Annapolis Park Historic District

During World War II Detroit's black population doubled from 150,000 to 300,000 and faced the extreme housing shortage that had existed since the early twentieth century. Restrictive covenants, inflated rents, and other discriminatory practices confined blacks to certain areas and hindered their ability to purchase property. In 1953 Julius Schwartz and several partners broke ground for Annapolis Park, a modern suburban neighborhood for African Americans. Because few banks would approve loans for potential buyers, Schwartz and his brother-in-law Jack Kellman established the Franklin Mortgage Company. By 1957 Annapolis Park's 354 lots were fully developed and African American families were able to live in a well- built home with "Nice trees, nice country living."