  Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2466 Registered: 01-2004 |
 I suppose many of us have these litho post cards of old Detroit. I have several in a frame here in my office. This one has always puzzled me - it is simply described as "The Arts Building, Detroit" on the front and back. Was this demolished ? Its an awful big one to knock down. (Message edited by mauser765 on February 07, 2008) | ||
Rax Member Username: Rax Post Number: 127 Registered: 11-2007 |
Looks like a taller Detroit Life Building. | ||
Qdaddy77 Member Username: Qdaddy77 Post Number: 72 Registered: 05-2007 |
http://detroit.metblogs.com/ar chives/2007/03/fine_arts_is_co .phtml "In the middle of all the new building construction going on in the downtown area, it's sad to report that a historic one is coming down. Ilitch Holdings Inc. has asked the Detroit Historic District Commision and other groups like Preservation Wayne for permission to demolish the Fine Arts Building at 44 W. Adams. Built in 1905 as an office building, it also contained the Adams Theater." | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 4975 Registered: 10-2003 |
That's NOT the Fine Arts building on that postcard. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 4976 Registered: 10-2003 |
 That's the Fine Arts Building. About 20 stories too short. | ||
Rfban Member Username: Rfban Post Number: 255 Registered: 02-2004 |
How about half of this one? All I could come up with.  | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 923 Registered: 01-2006 |
Is it possible that it was never built, like postcards of a 90 story Book Building, or a 2 tower Fisher? | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2469 Registered: 01-2004 |
Yeah, its called "Arts Building" not "Fine Arts Building". I think I may have actually come up with an interesting post here.. Carpy ? AIW ? | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1852 Registered: 07-2004 |
Good guess, Rfban. Two Arts Buildings are better than one? | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 4977 Registered: 10-2003 |
Maybe it's next to Oron Park. https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/125485.html?1201194432 | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1853 Registered: 07-2004 |
You mean moron park.  | ||
Qdaddy77 Member Username: Qdaddy77 Post Number: 73 Registered: 05-2007 |
here is another one for sale.... http://cgi.ebay.com/Detroit-MI -1927-Arts-Building-postcard-M ichigan_W0QQitemZ310000589406Q QcmdZViewItem | ||
Detourdetroit Member Username: Detourdetroit Post Number: 372 Registered: 10-2003 |
never built. architect's rendering of what was believed would be in fact a stock market victim... | ||
Krawlspace Member Username: Krawlspace Post Number: 349 Registered: 04-2004 |
It very well may be a never built building. In my postcard collection of nearly 1000 cards, I have several which depict buildings never built such as the aforementioned Book Tower, an Ambassador Bridge looking remarkably like the Brooklyn Bridge, and a pyramid roof on the JL Hudson Building's tower. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6261 Registered: 08-2004 |
There's good news/bad news on that building (remember this is artwork, not a photograph)... The good news is that it was never torn down... the bad news is that it was never built! (Possibly due to the depression?) Here's a different post card with the same building artwork, but it's called the "Aviation Town & Country Club Building": http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgen web/mi/wayne/postcards/detroit /atcc.jpg Also there's good news/bad news on the 6 story Fine Arts Building on W. Adams. The bad news is that it's being torn down... the good news is that the facade is being saved with a new building behind it. It seems that the original Fine Arts Building was made of wood beam construction, and some of the floors have started to collapse. So the building is being rebuilt (likely with steel beam construction) with the original facade. The only thing is that there has been no announcements on the fate of the Adams Auditorium behind the Fine Arts Building. | ||
Qdaddy77 Member Username: Qdaddy77 Post Number: 74 Registered: 05-2007 |
Art Center Building? http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgen web/mi/wayne/postcards/detroit /bevgm2.jpg | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1854 Registered: 07-2004 |
OK, now I absolutely must see a litho of the proposed 90-story Book Tower. | ||
Krawlspace Member Username: Krawlspace Post Number: 350 Registered: 04-2004 |
I do have to say, however, that the lower portion of the building resembles the Colony Club building on Park... A shorter version, perhaps? | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6262 Registered: 08-2004 |
 | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1526 Registered: 09-2007 |
Wow, the Great Depression really messed Detroit's true skyscraper boom up. EDIT: Here the old Howard Johnson's that was Downtown (now a Holiday Inn Express) and in the New Center. http://www.cardcow.com/95753/howard-johnsons-downtown-motor-lodge-washington-boulevard-at-michigan-avenue-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/#img http://www.cardcow.com/95755/howard-johnsons-new-center-motor-lodge-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/#img Hotel Detroiter (A Midtown High Rise, appears to be Brush Park) http://www.cardcow.com/45050/hotel-detroiter-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/#img Woodward Avenue (Appears to be late 60s/early 70s) during DDD's http://www.cardcow.com/95710/looking-north-on-famous-woodward-avenue-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/ Thr Original Penobscot Building? http://www.cardcow.com/24045/penobscot-building-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/#img The Guardian Building (Originally The Union Trust Bank Building) http://www.cardcow.com/85504/union-trust-building-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/ (Message edited by detroitrise on February 07, 2008) (Message edited by detroitrise on February 07, 2008) | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 676 Registered: 08-2007 |
