Michigan Historic Preservation Network

WORKSHOPS

Upcoming Workshops

Sponsored in part by

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Tower on the Boulevard: The History and Rehabilitation of the Book Tower

The Book Tower is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in downtown Detroit, gracing the city skyline with its bright green copper roof and ornate Italian Renaissance detailing. Designed by architect Louis Kamper, who worked in close partnership with the Book family of Detroit, the Book Building was begun in 1916 and completed in 1917. In the feverish days of boom-era Detroit, the Book family commissioned an addition to the Book Building and again tapped Louis Kamper for the design. Thus, in 1926 the Book Tower was added onto the original Book Building.

The Book Tower reigned for decades as one of Detroit’s finest, most luxurious office and retail destinations; however, by the 1980s, as office tenants moved away and maintenance was deferred, the building fell into disrepair. When the last tenant moved out in 2009, the building was in need of full renovation. Bedrock Detroit acquired the building in 2015, and Kraemer Design Group was tapped to provide historic rehabilitation guidance to the project team.

This session explores the seven-plus year renovation of the Book Tower that stretches the imagination by its sheer size and complexity, requiring ingenuity and a depth and breadth of expertise unlike any other project in the city. Topics such as the fascinating history of the building, challenging code compliance issues involved in the rehabilitation, façade restoration, and the spectacular, soaring “crystal ceiling” reconstruction in the lobby will be covered in this presentation.

March 28th, 2024

1 PM ET

Recognizing LGBTQ History: Experiences from the Lake Michigan Lakeshore

Historians, preservationists, activists, and the public at large have shown increasing interest in celebrating and sharing the history of LGBTQ people in recent years. The 2019 commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in Greenwich Village led to a number of exhibitions and public history projects nationwide.

This presentation explores the work of one such effort at the Lake Michigan lakeshore. Saugatuck and Douglas are two of Michigan’s most popular Lake Michigan summer tourist destinations and residential centers for people interested in history and the arts. From its origins as a lumbering and shipbuilding community in the 1800s, the area has built a reputation as a “home for all” with a significant LGBTQ population. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, steamship and railroad travel made the Saugatuck area along the Lake Michigan shoreline a resort and arts destination with people coming from Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and across the region.

The history of queer people at the Lakeshore was not well documented or understood even as Saugatuck and Douglas were widely known as the “Fire Island of the Midwest” by the 1980s. This program will explore how the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center undertook a community-based effort to collect stories, archival materials, and artifacts to preserve LGBTQ history. It will also share specific themes of LGBTQ history including bars and restaurants, businesses, lodging, resorts, and entertainment venues within the historical contexts of social, cultural, legal, and political history relevant to history projects across the region.

April 11th, 2024

1 PM ET

Practical Preservation Workshops

These workshops are designed to educate historic home owners and commercial building owners on the benefits of historic preservation. The participants will gain a profound understanding of restoration techniques and methods, at the same time, discovering invaluable ways to save money.

Workshop participants will gain the knowledge and skills they need to perform masterful restorations as well as a greater appreciation for the cost-effectiveness of historic preservation. 

Video: Working with Windows in 5 parts

In this 5-part YouTube series, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network and Michigan State Historic Preservation Office provides “simple steps for working windows.”

Understanding Preservation Practices

Realtor Education Workshop

Join the Michigan Historic Preservation Network for this workshop to equip Realtors and real estate professionals with tools to help market and sell older homes. Learn how to communicate the value of owning a historic property to your clientele!

Continuing Education: The workshop offers two elective CE credit hours. 

For more information, please call us at 517.371.8080

or e-mail us at Info@mhpn.org