Pulp | Arts Around Ann Arbor

The neighborhoods west of Main along Miller Road have been overlooked by architectural historians even though the area has many historic buildings. However, unlike the nearby Old West Side Historic District (the northern boundary is at Huron), where the German identity and Vernacular architecture work hand-in-hand, the Miller Road area has only recently acquired an identity as the Water Hill Neighborhood. The name Water Hill comes from the street names Spring, Bath, and Fountain, which in turn derive from the large number of springs and creeks that once ran through the neighborhood. Also, the city’s main water pumping plant is on Sunset—one of the highest points in the city.

On maps we note that Water Hill is actually broken down into three neighborhoods: Upper Water Hill, which extends west from Brooks to Newport and contains the youngest houses; Water Hill, which is north of Summit and features Hunt Park; and Lower Water Hill, which is the oldest neighborhood and is south of Summit between Main and Brooks and includes Belize Park.

The area was first settled by Yankees from New England and New York, with some Irish and Germans. Beginning in the 1930s, a large African-American community made the Water Hill neighborhood their home. Miller Road has always been a main east/west road, and was settled earlier than the rest of the neighborhood. This can be seen in a number of high-style buildings (see #37 and #38). There are also some smaller pioneer homes (see #39) that still survive.

The oldest subdivisions were platted in 1859 along Spring, Fountain, Hiscock, and Felch, a bit later than other near-downtown neighborhoods. The neighborhood has modest examples of the Greek Revival (see #47), Italianate (see #46), Vernacular (see #45), and Queen Anne styles (see #35). There are also some very nice examples of the Arts and Crafts style (see #37).

West Park, established in 1909 where a tributary of Allen Creek once flowed, was the site of a Native American trail. The Band Shell and Gateway (see #34) are focal points of this neighborhood park. Hunt Park along Spring Street offers spectacular views of downtown Ann Arbor.

The 1950s brought an explosion of growth beyond Miller and hundreds of ranch houses were built on Pomona and Red Oak (Upper Water Hill). A number of stunning Mid-Century Modern homes were also built in the neighborhood (see #42 and #43), and on Orkney and Miner. Some of these were designed by well-known architects at U-M.

33. Sylvester Noble House, 115 Chapin St, built c.1846

34. West Park Band Shell and Gateway, 215 Chapin St, built 1938/1927

35. George and Ella Clark House, 627 Gott St, built 1890

36. Barton Dam, Huron River Dr and Bird Rd, built 1912-1913

37. Samuel and Lillian Burchfield House, 605 Miller Ave, built 1907

38. Frederick and Mary Brown House, 707 Miller Ave, built 1894

39. Jacob and Anna Shultz Houses, 809-813 Miller Ave, built c.1840s

40. Christian Mack School, 920 Miller Ave, built 1921

41. John and Jane Bird House, 1884 Miller Ave, built 1869

42. Edward and Irene Olencki House, 1150 Mixtwood St, built 1954

43. Joseph and Emma Albano House, 1158 Pomona Rd, built 1955

44. Samuel Burchfield Row House, 427-433 Spring St, built 1911