July 1st, 2008
The National Theater opened in 1910 as an 800 seat vaudeville house in Detroit’s first theater district. Albert Kahn and Ernest Wilby designed the theater in the Baroque-Moorish-Beaux-Arts style. Two minarets topped by gilded domes frame the white terra cotta facade with a large arch in the center. National Theater’s terra cotta tiles were created by the (1) Pewabic Pottery factory. Pewabic Pottery tiles grace many other historic buildings around the Detroit area.
After a long run showing movies, and functioning as a burlesque house the name was eventually changed the the Palace Theater in the 1960’s. The theater was closed in 1975. The front exterior still seems to still be in good condition but the inside is a mess due to water damage.
References
(1) Pewabic Pottery Detroit (MI)
http://www.pewabic.com/
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2090
A59-1 Archives
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June 28th, 2008
David Whitney Building
The David Whitney Building is located in the Grand Circus Park area and was designed by Daniel Burnhan. The structure is designed in the Chicago style with classical elements. David Whitney was a businessman who supplied lumber to builders and industrial suppliers. His son David Charles Whitney commissioned Daniel Burnhan to build the 19 story office building which replaced an earlier 5 story commercial structure and was completed in 1916. There were plans for renovation but the building has remained abandoned since the 1980’s.
David Broderick Building, Eaton Tower (Detroit, MI)
Eaton Tower’s name was changed to David Broderick Tower in the 1945. Louis Kamper designed the 34 story tower and it was built in 1927. The buildings design is a mixture of Beaux Art and the Chicago School styles. In 1985 the building closed leaving a bar on the first floor as the only tenant. As it states on their website (*1) “Today ownership belongs to Motown Construction Partners LP, a firm dedicated to restoring Detroit’s glorious past…”
References
detroit1701.org
(*1) brodericktower.com
A56-2, A57-3, A59-1 Archives
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June 27th, 2008
Hotel Granwood is a 4 story, 80 unit residential hotel. Not sure when this site was built but it seems to be a Louis Kamper design. A Metrotimes article mentioned that (*1) the building was destroyed by a fire in 2000. It remains abandoned in 2009
Exterior
A ghost sign on the east side still proclaimed “Hotel Granwood, Air Conditioned/Color TV”. The front of the building is separated into 2 parts. The bottom is a beige yellow color and the section above is brown brick with gray granite surrounding the windows. A jumble of charred remains and debris left by the fire can be seen clearly in the front entrance.
(*1) Domenique Osborne, Hotel landfill, Metrotimes News 8/14/2002,
A46-3-AA3, A58-3 Archives
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June 26th, 2008
Hotel Fort Wayne is a 11 floor, 300 room building built in 1926. It was designed by architects Weston and Ellington. The hotel was owned and operated by the fraternal organization, Knights of Pythias. After 1933 the hotel was run by the Detroit Trust Company. During this time the name was changed to the Hotel American. The Cass Corridor area was known for all manner of vice in the 80’s and this may have accelerated the Hotel’s demise. The site was closed in the 1990’s and remains abandoned..
Exterior
A relief stating K of P Wayne Lodge No.104 is carved in stone above the front entrance. The old hotel name can be seen as a ghost sign on the side of the building facing away from Sproat St. A vintage vertical sign from the 1960’s sits on the East corner of the building. A narrow strip of colored terra cotta and brick encircles the walls facing the street.
Interior
Most of the rooms were empty and the interior was in better condition than expected. Water damage on the second floor and open windows throughout the structure left many areas vulnerable to the elements. Most of the plaster work was intact but few fixtures or furniture remained.
A56-2 Archive
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June 25th, 2008
The Detroit Free Press Newspaper dates back to the 1830’s. Albert Kahn designed the Free Press building and it was built by the Spencer White & Prentice firm, in 1925.
At W Lafayette in downtown Detroit is a distinct building covered with carvings and it’s design seems to have more in common with a church than a commercial establishment. This limestone covered building has a 14 story centre tower is flanked by 6 story wings on either side. Carvings, statues and building materials seem to be influenced by Art Deco and the Classical tradition. These elements give the building a stately appearance. Two goddesses of Commerce and Communication guard the front entrance above the main entrance. Ulysses Ricci carved several reliefs: Benjamin Franklin, Governor Lewis Cass, Governor Austin Blair, General George Custer, James Angel and journalists Horace Greely, Charles Dana and George Goodale adorn the front of the building. His designs graced other buildings such as the General Motors Building and the Fisher Tower located in Detroit’s New Centre area.
Detroit Free Press abandoned the building in 1998 and the site remains unoccupied in 2009.
References
Detroit1701.org
Detroit Free Press
A58-1, A59-1 Archives
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June 2nd, 2008
(*1) Cass Technical School was built in 1917 by architects William E. Higginbotham (1858-1923) and partner William G. Malcomson. They both designed many schools, churches and residential buildings throughout Detroit from 1894 to 1923. Albert Kahn Associates designed the modern addition which was completed in 1985. The school was damaged in a fire in 2007 and the school was abandoned.
Cass was transferred to a newer building built beside the old school in 2005. Hopefully the site can be restored for commercial/residential use.
Reference
(*1) Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002, pg.341). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press
A56-1-B1, A58-2 archives
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