In 1849 four German immigrants formed the Gesang-Verein Harmonie to meet and sing German lieder. The club was chartered in 1852; in 1875 the organization incorporated and built a clubhouse that burned in 1893. The present club was designed by Raseman (b. 1855), who was one of several German American Detroit architects to whom the design competition for the building was open. The Harmonie Club is a monumental four-story Beaux-Arts classical design that faces Harmonie Park. The light yellowish-brown brick walls of the building rise above a rusticated stone foundation. They are interrupted with belt courses and decorative pilasters. The central Ionic order entrance is beneath a broad arch that extends through the second floor. The club contained dining rooms, lounges, meeting rooms, a bowling alley, and two large auditoriums. The Downtown Development Authority agreed in 2006 to buy Harmonie Club, the centerpiece of the district, and several other buildings.