  Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 683 Registered: 10-2003 |
Anybody know the origins of "Peter Smith and Sons" building and the company that was run there? It is on the right in the linked photo. http://www.flickr.com/photos/g sgeorge/345035335/in/set-72157 594458281167/ I have info on Peter Smith Heater company but I think that this was a different company. Thanks. (Message edited by irish_mafia on January 04, 2007) | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 684 Registered: 10-2003 |
aha! Thanks Hockey Player SMITH, J. Henry; born, Detroit, Nov. 19, 1867; son of Peter and Nella (Huyser) Smith; educated in Detroit public schools; married at Detroit, Dec. 30, 1895, Mame Adelaide Calvert. Was brought up in wholesale and retail butter, egg and cheese business established by his father, in 1859, and succeeded to sole ownership, 1904, business operating under title of Peter Smith & Sons. Member Detroit Board of Commerce, Rushmere. Recreations: Outdoor sports. Office: 24 Gratiot Av., Detroit. Residence: 39 Bethune Av., W., Detroit; summer residence: Walkerville, Can | ||
Mplsryan Member Username: Mplsryan Post Number: 149 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hmmm, noticed the comment on the photo too, 'May cause celebration'.... lol. Depends on your perspective. Smith Sons in a lovely building though, how is it currently utilized? | ||
Detroitphotographer Member Username: Detroitphotographer Post Number: 3 Registered: 12-2006 |
The building was constructed in 1912, and designed in part by Leonard Willeke over a period of 5 months. It was built for the Peter Smith & Son's Co. By the 1920s, the building was the headquarters of the American State Bank. They went under in the Depression, and the building became home to T.B. Rayl's Hardware Company, which relocated from its store on Woodward Avenue at Grand River. After that, the building became a multi-tenant office building, housing dentists, finance agencies, and various other sorts of offices. The last use was as lofts on the upper floors, but due to a newspaper article that was run in the paper a year or so ago, the tenants there got evicted. The building is an ideal candidate for lofts. It is for sale; however, it's another case of a building owner wanting way too much money for his building. The lobby is small, but nice. Unfortunately, at some point the mezzanine was filled in to create more floor space. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 177 Registered: 10-2006 |
If by the 1920s the building became part of American State Bank, that would make the painting on the back (reading Peter Smith & Sons Co.) some pretty durable paint. | ||
Detroitphotographer Member Username: Detroitphotographer Post Number: 4 Registered: 12-2006 |
The "Peter Smith & Son's Co." on the back of the building is actually made of tile set into the brick. It was painted over with "T.B. Rayl's Hardware" when they moved into the building, but that paint has mostly flaked off, revealing the original name again. | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 660 Registered: 11-2003 |
Didn't the Peoples Outfitters store expand into the upper floors of this building at some point? | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4997 Registered: 10-2003 |
I thought People's Outfitting simply extended into the little low-rise directly adjacent to it. Detroitphotographer, where'd you get that info from? Also, what is the address? | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 685 Registered: 10-2003 |
Great info all. Thanks | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5004 Registered: 10-2003 |
I don't know why it took so long, but I just realized that this is the building we call the Capitol Park Building, today. This is 1145 Griswold right on Capitol Park. Who owns this one? BTW, from looking at the Detroit 1976 interactive map, it appears that the building People's Outfitting later expanded in to was the Brown Brothers Cigar Factory, which was 5-stories and directly east of the 1145 Griswold/Capitol Park Building. Lastly, does anyone know anything about the 1133 Griswold? It's a small building just north of where the old Kline's Building was, and its directly west of the building this thread was started about. It's also directly across Griswold from the Stott Building, and looks to be a modern addition to the area. (Message edited by lmichigan on January 05, 2007) | ||
Detroitphotographer Member Username: Detroitphotographer Post Number: 5 Registered: 12-2006 |
1133 Griswold was home to the United Savings Bank. It is a historic building, but it was butchered in a 1960s remodeling. In the remodeling, the original plaster ceiling was spraypainted black, and then a dropped ceiling was placed over it. The original plaster ceiling was still visible in a utility closet on the mezzanine. It was used as a bank up until the very end. I believe it closed sometime during the 1990s, but I'm not sure about that. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 189 Registered: 10-2006 |
Does any one else not feel that Capitol Park is the most underappreciated 'square' in downtown Detroit? It has some of the most defined street walls downtown surrounding a triangle shaped park. Harmonie Park does as well, but Harmonie park has huge gaps in its edges and Capitol Park's surrounding buildings are on a much larger scale than Harmonie's... | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 1844 Registered: 10-2003 |
IIRC, 1133 Griswold is an Albert Kahn design. | ||
Hockey_player Member Username: Hockey_player Post Number: 293 Registered: 10-2003 |
Quote: "BTW, from looking at the Detroit 1976 interactive map, it appears that the building People's Outfitting later expanded in to was the Brown Brothers Cigar Factory, which was 5-stories and directly east of the 1145 Griswold/Capitol Park Building." Incorrect. The Brown Brothers Cigar Factory is to the west, not east, of the Capitol Park Building, and is six stories, not five. The bottom story is cut off in the photo on the 1976 site. The building is still standing and was undergoing renovation a few years back. In addition, People's did not expand into it, it expanded into the building to the east of it, which was the State Sample Company Building, with which it merged in later years. Furthermore, a skywalk was built that connected People's to the Peter Smith and Sons building, though they did not expand the retail business into that building. (Message edited by hockey_player on January 06, 2007) | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 878 Registered: 12-2005 |
Detroitphotographer--Welcome to the forum, great first posts! | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 661 Registered: 11-2004 |
Pics of the Capitol Park Building found on flick From Capitol Park http://flickr.com/photos/south en/94677809/ An aerial view http://flickr.com/photos/allan m/14191437/ The skybridge http://flickr.com/photos/allan m/16017964/ | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 69 Registered: 08-2006 |
I agree Charlotte. Capitol Park is my favorite park in the city and it is surrounded by one of the most beautiful urban environments in the whole state. The view down Griswold is classic Detroit. Unfortunately i've had some bad experiences there... | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5009 Registered: 10-2003 |
Detroitphotographer, shoot me an email at lmontg at comcast.net. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 196 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yeah, it does unfortunately prob. have the highest concentration of poverty currently in downtown Detroit. We all know what that concentration can lead to. |
