The story of the district
Modern Housing Corporation in context.
In 1919, General Motors faced a shortage of housing for workers in Pontiac. The company created the Modern Housing Corporation to help meet that need. The addition was platted that October under a development program associated with GM chairman Pierre S. du Pont.
William Pitkin laid out the streets, and the New York firm Davis, McGrath & Kiessling designed the houses. Most homes followed a limited set of architectural patterns, varied through materials and details. Construction moved quickly through the early 1920s, leaving a neighborhood that can be read as both residential architecture and industrial history.
Historical context: National Park Service district record and district history and references.
What to notice.
- Look for repeated house forms, then compare porch shapes, rooflines and surface materials.
- Read the street plan and public spaces alongside the houses; planning is part of the story.
- Consider how modest homes, gardens and sidewalks record the human scale of an automotive boom.
Find your bearings.
Orient your research around the streets named in the district record. The broader GM housing program extended beyond this designated addition; the nomination identifies the district’s actual limits.
Explore from public streets and sidewalks. Many district buildings are private homes or workplaces; check access with the owner or operator before entering.
Does this designation cover every GM-era home in Pontiac?
No. This guide concerns the designated Modern Housing Corporation Addition. Other houses associated with Pontiac’s industrial growth may fall outside its boundaries.
