  Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame Post Number: 316 Registered: 12-2006 |
This article was in the Houston Chronicle this weekend: http://www.chron.com/disp/stor y.mpl/ent/arts/gray/5821475.ht ml Are there any buildings in Detroit that are, or could be, hiding their true appearance? | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1860 Registered: 02-2006 |
Oh yeah, quite a few. Some permanent, unfortunately. | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 987 Registered: 11-2006 |
Whitney building for one. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6972 Registered: 08-2004 |
Very good thread starter Eastsidedame! There are some beauties hidding under corrugated metal sheeting in downtown... The former Display Creations Building on Broadway has had the corrugated metal removed to reveal a beautiful old building. I bet that the triangular block which houses the Lafayette & American Coney Islands (as well as the Lafayette Building) houses some beautiful facades underneath the modern corrugated sheetmetal. I also wonder what is hidden under the first 2 modernized floors of the Lafayette and United Artists Buildings. Of course, some buildings no longer have the nice ornate work underneath the modern veneer. Albert Kahn's beautiful Boulevard Building on the NE corner of Woodward & Grand Blvd. is one that likely has been stripped of its' beauty to give us that Brutalist monstrosity we have today. Another is the Majestic Theatre. That Deco Orange metalwork does not hide the original facade... it was removed (along with much of the theatre lobby behind it) when they widened Woodward in the 1930's. Too bad... the original was a Venetian terra cotta confection...  | ||
Mccarch Member Username: Mccarch Post Number: 163 Registered: 12-2003 |
How about (for lack of its real name) the 8 or so storied 'Medical Arts Building' on the east side of Woodward in Highland Park? It's north of and readily visible from the Davison freeway. What lies beneath? | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4843 Registered: 10-2003 |
Probably the most prominent example is the building on the NE corner of Woodward and Grand Blvd. which began its life as a Ford manufacturing facility but had an impressive facade. The ground floor halls have beautiful acrched ceilings and appointments. Archival pictures of it have been posted here sometime in the past. I may be wrong, but I believe the Medical Arts Building [highest point in Highland Park] is as it was designed. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2311 Registered: 12-2005 |
The building at East Grand Blvd. and Woodward was not a manufacturing facility but a service facility, basically a very large, multi-story dealership service building, factory owned. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2312 Registered: 12-2005 |
The Redford theatre was refaced, beginning in 1950 when the original marquee was replaced by the marquee that is still there today. The marquee upright was donated to the WWII scrap drives, as were many others. The area under the marquee was heavily reconfigured in the 1950 installation. The first treatment was stainless steel, sort of like a giant diner interior taken outdoors. This was replaced in the mid 1960s with the current panels made from marble rocks embedded in sheets. This same treatment was given to the entryway of the Adams theatre downtown, also run by Community theatres, the company that owned the Redford.   | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 7067 Registered: 10-2003 |
Did they pull that poop off the bottom of the Lafayette Building yet? | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 440 Registered: 10-2006 |
Gistok Im pretty sure the Majestic wasn't stripped but rather demo'd and rebuilt when Woodward was widened. It is listed in the VMC as Majestic Theatre New Building. The bottom floor of the new building was modernized as well. I really would hope that one day they would reconstruct the Marquee. I also believe the building next door in the VMC photo is still there under the Gardenbowl wood slat facade.  | ||
Dan_the_man Member Username: Dan_the_man Post Number: 61 Registered: 07-2006 |
A while back somebody had a picture of the Lafayette Building where one of the granite panels had come off and you could see all the nice stonework underneath it. Maybe some day the rest of it will come off too. | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 441 Registered: 10-2006 |
Desecrated Buildings The David Whitney building between the Fyfe and Kales. Broderick Park Apts Lafayette Building UA lower level The list really would go on and on. Its likely less than 1 in 10 buildings hasn't had is exterior modernized. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6974 Registered: 08-2004 |
Mdoyle, the Theatre Historical Society booklet on Detroit Theatres mentions that the lobby and facade of the Majestic were removed during the 1930's widening of Woodward, to be replaced by the metal paneled facade we see today. Also the theatre interior was also gutted a long time ago (early 50's?) for use as a photography studio, among other uses. That's what I based my comments on. As for that picture with the new facade. The street had not been widened yet when that photo was taken. You'll notice that the sidewalk has not been trimmed back to nearly the front of the marquee.  | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 347 Registered: 08-2007 |
