The City of Lathrup Village is a city in Oakland County, Michigan. It is a suburb near the city center of Detroit, located about 17 miles (27.4 km) north of downtown Detroit. The city is completely surrounded by the larger city of Southfield. According to the 2020 census, Lathrup Village had a population of 4,088.

History

The city of Lathrup Village was created from a development called Lathrup Townsite, which was the idea of its developer, Louise Lathrup Kelley. In 1923, she bought a 1,000-acre area in Southfield Township, located in southern Oakland County. She built a residential neighborhood that covers 1.5 square miles. Lathrup Townsite was designed with strict rules, such as requiring homes to be made of masonry, including attached garages, and setting minimum costs for construction to ensure quality. The community also had rules that prevented the sale of homes to African American families, which was part of a larger trend in the mid-20th century when some white residents of Detroit moved to suburbs to avoid living near Black residents. As the community grew, Mrs. Kelley introduced new ideas, such as starting a shuttle service to local shopping areas and allowing people to finance cars when buying homes. This helped connect the townsite to nearby suburbs and Detroit. Mr. Charles Kelley, a real estate writer for the Detroit News, helped his wife bring skilled architects to design custom homes in the area. The City of Lathrup Village was officially formed in 1953 as the first incorporated community in Southfield Township. Residents stopped an effort by township residents to include Lathrup Townsite in Southfield’s planned incorporation, which delayed Southfield’s incorporation until 1958. Louise Lathrup Kelley remained active in the city until her death in 1963, after which her remaining land was sold and developed.

In 1998, much of Lathrup Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Lathrup Village Historic District. The district includes about 1,200 properties, mostly homes, that show typical housing styles from the first half of the 20th century, such as Colonial Revival, Tudor, and ranch houses. According to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, the district has a mix of straight and curved street patterns that create a rural feel. These patterns form shapes like octagons, circles, and half-circles, along with small triangular parks. They also create changing views, where important buildings suddenly appear at unexpected moments. At street intersections, new perspectives reveal parts of the district. The developer of the district was Louise Lathrup Kelley. The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office noted that as a woman who started developing in the 1920s, she worked alone but her determination and focus on quality led to a unique community that reflected her career.

Geography

The United States Census Bureau reports that the city has a total area of 1.50 square miles, which is equal to 3.88 square kilometers. All of this area is land.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the city had 4,075 people, 1,610 households, and 1,157 families. The population density was 2,716.7 people per square mile (1,048.9 per square kilometer). There were 1,698 housing units, with an average density of 1,132.0 per square mile (437.1 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the city included 34.6% White, 61.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 1.5% of the population.

There were 1,610 households. Of these, 30.4% had children under 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples, 13.3% had a female householder without a husband, 3.5% had a male householder without a wife, and 28.1% were non-families. Twenty-two point four percent of households had only one person, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 people, and the average family size was 2.99 people.

The median age in the city was 45.8 years. Twenty point nine percent of residents were under 18, 6.4% were between 18 and 24, 21.2% were aged 25 to 44, 36.1% were aged 45 to 64, and 15.3% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

As of the 2000 census, the city had 4,236 people, 1,621 households, and 1,207 families. The population density was 2,806.1 people per square mile (1,083.4 per square kilometer). There were 1,647 housing units, with an average density of 1,091.0 per square mile (421.2 per square kilometer). The racial makeup included 49.81% African American, 47.03% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 0.94% of the population.

There were 1,621 households. Of these, 33.6% had children under 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples, 9.9% had a female householder without a husband, and 25.5% were non-families. Twenty-one point five percent of households had only one person, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60 people, and the average family size was 3.05 people.

In 2000, 24.6% of the population was under 18, 5.4% were aged 18 to 24, 28.8% were aged 25 to 44, 29.0% were aged 45 to 64, and 12.2% were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 90.6 males. The median household income was $89,303, and the median family income was $98,213. The median income for males was $65,641, and for females, it was $49,375. The average income per person was $35,998. About 1.5% of families and 2.7% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under 18 and none of those aged 65 or older.

Education

The city is part of the Southfield Public School District. It previously included Southfield-Lathrup High School. University High School and MacArthur K-8 School are in Lathrup Village. Southfield High School for the Arts & Technology and McIntyre Elementary, both in Southfield, are also in the District.

Lathrup Village was once served by Annie Lathrup School, an elementary school on Southfield Road in the city’s center. The school was built in 1926 and opened in 1927, across from the Town Hall Sales Office. It was designed to create a central meeting place for Lathrup Village. The original building had four classrooms, a kindergarten, and a gymnasium. More classrooms were added in the 1950s. The school was added to the Southfield Public School system and later closed in the late 1970s.

The Annie Lathrup School building is Lathrup Village’s only historical landmark. According to the city’s Economic Development Strategy, “After the town hall was demolished in the 1990s, the school became the only historic structure on Southfield Road.” The Lathrup Village Redevelopment Report states that “The Annie Lathrup School was included in the Lathrup Village Local Historic District when it was created in 1999” and “is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.” Any plans to redevelop the city center of Lathrup Village must address how to preserve or use this building, and no redevelopment plans have been approved.

The school was named after Annie Lathrup (1861–1954), the mother of developer Louise Lathrup Kelley. The school’s mascot was a beaver, and the sports teams were called the Lathrup Beavers. Muriel Stacey started the library at the school.

Mark Howe, Marty Howe, and other children of Gordie Howe attended the school.

After the school closed, the building was bought by Yeshivat Akiva, which used it until 1999. In the late 1990s, the building was sold to a real estate developer who planned to build a shopping center. Residents of Lathrup Village opposed this plan. Instead, an academic group called the Academy of America rented the building and opened a branch named The Academy of Lathrup Village. As of December 2013, the building was available for lease.

Notable people

Nick Plummer, who was born in 1996, is a professional baseball player who currently plays for the New York Mets, a team in Major League Baseball, which is the top league in the United States.