'A hidden gem': Oakland County subdivision built in 1960s gets national attention

Omar Abdel-Baqui | Detroit Free Press

A hidden gem, one resident called it. The perfect neighborhood, said another 42-year resident.

Southfield's Plumbrooke Estates is special enough to catch the federal government's attention. The U.S. Department of the Interior is adding 94 houses in the neighborhood to the National Register of Historic Places.

The quaint, serene neighborhood just off 9 Mile Road — established in the 1960s — features colonial, contemporary and ranch-style homes, tucked away in a mature tree line.

"Every house is like a work of art," said Anthony Fleming, 54, who has lived in the neighborhood since he was 12.

Some houses in the neighborhood have distinct, sharp angles. Some are painted in popping blues and reds, others have a contrasting black and white pattern.

"People here take pride in their homes," Fleming told the Free Press outside his house as he mowed his lawn in front of his immaculately manicured hedges.

What Plumbrooke Estates offers in addition to the unique architecture and tranquility, Fleming said, is rich racial diversity.

"We have Germans, African Americans, Greeks, Chinese. It's great," he said. "When I moved here in the '70s, it was mostly white folks."

The U.S Department of the Interior highlighted aspects of Plumbrooke Estate's social scene. The areas of significance listed in the neighborhood's registration form for the National Register of Historic Places include the neighborhood's social history, in addition to its architecture, landscape and development.

The neighborhood was developed following the end of World War II, when the Detroit area experienced another period of economic and population growth and when suburbanization was accelerating.

Plumbrooke Estates' architect is Paul Greene and it was built by Cavilier, C.A. Hopp and Plum Hollow building companies, according to the Department of the Interior.

Gammie Roosevelt moved to Plumbrooke Estates about a year ago, he told the Free Press as he drank a cup of coffee on his porch. He said he's not surprised of the neighberhood's new designation.

"It's a special place. It's historic," he said. "The people here are great. Everyone's on their porch or walking outside. There's a community feel."

Contact Omar Abdel-Baqui: 313-222-2514 or oabdel-baqui@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarabdelb