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Thejesus
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Post Number: 1600
Registered: 06-2006
Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 9:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the correct pronunciation?

Byool or Bull?
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Mbr
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Post Number: 217
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Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 10:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have only heard it called "Byool"
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Lmichigan
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Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 10:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, I've only ever heard "b-YOOL", as well. "Penobscot" is another one where you can tell if someone's local, or not.
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Revaldullton
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Post Number: 67
Registered: 07-2007
Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 10:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

ditto




the good rev
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Mackinaw
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Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 10:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

'byool' sounds much classier, anyway.

Do some people say 'pen-ohb-scott' instead of 'pen-ab-scott,' Lmich?
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Ravine
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Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 11:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Byool
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Lowell
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Post Number: 3971
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Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 11:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

puh-nob'-scott
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Rocket_city
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Post Number: 322
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Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 6:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...or "Pee Nob" for short! :-)
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Urbanize
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Post Number: 1696
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Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 6:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I say Pe-Nob-Scot.
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Detroitplanner
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Post Number: 1309
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Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 11:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I say Zee-bah-bal-loo-bah

(Message edited by detroitplanner on July 11, 2007)
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Jasoncw
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Post Number: 379
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Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 11:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

For some reason I say the B as a P sound.
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Sknutson
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 12:14 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Speaking of the Buhls, the very first episode of Restore America that I saw (on HGTV) featured the Buhl mansion in Indian Village.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_re storation_homes_areas/article/ 0,1797,HGTV_3787_1387727,00.ht ml
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Hornwrecker
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Post Number: 1828
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 12:31 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


Buhl Bldg aerial

wsu/vmc

(nice to have new stuff on the vmc)
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Gistok
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Post Number: 4797
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 12:47 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wow, nice pic. Look at the old Federal Court House with the Romanesque tower in the left of that pic.
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Swingline
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Post Number: 870
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 11:09 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The old courthouse was leveled not long after this pic.
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Fury13
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Post Number: 1887
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 11:15 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Also in the pic is the Majestic Building, one of my favorite structures of Old Detroit. To the left of it is the building that housed the Garrick Theatre, where Houdini gave his last performance. And it looks like the David Stott building is rising right behind that. The Guardian and Penobscot (skyscaper addition) look brand new. Pic must have been taken about 1929-31, maybe?

(Message edited by Fury13 on July 12, 2007)

(Message edited by Fury13 on July 12, 2007)
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Gistok
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Post Number: 4802
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 2:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The main federal judges courtroom from the old courthouse was salvaged and reinstalled in the new courthouse. Today that's Judge Feiken's courtroom. Anyone have any pics of it?
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Livernoisyard
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Post Number: 3398
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 3:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bobby Buhl's name was always pronounced with a palatized 'b' by all the sports announcers.
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Rocket_city
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Post Number: 324
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 3:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This would be a good time to ask:

Referring back to the above photo, can any explain why a portion of the Pee-nob's facade is different from the rest?

I understand that some tall buildings in Detroit that look like that have their elevator shafts up against an outside wall, like the Broderick and Whitney Buildings.

Though that portion of the Penobscot is similar, it still has windows, where typically the elevators would be.

Any thoughts?
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Bearinabox
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Post Number: 229
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If it was named after a German immigrant, as Sknutson's link says, then you can bet the guy didn't call himself "Byool." Then again, any self-respecting Frenchman would probably cringe at how we pronounce some of our street names...
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Hornwrecker
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There's part of the Penobscot block that is older than the tower part, as shown in this early photo of the Buhl Building. Probably from around 1925-6.


Bulh Building mid 20s


A photo showing partially completed Penobscot, with the Guardian going up on the left side. Probably from around 1927.


Penobscot Bldg under const


Both photos WSU/VMC; there's more pics of Penobscot construction up now.
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Gistok
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Post Number: 4808
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was looking at that anomaly on the Penobscot Building as well... could it be emergency exit stairwells?
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Cambrian
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Post Number: 1293
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There was a Buhl Manufacturing on the site of River Place wasn't there? Same people?
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Lmichigan
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Post Number: 5780
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The anamoly is what other's have guessed, it's just the elevator core. It's this way because looking south you can see how the middle of the tower is recessed (light court) pushing the elevators to the 'back' (river side) of the tower.

(Message edited by lmichigan on July 12, 2007)
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Gistok
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Post Number: 4809
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Funny you mention the Arthur Buhl mansion in Indian Village. I was at a "Save Hudson's" reception in that house back in 1998. It was awesome!
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Rsa
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Post Number: 1168
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

gistok; it's funny how many things you and i have been at, probably without knowing it. did you get to tour the restored bagley house after that? not as grand as the buhl one, but still very interesting.
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Livernoisyard
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Buhl was into aircraft and stamping. Later, a number of Tiers (auto components manufacturers) had office space in the Buhl building.
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Gistok
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Post Number: 4810
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 5:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

No Rsa, I missed that one.

