 
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4742
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 6:02 am: |    |
I know this has been discussed casually before, but searches aren't turning up anything so it may have been quite awhile ago, but does anyone know when the different expansions and demolitions of Hudson's took place, and what each consisted of (how many new floors)? Was the original 8-story building incorporated into the design of Hudson or was it not even at the site of the tower? A timeline would be nice. |
Kathleen
Member
Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 1707
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 8:30 am: | |
These two books would probably be helpful in locating the information you seek:
Hudson's Detroit's Legendary Department Store by Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon (Arcadia Publishing, 2004)
Hudson's: Hub of America's Heartland by Jean Maddern Pitrone (A&M Publishing, 1991}
Also, the Burton Historical Collection must have reams of information on the history of the Hudson's Building. |
Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie
Post Number: 755
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 11:06 am: | |
Hauser has a pretty good construction timeline. In addition to what he wrote, I'll note:
The first (southerly) section of the huge L-shaped addition had a small tower-like structure which was torn down when the northern part was built.
Many have noted that Sallan's Jewelry was torn down for Hudson's last, 1946 addition that fronted on Gratiot. But also, a narrow, 1-bay wide segment of Hudson building (which had been built at some point in conjunction with the southerly Woodward additions) was torn down for that.
There were also various basement expansions over the years.
There was another narrow addition which was dead center over the alley and fronted on State St, with a shipping door. I believe this was built sometime between the 1891 building and the first of the southerly Woodward-side additions.
Especially on the southern roofline, there were other assorted small parts constructed (both things existing to the end and stuff removed in additions).
I'd *really* like to see blueprints and more detailed dates of all the Hudson's building components, but such stuff appears to be more rare than aliens on Mars. The only surviving blueprint I know of was reproduced for a Historical Museum poster. The demolition contractors mentioned a lack of surviving blueprints.
I guess they were either junked by the company years ago, given away by the company, spirited away by one or more employees, or taken from the building by non-employees. They may have even been stashed away, almost hidden, in the building until D-day and came crashing down with everything else. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4743
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 4:18 pm: | |
Was the 1891 building demolished, or incorporated into the building? |
Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie
Post Number: 757
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 5:29 pm: | |
Fronting on Farmer and Gratiot, it was torn down (IIRC, in two stages, according to Pitrone's book). |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4745
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 6:28 pm: | |
I don't have ready access to the book (though it sounds like a book I'll keep on my list to buy), so if you could do a simple layout for me of the expansions that would great.
(Message edited by lmichigan on November 22, 2006) |
Hornwrecker
Member
Username: Hornwrecker
Post Number: 1701
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 7:04 pm: | |
Photo of original Hudson's on Gratiot
LOC
The corner of Woodward showing the Sallan's store.
WSU/VMC
(Message edited by Hornwrecker on November 22, 2006) |
Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie
Post Number: 759
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 7:17 pm: | |
Lmichigan-- I started to draw some diagrams in Paint but it's too complex for my time right now. Hauser's book is readily available at Barnes & Noble and Shuler's, so even if you don't want to buy it you can browse it at leisure.
I'll repeat the info from my earlier post and incorporate it into additional information:
A narrow 8-story addition opened on the north edge of the original building in 1907. This was later torn down.
The first frontage on Woodward Avenue was built from 1911 to 1919 and consisted of seven matched sections, one to two bays wide. In 1925 two more stories to the top of all this, plus the rooftop auditorium (then or sometime later), were added.
The 1891 building at the corner of Gratiot and Farmer was torn down in two stages, approximately from 1923 to 1924. The northerly section was torn down first, and in its place went a 5-bay wide addition ("bay" being the width of a window unit and the surrounding brick), 15 1/2 stories tall with a structure on top that probably held water tanks (later demolished).
The southerly section of the original building was next to be torn down, and it was replaced with an addition that was 7 bays wide on Farmer and 5 bays wide on Gratiot. Both of these additions had a one-story structure added on the roof.
The rest of what would make up a huge "L," including the 28-story tower and 9 bays on Woodward, was completed in 1927. Two stories were added north of the tower in 1928.
Many have noted that Sallan's Jewelry was torn down for Hudson's last, 1946 addition that fronted on Gratiot. But also, a narrow, 1-bay wide segment of Hudson building (which had been built at some point in conjunction with the southerly Woodward additions) was torn down for that.
There were also various basement expansions over the years.
There was another narrow addition which was dead center over the alley and fronted on State St, with a shipping door. I believe this was built sometime between the 1891 building and the first of the southerly Woodward-side additions.
Especially on the southern roofline, there were other assorted small parts constructed (both things existing to the end and stuff removed in additions). |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4746
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 7:25 pm: | |
Thanks, all. It all still sounds very confusing, but this should help. Burnsie, if you'd like to send me your diagrams you can at lmontg at comcast.net |
Kathleen
Member
Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 1713
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 23, 2006 - 3:53 pm: | |
Lmichigan: FYI...this upcoming event might be of interest to you:
Book Signing and Meet the Author: Michael Hauser, December 17, 1pm, Detroit Historical Museum
Michael Hauser, author of the popular local book “Hudson’s: Detroit’s Legendary Department Store,” shares the history and impact of the landmark store – the tallest department store in the world -- that ruled Woodward Avenue for more than a century. |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 3137
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 23, 2006 - 8:29 pm: | |
I have had the pleasure of knowing Michael Hauser now for 8 years now. I can't think of anyone that knows more about Hudson's or Detroit movie palaces (his other Arcadia book) than he does. He also has an enormous collection of memorabilia from both, which have been on display at the Detroit Historical Museum and Detroit Opera House.
Besides his 2 Arcadia books, Michael Hauser works as a manager at the Detroit Opera House, is a long time member of both Preservation Wayne and Theatre Historical Society.
For those of you lucky enough to have the 1995 Theatre Historical Society booklet on Detroit movie palaces and the "Annual" on the Michigan Theatre... Michael was the main contributor to both.
He's also responsible for staging Preservation Wayne's Historic Downtown Theatre Tours every August. A true Detroit icon! |
Horn_wrecker
Moderator
Username: Horn_wrecker
Post Number: 14
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 23, 2006 - 9:03 pm: | |
The 1921 Sanborn map of the Hudson's block.
The single digit numbers, usually in the corners or on the edge, denote the number of stories. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4748
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 23, 2006 - 9:27 pm: | |
Cool! Jeeze, I never realized how many other buildings were bought and/or demolished to make Hudson's what it was by 1946.
Do you happen to have any earlier (1902-1926) and later ones (post 1946)? |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4758
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 10:43 pm: | |
Burnsie and/or Hornwrecker, please email me if you could. |
Hornwrecker
Member
Username: Hornwrecker
Post Number: 1703
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 11:13 pm: | |
My email is my username at gmail.com
I checked the other maps, but the only things are from 1889, and 1897 for that block. I believe Hudson's had a storefront on Campus Martius then, next to the Opera House.
Aerials at culma/wsu would be your best bet for latter ones, starting in 1940s. |