The Architecture of Nathan Johnson Historic Resource Survey and Multiple Property Documentation Form

The MSF, through the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (the “SHPO”), is seeking a contractor to (a) conduct an intensive-level historic resource survey of extant sites designed by Nathan Johnson as identified by research; (b) research and prepare a Historic Context Statement; (c) prepare a Multiple Property Documentation Form for The Architecture of Nathan Johnson; and (d) prepare one National Register of Historic Places nomination for one property, to be determined during the course of the Project by the Contractor, the SHPO, and other interested parties identified by the SHPO. The Project is funded through a 2024 National Park Service Underrepresented Communities grant.

 

Background Statement and Objectives:

The Project is being undertaken to prepare a study on the work of Nathan Johnson (1926-2021), an important Detroit-based modernist architect. A graduate of Kansas State University, Nathan Johnson moved to Detroit in 1950 and worked in the offices of Donald White, Michigan’s first licensed Black architect, and Los Angeles-based Victor Gruen before starting his own firm in 1956 on West Grand Boulevard. Nathan Johnson first rose to prominence through his commissions for small Black congregations in Detroit, with his affinity for Modern design becoming a hallmark of his work. Into the 1960s, Nathan Johnson’s firm received increasingly larger commissions, including churches, offices, businesses, housing, and more. He also worked alongside the City of Detroit in various efforts, including being appointed as the Board of Education’s first Black architect in 1965 and being retained to design Detroit’s People Mover Stations in the 1970s. Through it all, Nathan Johnson was a proactive voice in helping to shape the mid-twentieth century landscape of the city and supported other Black professionals in the city, serving as a mentor for many minority architects of the period. While Nathan Johnson was an accomplished architect who made significant contributions to southeast Michigan’s built environment and impacted the lives of many, his work has yet to be formally documented from a historic preservation perspective. The SHPO hopes that the Project, through its various components, will help to tell the story of Nathan Johnson’s work and his influence in the Detroit metropolitan area, as well as enhance public awareness and formally recognize Nathan Johnson’s important place in Michigan’s architectural history. For this Project, the SHPO is partnering with Noir Design Parti, a Detroit-based research institute whose mission is to document the contributions of Detroit’s Black architects in the city, who will serve as an advisor on the Project.

Objectives:

The Contract must be completed by March 1, 2029 (the “End Date”). There will be no opportunity for extensions as this End Date is necessary to meet the conditions of the Grant. The Contractor will:

  • Conduct a photographic inventory and complete intensive level identification forms (the “Identification Forms”) for no more than 100 extant resources
  • Develop a Historic Context Statement on the life and work of Nathan Johnson
  • Complete a Survey Report (the “Survey Report”) that incorporates the above information
  • Prepare the MPDF for The Architecture of Nathan Johnson
  • Prepare one (1) National Register Nomination for a site to be determined by the Contractor, the SHPO, and other interested parties identified by the SHPO

Timeline

  • February 26, 2026 – RFP release
  • March 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. – Questions from potential bidders are due via email to [email protected]. Please note: The MSF will not respond to questions that are not received by the above date and time. In addition, questions that are phoned, faxed or sent through regular mail will not be accepted.
  • March 20, 2026, by close of business – Responses to all qualifying questions will be posted on this webpage.
  • March 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.: – Electronic versions sent separately of each of bidder's Technical Proposal and Price Proposal due to the MSF via email to [email protected]. Proposals will not be accepted via U.S. Mail or any other delivery method.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Questions regarding the RFP should be sent to: [email protected].

RFP Section

Click here to view the full details of the RFP.