In 2015, Palmer Woods celebrated its landmark 100th Anniversary, but its history extends several decades before it was officially established in 1915.
In 1883, Senator Thomas Palmer made a generous gift to the City of Detroit of more than 100 acres of farmland on the northwest border of the city for use as a public park. In 1915, the Palmer family sold land north of the Park to developer Charles W. Burton for a residential subdivision.
Palmer Woods looks like it doesn’t belong in Detroit… because it wasn’t built like the rest of the city. Curved streets, towering trees, massive mansions — all hidden behind a canopy of old-growth forest. Today, we explore the extraordinary history behind Detroit’s most exclusive neighborhood.