I got invited to a lot of preservation related events after I wrote what turned out to be an almost full page Op/Ed piece in the Detroit Free Press on Oct. 30, 1997 on saving the Michigan and United Artists Theatres, since at that time they were in one of the 3 proposed (Mayor Archer's first folly) downtown casino footprints.

I got EMAILs from Preservation Wayne (to join, which I did), as well as the Save Hudson's group. And at the Buhl Mansion, as well as the Intermezzo's reception, people kept introducing me as the guy who wrote the Michigan/UA Op/Ed piece. A lot of folks came and chatted me up at both receptions. They would say "you're not THEE Gary Istok, are you?" I guess Andy Warhol was right with everyone getting their 5 minutes of fame. :-)

And of course I've been involved with the August PW downtown historic theatre tours ever since!

Of course I got my 2nd 5 minutes of fame with the LEGO Collectors Guide I wrote... just Google my name...
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Billk
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Post Number: 39
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 5:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

www.thebuhl.com
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Hornwrecker
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Post Number: 1830
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 6:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)





The earliest reference that I can find so far is from the 1890s about Buhl Stamping. Their offices and factory were located at Third and Larned to Congress, as shown in this photo from the LOC/DPC collection taken around the 1900s. Also found mention of a factory on Scotten and the MCRR.


Buhl Stamping 1900s


The signs say Tubular Lanterns, and World's Largest Mfg of ...? (There's an arc lighting tower visible on the right hand side of photo, and farther back, it looks like the tower of Fort St Union Depot.)



From the 1908 edition of The Detroiters:

Page 86

BUHL, Arthur H., wholesale hardware merchant; born, Detroit, Feb. 11, 1878; son of Theodore DeL. and Julia Elizabeth (Walker) Buhl; educated in Detroit public and high schools; married, Detroit, 1902, Miss Clara E. May. Began active career, 1895, in same house with which he has been identified; formerly secretary and general manager, since April, 1907, vice president, Buhl Sons Co., wholesale hardware, cutlery, sporting goods and manufacturers of iron, steel, nails, etc. Also president Buhl Malleable Co.; director Buhl Stamping Co., Detroit Copper and Brass Rolling Mills. Member B.P.O.E. Clubs: Detroit, Country, Commercial, Detroit Boat. Recreations: Yachting, hunting, automobiling. Office: 103-119 Woodbridge St., W. Residence: 154 Lafayette Blvd.

BUHL, Willis E. president Buhl Sons Co., wholesale hardware; born, Detroit, Jan. 26, 1875; son of Theodore De Long and Julia Elizabeth (Walker) Buhl; educated in Detroit High School; married at Chicago, June 6, 1900, Miss Louise Ziegfield. Entered house of Buhl Sons Co., 1893, and became vice president, 1900; his father, Theodore DeL. Buhl, died, Mar., 1907, and in April following he became president of the company, a position he has since held, the company having been founded more than fifty years ago by Christian Buhl. Also president Buhl Stamping Co.; director Buhl Malleable Co., National Can Co., Old Detroit National Bank, Parke, Davis & Co., Detroit United Railroad Depot and Station Co.; also identified with a number of other business organizations. Active Veteran of Michigan Naval Reserve; was petty officer during Spanish-American War, on board U.S. auxiliary cruiser Yosemite. Member Spanish-American War Veterans' Association. Clubs: Detroit, Country, Detroit Boat. Recreations: Hunting and all outdoor diversions. Office: Buhl Sons Co. Residence: 115 Ferry Av.
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Jasoncw
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Post Number: 380
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 9:09 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Penobscot Building also has a few elevators that run up the middle of the building. There are a ton of elevators. I don't really understand why there are so many.

Anyway, I really love Wirt C. Rowland. His three skyscrapers are fantastic, and I wish he would have designed more.
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Gistok
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Post Number: 4813
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Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 11:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Jasoncw, I think that the careers of Wirt C. Rowland and another famous Detroit architect C. Howard Crane (theatre/building architect), were cut short at the height of their career (at the flowering of their design genius) by the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent depression.

Rowland's gems were the Buhl Building of 1926, Penobscot of 1928 and Union Trust (Guardian) of 1929. Ditto for Crane, who's United Artists theatres of Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit (1927-28) as well as his Fox twins in Detroit and St. Louis (1928-29).

One really has to lament at what might have been... had the depression not cut short their creative output.

But I guess the same can be said had Albert Kahn been able to finish the other 2/3 of the Fisher Building complex, and Louis Kamper had been able to build his 81 story massive Book Tower.



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