Ground was broken for this nurses’ residence on March 9, 1921.

The building was donated to Harper Hospital by Mayor James Couzens as a memorial to nurses who served during the war. First announced on May 31, 1919, the six-story concrete structure, designed by Albert Kahn, initially housed 255 nurses and helped expand the hospital’s capacity to care for patients. The hospital already owned the site. The cost of the structure was $300,000, about $6 million in 2026 valuation, when adjusted for inflation.

Plans included numerous amenities for the nurses’ comfort and recreation, such as a swimming pool, a dance hall with a stage and motion-picture equipment, reading rooms, visitor parlors, locker rooms, showers, sleeping porches, small kitchens on each floor, and an infirmary for sick nurses. The building also featured quiet rooms overlooking a sunken garden, along with tennis and basketball courts at the rear.

Couzens conceived the memorial after greeting the Harper Hospital nursing unit upon its return from overseas, wanting to honor the women who had served so devotedly during the war.

According to a 2015 article on Model D Media, Ronald Henry, chief facility engineering and construction officer at the Detroit Medical Center, outlined plans to convert the building into nearly 60 studio, one-, and two-bedroom rental units. As of early 2026, those plans have not yet been carried out.

More on this building coming soon.