History
Westside Neighborhood Historic Walking Tour
Curious about the history of the Westside Neighborhood –
bound by Saginaw, MLK, 496, and Verlinden? Click here for a
PDF of the tour developed in 2009 by Nicole Schippel during
her employment with the Westside Commercial Association.
Old Oakland Neighborhood Historic
Walking Tour
Learn about the history of the Old Oakland Neighborhood –
bound by Saginaw, Verlinden, Willow, and MLK. Click here for
a PDF of the tour developed in 2010 by Nicole Schippel
during her employment with the Westside Commercial
Association.
Westside Neighborhood Association
The Westside Neighborhood Association seeks to address
the issues and concerns of Westside Neighborhood
residents; to bring neighbors together to support, enhance,
and maintain the Westside’s unique qualities as an area that
values diversity among its residents; to support excellence in
its schools; to improve the quality of life for all residents; and
to celebrate the beauty and diversity of its people, housing,
parks, and byways. To these ends, the Westside
Neighborhood Association may develop, implement, and
administer programs, plans, and policies; receive and
disperse funds; and act as a representative of the Westside
Neighborhood to any government body or public or private
organization.
WNA borders are as follows: norther border is Oakland Ave,
the southern border is the Grand River and the western
border is the Lansing City Limits (which includes a small
pocket of homes west of Verlinden both north of the GM plant
and south of Sexton).
To learn more about the Westside Neighborhood
Association, visit www.wnalansing.org or contact the board
by emailing board@wnalansing.org.
Saginaw Street Business District
The commercial district along Saginaw Street dates back to
the 1920’s and 1930’s. Many of the buildings along Saginaw
Street were originally built with art-deco elements popular
during that time.
912-914 W. Saginaw, circa
1956
Neighborhoods and Homes
Most of the neighborhoods on Lansing’s Westside were built
in the 1910’s and 1920’s, with some homes dating back as
early as 1870.
Some of the most substantial and unique are “Moon”
houses. Darius Moon, a poet, artist, and craftsman, built over
260 structures in Lansing and East Lansing between 1860
and 1920, including the Queen-Anne Style Olds Mansion,
and the Turner Dodge Mansion (remodel) in 1903.
In 1920, the Espanore and Westmoreland subdivisions were
created. Shortly after the Durant Motors factory on Verlinden
Avenue opened. (General Motors purchased the factory in
1935 as a home for the Fisher Body division, and then later
the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac factory.)
Curious about the history of the Westside Neighborhood –
bound by Saginaw, MLK, 496, and Verlinden? Click here for a
PDF of the tour developed in 2009 by Nicole Schippel during
her employment with the Westside Commercial Association.
Old Oakland Neighborhood Historic
Walking Tour
Learn about the history of the Old Oakland Neighborhood –
bound by Saginaw, Verlinden, Willow, and MLK. Click here for
a PDF of the tour developed in 2010 by Nicole Schippel
during her employment with the Westside Commercial
Association.
Westside Neighborhood Association
The Westside Neighborhood Association seeks to address
the issues and concerns of Westside Neighborhood
residents; to bring neighbors together to support, enhance,
and maintain the Westside’s unique qualities as an area that
values diversity among its residents; to support excellence in
its schools; to improve the quality of life for all residents; and
to celebrate the beauty and diversity of its people, housing,
parks, and byways. To these ends, the Westside
Neighborhood Association may develop, implement, and
administer programs, plans, and policies; receive and
disperse funds; and act as a representative of the Westside
Neighborhood to any government body or public or private
organization.
WNA borders are as follows: norther border is Oakland Ave,
the southern border is the Grand River and the western
border is the Lansing City Limits (which includes a small
pocket of homes west of Verlinden both north of the GM plant
and south of Sexton).
To learn more about the Westside Neighborhood
Association, visit www.wnalansing.org or contact the board
by emailing board@wnalansing.org.
Saginaw Street Business District
The commercial district along Saginaw Street dates back to
the 1920’s and 1930’s. Many of the buildings along Saginaw
Street were originally built with art-deco elements popular
during that time.
- 909 W. Saginaw, circa
1968
913 W. Saginaw, circa
1936
912-914 W. Saginaw, circa
1956
Neighborhoods and Homes
Most of the neighborhoods on Lansing’s Westside were built
in the 1910’s and 1920’s, with some homes dating back as
early as 1870.
Some of the most substantial and unique are “Moon”
houses. Darius Moon, a poet, artist, and craftsman, built over
260 structures in Lansing and East Lansing between 1860
and 1920, including the Queen-Anne Style Olds Mansion,
and the Turner Dodge Mansion (remodel) in 1903.
In 1920, the Espanore and Westmoreland subdivisions were
created. Shortly after the Durant Motors factory on Verlinden
Avenue opened. (General Motors purchased the factory in
1935 as a home for the Fisher Body division, and then later
the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac factory.)
| NorthWest Initiative - 530 W. Ionia St., Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933 - Phone: 517-999-2894 - Fax: 517-999-2897 |
| Westside Commercial Association Mission: To create enjoyable and prosperous business and residential areas on Lansing’s Westside. |
