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Michigan Grant Helps Preserve the Legacy of Detroit Architect Nathan Johnson

December 23, 2025

The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office has received a $75,000 federal grant to document and preserve the architectural legacy of Nathan Johnson, a pioneering Black modernist architect who shaped Detroit's built environment from the 1950s through his death in 2021. The funding will support hiring a preservation consultant to conduct a comprehensive study of Johnson's career and buildings, with the goal of nominating at least one of his properties to the National Register of Historic Places and creating documentation to facilitate future listings. Johnson, who became Detroit's Board of Education's first Black architect in 1965, designed dozens of churches, commercial buildings, and civic projects including People Mover stations, while also mentoring other Black architects throughout his career.

Who is affected

  • Nathan Johnson's architectural legacy and recognition in Michigan's historical record
  • The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office of the Michigan Strategic Fund (grant recipient)
  • Noir Design Parti, a Detroit-based nonprofit serving as project advisor
  • Owners of Johnson-designed properties across southeast Michigan and Detroit
  • Communities currently served by Johnson's buildings (churches, civic spaces, housing developments)
  • Future generations seeking to understand Detroit's architectural history
  • Black architects whose contributions have been underrepresented in official narratives

What action is being taken

  • The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office will hire a preservation consultant to prepare a comprehensive study of Johnson's career and work
  • The project will conduct a detailed survey of Johnson-designed buildings
  • A historic context document is being developed to place Johnson's work within twentieth-century Detroit architecture
  • Noir Design Parti is serving as an advisor throughout the project

Why it matters

  • This project addresses a significant gap in Michigan's official architectural history by formally documenting the work of a pioneering Black architect whose buildings continue serving communities but whose contributions have been largely absent from historical narratives. National Register listing will provide property owners access to preservation programs, tax credits, and grants that help maintain Johnson's buildings, ensuring his physical and cultural legacy remains part of Detroit's landscape. The initiative also represents broader efforts to recognize underrepresented communities' contributions to Michigan's history and will make it easier to protect additional Johnson-designed sites in the future.

What's next

  • At least one Johnson-designed property will be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places
  • A Multiple Property Documentation Form will be produced to facilitate listing additional Johnson-designed sites in the National Register in the future
  • The study and documentation will be used to increase public awareness of Johnson's influence on architecture and urban development in Detroit

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle