The Hurlbut Memorial Gate - the entry to Detroit’s Waterworks Park

On a stretch of Jefferson Avenue on Detroit’s east side stands a grand, ornate gate, a relic of the city’s past that now seems to lead to nowhere. But over a century ago, this gate welcomed visitors to one of Detroit’s most treasured public spaces—Water Works Park.

Color postcard depicting the Hurlbut Memorial Gate at Water Works Park, with a tower in the background, 1910. (Detroit Historical Society)

Spanning 110 acres, the park was a vibrant retreat filled with swings, teeter-totters, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a skating rink, and even a library and conservatory. A lagoon stretched in from the Detroit River, offering a serene spot for rowing and sailing model boats. Visitors strolled through lush landscaping, including a grove of 12 historic pear trees. More than just a park, it was a centerpiece of Detroit life.

At the entrance of the park stood the Hurlbut Memorial Gate, designed by Gustave A. Mueller and Herman A. Brede and completed in 1894. This towering limestone monument, adorned with arches, stairways, intricate carvings, and a regal eagle, was built with funds from Chauncey Hurlbut, a prominent civic leader who devoted his fortune to beautifying the park. For decades, it stood as the grand entrance to a bustling public space—until wartime fears shuttered the park in 1951, permanently cutting off access to Detroiters.

Blue monochromatic postcard depicting the Hurlbut Memorial Gate at Water Works Park from 1908. (Detroit Historical Society)

Though Water Works Park is now closed to the public, the Hurlbut Gate remains. It has endured a lightning strike in 2019 that destroyed its eagle sculpture. But in April 2023, the Great Lakes Water Authority restored the eagle, carving it from the same limestone quarry used to build Michigan Central Station.