Highland Park’s Municipal, Police and Fire Department buildings were built in 1917 predating the cities incorporation the following year. Highland Park experienced a rapid increase in population due to good wages provided in the automobile industry. Ford’s Highland Park Plant was designed by Albert Kahn and opened in 1909 to build the Model T car. The plants revolutionary design utilized reinforced concrete. This innovation allowed the structure to bear heavier loads and resist fires that plagued earlier wooden factories. (*1) According to the US census bureau the population declined steadily after 1940’s. As car companies closed or curtailed manufacturing in favor of outsourcing, the areas surrounding these plants slid into further decline. This reduced employment opportunities in the manufacturing sector which further eroded of the tax base and eventually resulted in a bankrupt municipality.
Reference
(*1) http://www.census.gov/
Municipal buildings
The front façade of the building was impressive with carving and scroll work surrounding the city seal initials above the door. An ascending winding staircase was illuminated by a window facing south to capture the morning sun. On the second floor hallway a mess of peeling paint, plaster and old documents awaited. The courtroom was a quiet and stately place, no papers or random objects were strewn about. Cast iron chairs were firmly rooted into the floor and looked like they belonged to the room permanently. Peeling paint on the walls, missing microphone stand, a thick layer of dust and doors flung wide open gave the space a sense of timeless abandonment.
Fire Department Headquarters
Similar in design to its neighbor, the front facade had carving above bay doors proclaiming its function. Carved metal lions heads designed in an Art Nouveau style formed a border along the roof. Inside was an empty shell.
Police Department
This site had a 1917 corner stone, which helped determine construction dates of the other municipal buildings. There was a jail in the basement and vintage parking meters and other miscellaneous police related items.
A44-13, A46-3 Archive
Related posts:
- Highland Park Municipal (Detroit, MI). Part 2 Highland Park’s Municipal, Police and Fire Department buildings were...
- Packard Plant (Detroit, MI). Part 2 The Packard Plant is a large automotive plant designed...
- DPS Book Depository (Detroit, MI) The Detroit Public Schools Book Depository building was abandoned...
- Packard Plant (Detroit, MI). Part 3 The Packard Plant is a very large automotive plant...
- Park Avenue Building (Detroit, MI) Grand Circus Park was a crowded district in the...
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned factories, abandoned hospitals, abandoned places, abandoned silos, analog photography, B&W, Black and White photography, Canon t70 camera, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Detroit Industrial buildings, historic preservation, industrial ruins, infiltration, manual photography, ruins, silent buildings, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, UE, urban decay, urban exploration, urban infiltration, urban ruins, Urbex, w roland hamilton
These are beautiful photos of the interior!
I saw this only from the outside, I didn’t enter.
Jealous of you!
Thanks Bella,
The site is impressive inside and out. If the exterior was boring I may have missed the opportunity. Silence occasionally punctured by random items banging in the wind, could make some explorers feel edgy.
W. Roland Hamilton
Wow that is an awesome place. I would love to buy that up if it’s still standing, and slowly renovate it into an awesome house. Imagine what you could do to that place with a little TLC.