People for Palmer Park sponsored their first historic tour of the park and the surrounding apartment district. Funds raised by the tour will be “used to winterize the Log Cabin until work can begin to refurbish it in the spring,” said Sara James the event coordinator.
Scores of volunteers ushered groups through the park where the tour started at the Log Cabin built for Mrs. Palmer, as a whim of a request as the story goes, and ended at the La Vogue apartments. This master piece of Art Deco built in 1929 is currently being refurbished by Shelbourne development. Historian Gregory C. Piazza detailed the lives of the Palmer’s and the development of the apartment district which boast of prominent architects such as Albert Khan, Weidimaier & Gay, Mason & Rice, among others in the souvenir book given to patrons. 
People for Palmer Park is the organization preserving the park and their vision is to create an urban oasis, regional destination and daily recreation site that will promote an active and healthy community for the good of all.
The groups’ volunteers clean the park as well as maintain the trails encouraging visitors of all kinds. They have an aggressive plan to restore the park to it’s glory days when the Palmer’s lived in the log cabin. In it’s heyday it was a functioning farm with gardens, a fish stocked lake, and events open to the public.
Surely Palmer Park is an isle of green within an urban area and the restoration is creating a habitat for many animals once displaced. With the excitement of the rail project Palmer Park can again be a stop for many to enjoy the outdoors and understand why going green is a good thing.
Additional information about People for Palmer Park can be found on their website, www.peopleforpalmerpark.org .
Author: Tina Riley-Humphrey, representing GreeningDetroit.com
