History: 

The City of Lathrup Village combines an historic past with a dynamic present. Gracious homes and planned city growth have provided an ideal environment for convenient, small city living within a larger metropolitan area. Within this setting you will find shaded streets, pleasant lawns, trees and gardens, and several parks. One would expect this to be a tradition in a city with our unique atmosphere. The signs of this are everywhere; older homes with an ever-fresh, well-trimmed look complemented by areas of charming newer and new homes. Our close proximity to a developed highway system provides easy access to the entire metropolitan area, and the many amenities available. All of this has made residential Lathrup Village a pleasant place to live, and the area a sound investment in real values.

Lathrup Village is a living monument to Lousie Lathrup Kelley who conceived and carrier out the city's unique development. In 1923 she acquired 1,000 acres in Southfield Township, which covers our present area of 1-1/2 square miles, bounded on the north and south by 12 and 10-1/2 Mile Roads and running east and west from about 1/4 mile east of Southfield Road to Evergreen Road on the west. The area was known as Lathrup Townsite where a controlled building plan was followed restricting the subdivisions to all brick houses of high quality, and a beautiful development began to emerge in strict accordance with her ideas, which she carrier out throughout her life. The unique street system has been considered a model for a planned residential community. Mrs. Kelly has been considered very progressive in her development of the city by requiring the use of brick, stone, or masonry for all homes. She also required attached garages that were considered very unique for their time. Mrs. Kelley was a practical business women and lived to see her dream of a beautiful city of well built homes become a reality, thus honoring her heritage and establishing a tradition.

Since incorporation as a city in 1953, the City Council and all of its officials have carried on her good will we all so much enjoy today. How can a city be a village, or a village a city? There have been many answers to this question, but the most accepted one seems to be that the citizens wanted to keep Lathrup a village-type community when they decided to become independent and incorporate as a city. Also , to avoid mailing confusion with "Lathrop, Michigan" the city was incorporated as "City of Lathrup Village."