Campus Martius. In honor of his mother, he built the Mary W. Palmer Memorial Church. He was also one of the founders and the first president of the Detroit Museum of Art (now known as the Detroit Institute of Arts), to which he contributed $16,000 and its current building stands on the site of Palmer's former home. Lizzie Palmer in 1901 commissioned the Merrill Fountain in Campus Martius, dedicated in honor of her father. New York architects Carrere and Hastings are responsible for the design. The fountain was moved to Palmer Park in 1926. She bequeathed $3 million to found the Merrill-Palmer Institute in 1916, which is a national center for child and family development and is now affiliated with Wayne State University and located in the former house of Charles Lang Freer. In 1897, Palmer donated 140 acres (60 hectares) of land along Woodward Avenue to the city for use as a public park. This land formed the basis of Palmer Park. Palmer had inherited the land from his grandfather Michigan Territorial Judge James Witherell. In 1885, the Palmers had had the prominent architecture firm of Mason & Rice design a rustic log cabin-style summer house on the land, which still remains in the park, although it is currently closed to visitors. Palmer was a Unitarian and a member of the Freemasons. He died in Detroit and is interred in Elmwood Cemetery. Bibliography Dictionary of American Biography Burton, M. Agnes. "Thomas W. Palmer." Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society Collections 39 (1915): 208-17 Burton, Clarence. "Thomas W. Palmer," The City of Detroit, Michigan: 1701-1922, v. VI. Detroit: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1922. Ziewacz, Lawrence E. "The Eighty-First Ballot: The Senatorial Struggle of 1883." Michigan History 56 (Fall 1972): 216-32 References External links ''PreserveDetroit.com' Text of Palmer's Women's Suffrage speech Detroit Free Press article about Palmer's cabin 1830 births 1913 deaths Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit) Republican Party Michigan state senators Republican Party United States senators from Michigan Ambassadors of the United States to Spain University of Michigan alumni 19th-century American diplomats American Unitarians Politicians from Detroit 19th-century American politicians