  Carptrash Member Username: Carptrash Post Number: 1576 Registered: 10-2003 |
 Parducci and I have done it again. Got ourselves all confused. These two banks, which I call the Griswold Twins, refuse to be nailed down. Are they both by Kahn? What were their starting names and dates? They are slathered in Parcuccis but that's not enough. eeeeeek | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2752 Registered: 10-2003 |
The building on the right, which is the corner of Griswold and Lafayette, was originally the Free Press Building (1911-1913) designed by Kahn. It was later known as the Transportation Building and the Canadian National and Grand Trunk Building. "The design of the white terra-cotta facade conformed to [Louis] Sullivan's concept of vertical continuity, even though details were derived from Gothic and Renaissance sources." (Source: W. Hawkins Ferry. The Buildings of Detroit. p. 187) | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 441 Registered: 10-2003 |
Kathleen, you are talking about the building behind the building on the right, which was torn down recently. The building on the right is the Olde Building. | ||
Carptrash Member Username: Carptrash Post Number: 1578 Registered: 10-2003 |
That doesn't make sense to me. The sculpture is just not really 1913, not just because that makes CP 13 years old, young even for him, but the style of the door surround and the panels above just is not from that era. The preceeding is a carpopinion and might not reflect reality as others know and understand it. eeeeek PS Ferry also mentions that the old free pressbuilding was 10 stories tall. These are 5 at most, even if you count that hideous (opinion) two story addition on the left. eeeek (Message edited by carptrash on February 09, 2008) | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2489 Registered: 01-2004 |
Olde was the one torn down I believe, Im putting money on Kathleen in this horse race. Didnt Carpy have us parse these two already ? http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/09/lets_go_to_the_bank.html http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/09/more_bank_details.html | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 339 Registered: 10-2006 |
The Olde Building is definitely still there. An it is in fact the building on the right. The old Free Press building is behind the Olde Building in that photo it was torn down long ago. I believe the Olde Building was a Kahn this has been discussed before. Try the search function. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2492 Registered: 01-2004 |
http://photos1.blogger.com/img /91/1627/1024/olde2.jpg search function stinks | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 442 Registered: 10-2003 |
The Olde building is indeed on the corner, used to be the Griswold First State Bank. I think it is a Kahn. Besides you can tell by looking at the photo that it is not the building Kathleen is talking about: the facade is not terra cotta nor does it recall Sullivan. | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 443 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hey mauser, check out his update at the bottom ;) | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6543 Registered: 10-2003 |
Kathleen, is speaking of the building behind the one in question. That was the Terracotta Building that was taller. Here:  Carpy, I took this one the day we went though the Diehl & Diehl archives together. They knocked it down later that year I believe. The building Kathleen refers to is the tall terracotta clad one. Carpy is talking about the two shorter ones on the corner. If you have a copy of Ferry's the Legacy of Albert Kahn, there is a photo on p. 58 (fig. 57) that shows that building is the tall one in the photo I posted. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2494 Registered: 01-2004 |
Yer right - Dblog does qualify the ownership. Doops. | ||
Carptrash Member Username: Carptrash Post Number: 1579 Registered: 10-2003 |
Damn, Mouser: That's some fine pictures you've linked. Makes my pictures appear as if shot with my old Kodak Brownie. Yes, we might have tried these before, but . . ... to what effect? What are they, again? eeeek CP referes (in what might be a newspaper clipping) to them as "Security Trust Company Building and First State Bank Building of Detroit. Architect: Albert Kahn" Next to that is the date "1923" (Message edited by carptrash on February 09, 2008) (Message edited by carptrash on February 09, 2008) | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1968 Registered: 04-2005 |
 From 1930s map of CBD (Message edited by Hornwrecker on February 09, 2008) | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 444 Registered: 10-2003 |
Heres the best I can do so far and without citation: The Olde Building - 1927- Albert Kahn | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6544 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ok - the one on the left was the Security Trust Company Building and the one of the right was the First State Bank. Both by Kahn. They are listed in the job list in the back of "Industrial & Commercial Buildings", 1936. Check you e-mail. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1969 Registered: 04-2005 |
Here's what was there before, the McGraw Building.  wsu/vmc If you look at some of the photos of Old City Hall, you can see a bit of the bldg on the left, before that thing was added on the top of it. (Message edited by Hornwrecker on February 09, 2008) | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6545 Registered: 10-2003 |
Well the fire insurance map revisions show both buildings (tell actually) as being built in 1924. There were banks in each half of the McGraw building in fact it looks like the First bank on the corner above. The must have demolished the McGraw building in 1923, and each built their own bank, side by side.  | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1970 Registered: 04-2005 |
 wsu/vmc | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 341 Registered: 10-2006 |
I always wondered what the top of that building looked like before the heinous addition. | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 267 Registered: 03-2006 |
That McGraw building looked like a mighty fine exquisite one. Man, they were tearing down good looking downtown buildings even back then. Did it caught on fire or the wood rotted out or what? | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6546 Registered: 10-2003 |
More than like it was all in the name of Progress. At least back then buildings weren't demolished for "future development". | ||
Mccarch Member Username: Mccarch Post Number: 156 Registered: 12-2003 |
I think that this is the first time that I've seen a mistake by Kathleen on this board. Is nothing sacred? | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1971 Registered: 04-2005 |
Another view taken during the demo of Old City Hall.  wsu/vmc | ||
Carptrash Member Username: Carptrash Post Number: 1580 Registered: 10-2003 |
I'll bet Kathleen was paid to take a dive. It's the only way that . . .... eeeeeeeeek | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1122 Registered: 11-2005 |
An old postcard from my collection showing that corner. The McGraw Building is, as Hornwrecker points out, what stood on that site before the two banks. The building to the right, the terra cotta one, is the old Free Press building (before the Lafayette-Cass location) that later became the Transportation Building. http://i215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Postcards/DimeFreep.jpg | ||
Carptrash Member Username: Carptrash Post Number: 1584 Registered: 10-2003 |
Great card. So Kahn just got the whole . . . hole, and built two buildings at the same time? A twofer, why not? | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2756 Registered: 10-2003 |
Just wanted to see if everyone was paying attention!! Actually, mea culpa! But the temptation to post an answer was too great despite the fact that we were heading out for the evening. Obviously I needed more time to check through the books and my files and digest the details before posting. Thanks to all who went to bat for me. I do appreciate it! Good night! | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2757 Registered: 10-2003 |
...and I'll definitely make a note of those building names because I've taken many pictures, as others have, of the sculptural details around the doorways of both buildings. They're extraordinary!! | ||
Carptrash Member Username: Carptrash Post Number: 1596 Registered: 10-2003 |
And I believe that they are what CP is talking about in his interview at the Smithsonian when he is inspecting carving for Kahn. I do with the AK & Assoc. would be more forthcoming with what they know. |
