Autumn Color Tour

**Lowell** · October-17-09, 11:44 PM

Autumn adds a special poignancy to a passing landscape. The colors this year seem particularly brilliant.

The Scott Mansion on Peterboro

A House on Sibley

The Cole Apartments on Park

Three Recently Vacated Houses on Temple

[And, no, the colors were not digitally boosted.]

**Lowell** · October-17-09, 11:52 PM

The boarded up houses on Temple and the Cole are, to my memory, all recently vacated. So is this apartment building, also in the northwest corner of Woodward and the Fisher Expressway. Does this add fuel to the speculation that this area will be the eventual site of the new hockey arena?

Apartment at Temple and Park

**cman710** · October-18-09, 12:19 AM

Lowell, thank you for sharing these Fall pictures with us. The colors are very nice, and they make for very unique shots.

The houses on Temple were vacant at least as of this July 14th, when I took a picture of them [[will post tomorrow if I get an opportunity. The only difference I notice since then is that the canopy over the door on the house on the right is now collapsing, and was not this summer.

DetroitDad · October-18-09, 12:21 AM

Beautiful Lowell, just beautiful. I don't know how you do it sometimes.

I've often wondered; are those Temple homes the ones that are in your famous painting I have seen everywhere?

**reddog289** · October-18-09, 12:22 AM

Great shots as always.

**Crystal** · October-18-09, 09:37 AM

Beautiful, thank you for sharing!

**Ray1936** · October-18-09, 02:36 PM

An urban color tour. Delightful! Beauty can be right in one's own back yard.

**Eastside** · October-18-09, 04:06 PM

Greetings--

I rode my bike to the marathon today and took a couple of Autumn pictures along the way. I especially like the phone number found on the sign.

Enjoy!

**eriedearie** · October-18-09, 05:52 PM

Beautiful fall pictures you guys, and thanks for sharing them.

There's nothing like a Michigan autumn burst of color...I vividly remember walking home from school during the time of Detroit's tree lined streets of the 50s and 60s during this time of year. I thought I lived in the most beautiful city on earth.

**douglasm** · October-18-09, 06:03 PM

And I vividly remember raking the leaves from the 6 BIG oak trees in the yard. The payoff was, of course, jumping into the leaf pile.....

**Fury13** · October-18-09, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

The boarded up houses on Temple and the Cole are, to my memory, all recently vacated. So is this apartment building, also in the northwest corner of Woodward and the Fisher Expressway. Does this add fuel to the speculation that this area will be the eventual site of the new hockey arena?

Apartment at Temple and Park

That's the Embassy Apartments, circa 1900. Nice example of Romanesque architecture... it would be a shame to lose that one.

**jackie5275** · October-19-09, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by douglasm

And I vividly remember raking the leaves from the 6 BIG oak trees in the yard. The payoff was, of course, jumping into the leaf pile.....

We had a big lot with many trees too. It seemed we were raking leaves every weekend. We didn't get to jump in the leaf pile though because we burned the leaves. I miss that smell of burning leaves now.

**detroitbred** · October-19-09, 02:21 PM

Thank you all for the beautiful , if somewhat sad, fall photos. This is my favorite time or year, I even love the sounds and smell of the leaves in the fall. Makes me a little melancholy though sometimes. I just wish fall lasted longer then it does....seems like we have a few weeks [[ if we're lucky) of mild weather with nice color and then it's over. One windy, rainy day and the leaves are gone. Nothing but gray skies and cold to look forward to.

**jjaba** · November-06-09, 12:21 AM

Thanks Lowell for the Fall colortour. Nobody makes art out of Detroit ruins like Lowell. Thanks also for the Quo Vadis Theater tour. Good to have a photo record before that property faces the wrecking balls.
jjaba.

**Joseph C. Krause** · November-06-09, 04:20 AM

Here are my photos from October 23rd of Corktown's stunning colors:

http://www.unibrows.com/images/corkt...-09/index.html

**eriedearie** · November-06-09, 08:20 AM

JCK - Thanks for that colorful tour! Nobody does fall colors better than Michigan in my opinion!

**stromberg2** · November-06-09, 01:53 PM

Nice pix, JCK! Corktown is such a beautiful neighborhood.

Stromberg2

**gibran** · November-06-09, 02:32 PM

A usual my hat is off to the artist ability on this forum...the pictures remind me of the days of raking front lawns for a quarter a lawn, jumping into the piles of leaves and watching the glow of eyes peering from illuminated pumpkins on the porches of my neighbors. Fall is glorious in Michigan, just a brisk reminder of the days ahead...in the coldness of winter. You all do such a great job...I have the "good" fortune of seeing the Ozark's colors, but nothing like Michigan's...[[maybe I am just a little sentimental)..

**gibran** · November-06-09, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by jjaba

Thanks Lowell for the Fall colortour. Nobody makes art out of Detroit ruins like Lowell. Thanks also for the Quo Vadis Theater tour. Good to have a photo record before that property faces the wrecking balls.
jjaba.

nice to see you're back..was thinking about you a few months back..I had a conference on social justice..and was remembering your good works...

back to the fall colors...

**detroitbred** · November-06-09, 02:57 PM

I often see write ups in magazines or on line this time of year about the "top 10" destinations for fall color, and am always insulted that Michigan is not mentioned. It always seems to be the east coast, smokie mountains, etc. Michigan has some of the most beautiful fall foliage to be found, not to mention wonderful scenary of all kinds....lakes / shore lines, forest, mountains. In my opinion, this is a great state to live in [[ in spite of the present economy ) with something for everyone to enjoy and I wouldn't want to live anywhwere else.

**redfordman** · November-12-09, 08:38 AM

Great pix and great colors! Thank you for sharing!

**DLN** · December-20-09, 02:27 PM

I saw the images of the vacant houses on Temple St. and was compelled the post. I and my now Ex-husband owned 52 and 56 Temple St. My ex sold the two properties to an "undisclosed" buyer in May of 2009. I did a lot of research on these two buildings. For me they are a fascinating look into a true neighborhood architecture fragment of old Detroit.
I'll start with the oldest house, 56 Temple which you only see a corner of in the one pic was built in 1864 by John F. Munro, an immigrant from Scotland. He lived there with his wife Sara and three children. He was a surveyor, he was the first to survey the Saginaw valley from what I could find.
It started as a home lighted by gas. The gas light pipes are still in the walls, just plastered over a bit. This house is an example of a family that owned an acre or so, and as JFMunroe got older he sold off parcels to keep money coming through his retirement. This is the oldest home in the downtown area. Would be a excellent dig site since there is sure to be an outhouse site under the alley's cobble stones.

52 Temple, the blonde brick Romanesque house was built by Dr. Louise Orlemann in 1894. Her husband who was a grocer died while the house was being built. She was a German immigrant, she graduated from U of M med school in 1882 in Homeopathy. She practiced out of her home and was the first female OB/GYN to be hired at Hutzel woman's hospital.

**Lowell** · December-20-09, 06:29 PM

Welcome to the forum DLN. Thanks for the very interesting information.

**gazhekwe** · December-20-09, 07:05 PM

Fascinating information. I love the history of these houses. We researched the one we lived in next to the Bronx Bar, too.

**Gsgeorge** · December-21-09, 03:19 AM

those houses are amazing, i have always wondered about them, thanks for the info and welcome DLN. I hope the aforementioned "undisclosed buyer" recognizes the importance and potential of these homes.