This area was once Redford prior to Annexation in the 1920's but is now partially the City of Detroit.
1883 Wayne County Map of Redford
The name Redford was chosen because Indians and pioneers forded the River Rouge
where the river runs through Redford. The word 'rouge' is French for the color
red and it was given this name after several larger townships in the county were
split in the mid-1800's.
The 1883-dated map above shows the size of Redford. The borders of Redford
Township ran from Inkster Road to the West, along 8 mile Road to the North,
along Joy to the south, and Greenfield to the East. At that time, it was
36 Square miles with much of the area being farmland.
1936 map of Redford and part of Detroit
In the 1920's, the eastern portions of the Township were Annexed by the City of Detroit. This annexation ceased in 1926 when the township was given "charter" status by the Michigan legislature. This is why many items in Western Detroit around the Lahser Road corridor have the name "Redford" in them, such as the Redford Theatre, which is just north of Grand River Ave. on Lahser Road.
The Auditorium of the Redford Theatre as it looked in 2005
The Redford Theatre in Detroit, Michigan has served as an entertainment venue since it opened on January 27, 1928.
It is owned and operated by the Motor City Theatre Organ Society (MCTOS) and is run by a vast group of volunteers.
Architects Ralph F. Shreive along with Verner, Wilheim, and Molby designed the 1,581-seat Redford in Exotic Revival style with Japanese motifs. On January 31, 1985, the Redford Theatre was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places.
In January 2006, the Redford was proclaimed to be one of the city's ten best interiors by the Detroit Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
At its opening, the theatre was hailed as "America's Most Unusual Suburban Playhouse". The Redford Theatre, with its three-story grand foyer, Japanese-inspired decor and full-size stage, has been in continuous operation ever since.