May 19, 2021
The star shape of Historic Fort Wayne dates back to the earliest days of the United States. // Photograph courtesy of City of Detroit Parks and Recreation
For its first 1,000 years or so, the area along the banks of the Southwest Detroit riverfront now known as Historic Fort Wayne was a site of perpetual human activity. Whether it was a burial site for indigenous tribes, a star fort poised to defend the United States against a possible Canadian invasion, or a refuge for Detroiters burned out of their homes by the 1967 Rebellion, the 78-acre tract of sprawling fields and historic buildings has rarely sat idle.