Auburn Hills subdivision is bounded by Plum Hollow Lane on the north, Auburn Avenue on the east, Sweet Street on the south, and Fuller Avenue on the west.
Geography
Auburn Hills subdivision is bounded by Plum Hollow Lane on the north, Auburn Avenue on the east, Sweet Street on the south, and Fuller Avenue on the west.
History
For African-Americans, the 1960s were all about the fight for equality. Grand Rapids residents, dentist Dr. Julius Franks, school teachers J E Adams, Jr., and Samuel S. Triplett, and supervisor for the Kent County Department of Social Services Joseph W. Lee found they were not welcome in Grand Rapids' "white" middle-class neighborhoods; many Realtors would not even show them houses, and red-lining kept them from buying homes.
In 1962, Adams found vacant land designated as a potential park site on the City Master Plan. He talked to some friends and created a plan to purchase the 20 acres and turn it into a neighborhood for African-Americans. The plan’s announcement caused an uproar that resulted in protests, lawsuits and threats. The men were forced to jump through hoops to realize their dream — many banks refused to fund the project, and there was a battle before the city council.
The group of men finally purchased the land for $60,000 and started building. The first of 51 houses constructed in the Auburn Hills subdivision - 1706 Auburn N.E. - was begun by Joseph W. Lee, in 1964 and completed in 1965. The neighborhood was developed to give African American residents a place to buy new homes. The four partners formed the Auburn Hills Development Corporation in 1962.
In 1983, the first Raymond Tardy Community Service Award was awarded jointly to Dr. Julius Franks, J.E. Adams, Joseph Lee, Sam Triplett and Ella Sims.
Today
Today, the second-smallest neighborhood by population is thriving, with several of the original residents still living there. It represents a living legacy of hope and determination and some excellent examples of the architectural development during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
