This collection explores the life of Gladys Mitchell and the home she shared with her family on Detroit's Eastside. Gladys and her husband, Ossian Sweet, lived with her parents Benjamin and Rosella in a residence on 9322-24 Cairney Street from 1922 to 1925 before moving to the now-historic bungalow at 2905 Garland Street, located about a mile southeast. In 1925, when the Sweets moved into an all-white neighborhood, their experience led to a landmark Supreme Court case that affirmed African Americans' rights to homeownership, including the right to defend their private property.
Benjamin Mitchell and his wife, Rosella, rented the Cairney Street home until purchasing it in 1928, and they continued to live there for the remainder of their marriage. To supplement their income, they took in boarders and expanded the house from its original side-gable bungalow form, adding a second story and a full-width rear addition. By the 1930 census, two additional families lived with the Mitchells, and the home had two separate street addresses. Benjamin remained in the home until his passing in 1971. The modifications to the house reflect the resilience of this Black family as they navigated racial discrimination in housing and pursued their dream of homeownership. Furthermore, the loss of neighboring structures over the past century underscores the lasting impact of redlining and other discriminatory housing practices on the African American community in Detroit's Eastside and beyond.
The collection documents the Mitchell House through various media and analyses, including a Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Architectural Identification Form, drone footage, field sketches, photography, and a LiDAR scan of the house conducted during on-site fieldwork. Together, these materials provide a record of the Mitchell House and its historical significance while highlighting the broader struggles and resilience of Black homeownership in 20th-century Detroit.