| Belle Isle Park | |
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James Scott Memorial Fountain |
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| Location | Detroit, Michigan United States |
| Area | 982 acres (397 ha) |
| Created | 1845 |
| Operated by | City of Detroit Recreation Department |
| Website | Official website |
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Belle Isle
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| Location: | Detroit River |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 74000999[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | February 25, 1974 |
Belle Isle is a 982-acre (1.534 sq mi; 397 ha) island park in the Detroit River, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge. It is the largest island city park in the United States and the third largest island in the Detroit River after Grosse Ile and Fighting Island.
It is home to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904), the Detroit Yacht Club on an adjacent island, the Detroit Boat Club, James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, a Coast Guard station, and a municipal golf facility. The city maintains a Nature Center where visitors are able to traverse wooded trails and view wildlife natural habitats. The island includes a half-mile (800 m) swimming beach.
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The island was settled by French colonists in the 18th century, who named it Île aux Cochons (Hog Island). The Island was once the estate of General Alexander Macomb, Jr., whose monument stands in the Washington Boulevard Historic District. In 1845 it was given its present name.
A design for the island was created in the 1880s by Frederick Law Olmsted, a prominent urban park designer; only some elements of his design were carried out. The 1908 Belle Isle Casino building is not an actual gambling facility but rather, is used for occasional public events. A highlight of Belle Isle is a beautiful botanical garden and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904). Both the conservatory and the adjacent aquarium were designed by Detroit architect Albert Kahn, who designed city landmarks such as Cadillac Place and the Ford Rouge Factory.
The island park served as a staging ground by the U.S. military during World War II for a re-enactment of a Pacific island invasion by the Navy and Marine Corps. The island was temporarily renamed Bella Jima, and Detroiters were treated to the sight of an island invasion without the bloodshed. It was conducted after the invasion of Iwo Jima.[2]
Architect Cass Gilbert designed Belle Isle's James Scott Memorial Fountain. Gilbert's other works include the U. S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC.[3] William Livingstone Memorial Light, the only marble lighthouse in the United States, is on the east end of the island, with sumptuous materials and architecture. It was named for the president of the Lakes Carriers Association who advocated safety and navigational improvements in Great Lakes shipping.[4][5] Additional recreational options include a nature center, wheelchair accessible nature trail, fishing piers, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and handball, tennis and basketball courts, baseball fields, and even a cricket pitch.
There was a canoe concession (which provided rental canoes and stored private ones) and a band shell, and canoe riders often stopped nearby to enjoy the concert. Concerts occurred at the Remick Band Shell from 1950 to 1980. The band shell replaced an earlier facility and provided more amenities for performers and audience members. It was constructed at a cost of $150,000 and was named for resident Jerome H. Remick, who owned the world's largest music publishing house at the time.[6]
The Detroit Boat Club moved to the island in 1902 but the marina and building is currently closed and only rowing activities still occur at that location. The Belle Isle Golf Course opened in 1922. The Detroit Yacht Club building dates to 1923 and still houses an active private sailing club. The Scott Fountain was finished in 1925. The Activities Building was the site of a restaurant. The Flynn Pavilion (1949) was designed by Eero Saarinen and used for ice skating rental. A ferry service to the island existed from 1840–1957, although the bridge was completed to the island in 1923. Riding stables were housed in a 1863 market building that was relocated from Detroit to the island in the 1890s. The building was disassembled and stored by Greenfield Village in the 2000s. The park headquarters and police station are each located in 1860s houses.
The island was home to a large herd of European fallow deer for more than 50 years. However, this isolated population fell prey to disease at the close of the 20th century. The children's zoo on the island and the aquarium closed due to budget constraints. In 2004, the last of the 300 animals were captured and moved to the zoo and nature center properties.
In 1992, a temporary street race circuit was constructed on the isle for CART races. The island hosted ten events at Belle Isle from 1992–2001, and racing resumed in 2007 as part of the IndyCar Series and ALMS.
On December 18, 2008, the scheduled race for 2009 was canceled. The automotive economic crisis, and its impact on the Detroit-area was the primary reason. Roger Penske did not rule out a return in the future.[7][8]
On September 20, 2011, race organizers gained approval from Detroit City Council to use the updated track and support area on Belle Isle.[9] On October 11, 2011, it was announced that the race will return starting in 2012.[10] The race weekend will feature IndyCar as well as Grand-Am Rolex Series races.
Belle Isle is also home to the Detroit Futbol League.
At 982 acres (1.534 sq mi; 397 ha), Belle Isle Park is the largest city island park and is larger than Central Park in New York City, also designed by Olmsted. Although Belle Isle is the largest island park, it is not the largest island near a major city. Key Biscayne Island adjoining Miami, Florida has Crandon Park with about 800 acres (320 ha) and the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park with 400 acres (160 ha) and the island includes the residential village of Key Biscayne.
Detroit's River Rouge Park is 1,172 acres (474 ha). The City's Parks and Recreation Department manages 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of parks. The Huron-Clinton Metroparks authority manages 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) of parks and beaches; however, this does not include all parks in the area. There are thousands of additional acres of parks in metropolitan Detroit.
The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904) is a greenhouse and botanical garden in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It covers 13 acres (5.3 ha) located three miles (4.8 km) east of the city's downtown on Belle Isle. It is open to the public free of charge every day of the year.
The conservatory was built in 1904, designed by noted architect Albert Kahn, and rebuilt 1952-1954 with aluminum replacing its original wooden beams. In 1953 it was named in honor of Anna Scripps Whitcomb, who left her 600-plant orchid collection to the city. Thanks to her gift and subsequent donations, the conservatory is now home to one of the largest municipally-owned orchid collections in the United States. Rare orchids were saved from Great Britain during the World War II bombing and transported to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory.
The conservatory site contains formal perennial gardens, annual flower beds, a rose garden, and lily pond garden. The conservatory itself covers more than an acre, features an imposing central dome 85 feet (26 m) high (with a total volume of 100,600 cubic feet), and is organized as a palm house in the dome, the north and south wings, and a show house. The south wing contains tropical plants of economic importance such as bananas, oranges, coffee, sugar cane, and orchids. The north wing hosts the extensive collections of ferns, cacti and succulents. The show house, remodeled 1980-1981, features a continuous display of blooming plants.
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a maritime museum in Detroit, Michigan. Located on The Strand on Belle Isle Park along the Detroit River, this museum places special interest on Detroit's role on national and regional maritime history. The 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) museum features exhibits such as one of the largest collection of model ships in the world, and the bow anchor of the legendary SS Edmund Fitzgerald.
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