Germantown become home to churches that were originally ethnic German, including St. Numbers of German immigrants would reach a peak in the 1880s, and Detroit’s first cartographer, Silas Farmer, in his volume, The History of Detroit and Michigan, labels the area as Dutchtown, which would later become more commonly known as Germantown. Looking to escape political unrest in Europe, Germans began arriving in Detroit in the 1830s, settling primarily around Gratiot. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 made travel to Detroit easier, and the nineteenth century saw the arrival of many Irish and German immigrants. Mostly residential at first, these neighborhoods grew to include businesses and other community institutions, many of which still stand today as reminders of the immigrant settlements which once existed here.
This larger area of eastern downtown Detroit was home to both German and Greek immigrants, among others. Here in Harmonie Park, you will find a historical marker for Germantown, but steps away from you is the heart of the bustling commercial district of Greektown.