I think ...that building use to sit right behind the Macabees building ... it use to be student housing and before that is was offices for professors ...I'm wracking my brain for the name ... grrr It stood at the corner of Putman and Cass ---- ah, MacKenzie Hall aka old webster Hall or Webster hotel. http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?rgn1=vmc_ti;op2=And;rgn2=vmc_ti;q1=mackenzie%20hall;size=20;c=vmc;back=back1202414171;subview=detail;resnum=2;view=entry;lastview=thumbnail;cc=vmc;entryid=x-71886;viewid=71886 (Message edited by gnome on February 07, 2008) | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3581 Registered: 10-2003 |
I don't think we ever found an answer for the Mystery Construction Site - maybe this is it. | ||
Detourdetroit Member Username: Detourdetroit Post Number: 373 Registered: 10-2003 |
mackenzie hall... | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1527 Registered: 09-2007 |
That's the 2nd post office (probably demolished during the Young administration), They also have a post card for that. http://www.cardcow.com/60838/n ew-post-office-detroit-us-stat e-town-views-michigan-detroit/ The original YMCA building??? http://www.cardcow.com/25819/ymca-telephone-building-and-detroit-athletic-club-detroit-us-state-town-views-michigan-detroit/ (Message edited by detroitrise on February 07, 2008) | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3582 Registered: 10-2003 |
The only source I have about the (Aviation) Town & Country Club Building/Arts Building is that is was to be built on Washington Boulevard but never got past the rendering stage. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1107 Registered: 11-2005 |
Huh, Detroitrise? The link you posted is to the Theodore Levin federal courthouse that's still there. It also served as a post office after the cool-ass Gothic one was torn down in November 1931 until the ugly-ass one on Fort at Trumbull was built. Unless you were being sarcastic about the 2nd post office being demo'd. As for your other questions... Hotel Detroiter (A Midtown High Rise, appears to be Brush Park) You're dead-on, DR. The Hotel Detroiter stood on Woodward, about where those condos are just north of 375. You can see it better here (it's on the right): http://i215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Buildings/detroiter.jpg "Thr Original Penobscot Building?" Yes, that's the original, or the first. There are three Penobscot Buildings, and all three still exist, of course. One fronts on Fort, the other on Congress and the Greater Penobscot, with its giant beacon, fronts on Griswold. Here's a card from my collection that might help you visualize 'em all together: http://i215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Postcards/penobs.jpg | ||
Evelyn Member Username: Evelyn Post Number: 84 Registered: 02-2005 |
I've seen drawings of the proposed Fisher building- were there ever postcards made? Webster-renamed-Mackenzie Hall was at Putnum and Cass... a little off subject, but I've seen a series of WSU postcards for buildings on campus- I think they came out in the 1950s. Don't know if Mackenzie got its own card. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6263 Registered: 08-2004 |
That "2nd post office" is the Federal Court House, which is still at that site today. In the past the Federal Courts and Federal Post Office shared that building as their HQ. And as for David Mackenzie Hall, which faced Putnam at Cass...  The building looks much more massive than it really was, since it was "L" shaped, with the corner of the "L" at the Putnam/Cass intersection. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6264 Registered: 08-2004 |
Also, the very ornate Chief Federal Judge's courtroom of the 1895 Romanesque Revival Federal Courthouse was dismantled and reinstalled into the newer (Levin) Federal Courthouse of 1934. Today it is Chief Federal Judge John Feiken's courtroom. Anyone have any pics? | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 523 Registered: 04-2006 |
^In what parallel universe could the replacement of that building with a parking garage be considered an improvement? | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1108 Registered: 11-2005 |
Here is Mackenzie Hall, nee Webster Hotel. http://i215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Postcards/WebsterHall.jpg It definitely is not the Arts Center Building in question. The Arts Center Building has been a frequent conversation on this forum. In fact, it came up this very same week, albeit in the Aviation Town & Country building: https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/126364.html?1202292097 As I posted in October 2007... "For those who care, turns out this one never got beyond the planning stages. It was designed by Smith, Hinchmann & Grylls (Guardian, Penobscot, Buhl and many, many others) in 1926. It would have gone on Washington Boulevard had it not been for a little something called the Great Depression." So it was never built. Much like the Book Tower addition and the New Finance Building here: http://i152.photobucket.com/al bums/s164/rhymeswithrawk/Detro it%20postcards/Buildings/finan ce.jpg While the Finance Building LOOKS like the Dime, it definitely is not the Dime, based on the buildings around it in the postcard and the details on the cornice and above the main entrance. Oftentimes, these postcards are inaccurate and were sometimes put out in anticipation of a building to be erected that never was. I have a couple postcards of the "Proposed Michigan Central Station," which does look exactly like it turned out. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 677 Registered: 08-2007 |
