Bridge
*
Corey Tropp
Corey Tropp (born July 25, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He last played for the Vienna Capitals of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey L ...
, NHL hockey player
*
Zach Werenski, Hockey player in the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
organization
*
Meg White, member of the
White Stripes, is from Grosse Pointe Farms
*
Ralph Wilson, owner of the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
, resided and died in Grosse Pointe Shores
See also
*
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
*
Lake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...
*''
Grosse Pointe Blank''
References
Further reading
* - article on downtown redevelopment
External links
City of Grosse Pointe official websiteGrosse Pointe Historical SocietyLewis Maire Elementary SchoolGrosse Pointe Public Library''Grosse Pointe News'' - weekly newspaperGrosse Pointe War Memorial(
Russell Alger Mansion)
{{Authority control
Cities in Wayne County, Michigan
Metro Detroit
Populated places established in 1880
1880 establishments in Michigan
Michigan populated places on Lake St. Clair