Architecture & design · 1867–1959Frank Lloyd WrightarchitectAmerica's most famous architect, who designed the Turkel House in Detroit's Palmer Woods and the Affleck and Smith houses in Bloomfield Hills.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,912 famous people
- 135 Detroit places
- 21 fields
Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Field
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Born in
A–Z (family name)
17 people
Clear filtersArchitecture & design · 1867–1959Frank Lloyd WrightarchitectAmerica's most famous architect, who designed the Turkel House in Detroit's Palmer Woods and the Affleck and Smith houses in Bloomfield Hills.
Architecture & design · 1886–1969Ludwig Mies van der RohearchitectGerman-American modernist master whose Lafayette Park near downtown Detroit is the largest collection of his buildings anywhere.
Architecture & design · 1873–1950Eliel Saarinenarchitect, urban plannerFinnish architect who designed the Cranbrook campus in Bloomfield Hills and led the Cranbrook Academy of Art, making metro Detroit a center of modern design.
Architecture & design · 1846–1912Daniel Burnhamarchitect, urban plannerChicago architect and planner whose firm built two of downtown Detroit's early skyscrapers, the Ford Building and the Dime Building.
Architecture & design · 1859–1934Cass GilbertarchitectArchitect of the Woolworth Building and U.S. Supreme Court who designed Detroit's Main Library on Woodward and the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle.
Architecture & design · 1869–1942Albert KahnarchitectGerman-born "architect of Detroit" who designed the Ford Highland Park and River Rouge plants, the Fisher Building and hundreds of other city landmarks.
Architecture & design · 1893–1969Harley Earlautomotive designer, GM's first head of designHollywood coachbuilder whom GM brought to Detroit in 1927 to create the industry's first styling studio; he gave America the tailfin and the Corvette.
Architecture & design · 1876–1945Paul Philippe CretarchitectFrench-born Philadelphia architect who designed the Detroit Institute of Arts' Beaux-Arts museum building on Woodward Avenue (1927).
Architecture & design · 1832–1909Elijah E. MyersarchitectArchitect of the Michigan, Texas and Colorado state capitols, who ran his national practice from Detroit for nearly four decades.
Visual art · 1875–1941Géza Marótisculptor, architect, applied artistHungarian sculptor and designer whom Eliel Saarinen brought to Detroit in 1927; he created the Fisher Building's arcade paintings and sculpture and the reliefs of Belle Isle's Livingstone Lighthouse.
Architecture & design · 1856–1948George D. MasonarchitectLong-lived Detroit architect of the Masonic Temple and Mackinac's Grand Hotel, and the early employer of Albert Kahn and Wirt Rowland.
Visual art · 1879–1968Loja Saarinentextile artist, sculptorFinnish textile artist who founded Cranbrook's weaving department and designed the rugs and tapestries of its Saarinen buildings.
Politics · 1810–1884Hugh Moffatcarpenter-builder, lumberman, mayor of DetroitScottish-born carpenter who built Detroit's Mariners' Church, grew rich in lumber and, as 'Honest Hugh Moffat,' served as Republican mayor from 1872 to 1875.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