Rhymes- I stand humbled by your superior knowledge. Please excuse the misinformation | ||
Evelyn Member Username: Evelyn Post Number: 85 Registered: 02-2005 |
Neat! I like the old Webster Hall postcard, thanks for the link! | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1110 Registered: 11-2005 |
"Also, the very ornate Chief Federal Judge's courtroom of the 1895 Romanesque Revival Federal Courthouse was dismantled and reinstalled into the newer (Levin) Federal Courthouse of 1934. Today it is Chief Federal Judge John Feiken's courtroom. Anyone have any pics?" C'mon, Gistok, you know I do: http://i152.photobucket.com/al bums/s164/rhymeswithrawk/Feder al%20Building/fedbldg15.jpg http://i152.photobucket.com/al bums/s164/rhymeswithrawk/Feder al%20Building/fedbldg11.jpg http://i152.photobucket.com/al bums/s164/rhymeswithrawk/Feder al%20Building/fedbldg7.jpg | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1111 Registered: 11-2005 |
"Rhymes- I stand humbled by your superior knowledge. Please excuse the misinformation" Gnome, I wasn't trying to be a douche, just trying to help. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6265 Registered: 08-2004 |
Rhymeswithrawk, funny how your artwork picture postcard of Mackenzie Hall differs slightly from my posted photo. Could have been another "rendering" issue, or maybe the building was "modernized". | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1115 Registered: 11-2005 |
Gistok, you saw the photos of the courtroom that you requested, right? | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6267 Registered: 08-2004 |
Yes I did, thanks!! It must be startling for folks who enter the relatively tame "Deco Moderne" Levin Courthouse and come into the overpowering Romanesque Revival courtroom for the first time! | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 678 Registered: 08-2007 |
rhymes, I didn't think you were being rude at all, I just wanted to be clear that I was incorrect. No problem | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 572 Registered: 08-2006 |
The New Finance Bldg looks like the Dime Bldg. Are they the same and/or same architect/concept? | ||
Dan Member Username: Dan Post Number: 1499 Registered: 10-2003 |
Does that court room still exist? | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5073 Registered: 10-2004 |
Has anybody counted its stories and compared that figure with any known buildings of that era? | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6269 Registered: 08-2004 |
Yes it does Dan... go back and read my post 6264 on this thread. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1118 Registered: 11-2005 |
Gsgeorge, As I said, "While the Finance Building LOOKS like the Dime, it definitely is not the Dime, based on the buildings around it in the postcard and the details on the cornice and above the main entrance." On top of that, this postcard is postmarked 1917, and the Dime was built in 1910. But they definitely look similar! | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1119 Registered: 11-2005 |
I did some more research on our Aviation Town & Country/Arts Building. I found a rendering of it (which looks different but has to be the same plan) in my history on Smith, Hinchman & Grylls: http://i215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Buildings/sc007c2a73.jpg It confirms that it never happened and was shelved because of the Depression, never getting past the rendering stage. Also notice our George Harrison (Phelps) Building. I hear it was Fab For get-togethers... | ||
Rickinatlanta Member Username: Rickinatlanta Post Number: 133 Registered: 07-2006 |
Does anyone have, or know where I can find, pictures of the old Arena Gardens from the early 1930's? I've only seen one. My Dad fought there over 40 times as Bantamweight Champion of Michigan and as I continue my research on his career, that building is somewhat fascinating to me. | ||
Qdaddy77 Member Username: Qdaddy77 Post Number: 78 Registered: 05-2007 |
" I found a rendering of it (which looks different but has to be the same plan) in my history on Smith, Hinchman & Grylls" Rhymes, i take it S,H& G were big Archs in Detroit? | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1397 Registered: 10-2003 |
SH&G (smith hinchman and grylls) now smithgroup were, and are, one of the largest architectural firms in the city. they are responsible for buildings like the guardian, penobscott, comerica park, ford field, new terminal at metro, etc. either they or albert kahn have the record for designing the most buildings in the city. aside from their notable reputation in the city, they have the distinction of being the 7th largest firm in the country and hold the record for the longest continually operating firm in the country (firm founded in 1853). this is their current website: http://www.smithgroup.com/ | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6275 Registered: 08-2004 |
The Smithgroup has their offices in what was their most sumptuously appointed commission... the Guardian Building (originally called the Union Trust Building when completed in 1929). Imagine potential Smithgroup clients first impressions when they step into the grand lobby space of the Guardian Building. | ||
Qdaddy77 Member Username: Qdaddy77 Post Number: 79 Registered: 05-2007 |
Thanks for the info guys... my great grandfather was an architech in detroit 1919-1950's I have always wondered what buildings he might have worked on, but have never known how to find any of thoes kind of records. Last November, my Grandfather gave me his "workbook" in it had some designs and project budgets, but not labeled real well. one said "Ferndale Bank" another said "Flat Rock Hospital"...oh well.... | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6537 Registered: 10-2003 |
Qdaddy, what was his name? | ||
Qdaddy77 Member Username: Qdaddy77 Post Number: 85 Registered: 05-2007 |
Keith W. Smith |