no wonder when i looked the photo of the old majestic in one of my DSR books it didn,t click. with what little i know on most subjects, it seems to me that the 60,s did alot of bad things to old buildings. | ||
Harsensis Member Username: Harsensis Post Number: 360 Registered: 07-2005 |
Eastsidedame, what part of Houston are you in? We moved to Houston last summer from Grosse Pointe. It has taken us a long time to find good pizza places down here and we just found a Jimmy Johns off of 59 south of downtown today! We are in Kingwood. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 754 Registered: 01-2007 |
Redford theatre... they show old 3 Stooges movies there. You can get vol. 1 & 2 on DVD completely remastered on Amazon. Vol. 3 should be out this fall. Much better than the crappy VHS bootlegs. | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 768 Registered: 03-2008 |
3 Stooges? Where is the Redford Theater? How much is admission? | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 756 Registered: 01-2007 |
Like 5 or 6 mile & Telegraph. Admission is cheap about $2 or so. They show about 3-4 shorts. Hunt & peck on this site. http://threestooges.net/index. php They had a showing a few months ago. So they are due. James | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1420 Registered: 11-2003 |
Spiritofdetroit-- The Whitney isn't hiding its true appearance, because the ornament was stripped off, not covered. | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 281 Registered: 02-2004 |
Sean...The Redford Theater is on Lahser, one block north of Grand River. You can't miss it. | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 474 Registered: 10-2003 |
http://www.theatreorgans.com/m i/redford/ | ||
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame Post Number: 352 Registered: 12-2006 |
Hey, Harsensis, I'm in Sugar Land. I've lived here since 1980 when there were 9000 people, 18,000 head of cattle and two cops here. Talk about culture shock! I completely freaked out. I thought my parents had totally lost their minds. Recently, I've taken a liking to Papa LaRosa's pizza. Very close to homemade. For years, though, I made my own. I still like mine the best, but I'm Italian and tend to be overly picky about pizza, so I'm told! Though we live on opposite sides of town, feel free to write me if there's any way I can help out a fellow Detroiter new in the Bayou City: texastreasure517@yahoo.com | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 10178 Registered: 10-2003 |
Count all of the buildings with the Disney-esque stucco on them. If that crap isnt't the worst I don't know what is. I would rather corrugated metal then that crap. | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 925 Registered: 08-2006 |
Eastside and Harsensis I am going to Houston in August to visit a friend do you guys gave any ideas for a trip? I have a thread in the NON-Detroit section about Houston and what to do there. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 45 Registered: 05-2008 |
Lowell, you are so right. The Ford building at Grand Blvd and Woodward has a facade. What about the Burroughs Building? I believe that was "updated" too. | ||
Ja1mz Member Username: Ja1mz Post Number: 119 Registered: 02-2007 |
Lodgedodger -, I used to repair copiers and that building was one of my accounts when the State of Michigan was in there. I wondered what the history of that building was, I knew it was once a NBD office. I remember using the pay phones by the stairwells and seeing a lot of marble and other details that were not modernized, Does anyone have any pics of this building? | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 46 Registered: 05-2008 |
Ja1mz, I can take pics on Saturday, if you like...or did you mean historic pics? | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 47 Registered: 05-2008 |
This isn't the office building...I'm still looking for that structure.  | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 2643 Registered: 07-2004 |
I just passed a building called the Grace Miller Building on Grand River just two blocks northwest of Grand Boulevard. It is a three story building whose second and third floor windows are currently being covered up by a stucco facade. About 2/3 of the building has been covered. Don't know what the plan is, but I was hoping they could restore the upper floors instead of covering them up. | ||
Ja1mz Member Username: Ja1mz Post Number: 120 Registered: 02-2007 |
Lodgedodger -I was looking for historic pics, but thanks for offering to take recent ones. I thought I read somewhere the DPD was going to use that building. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 48 Registered: 05-2008 |
Oh, okay. I'll check with a couple of friends. I bet they could find a couple. ;-) | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 703 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote:They already are. They moved the Central District there from the old 13th Precinct building at Woodward and Hancock. | ||
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame Post Number: 361 Registered: 12-2006 |
Do any of you know about this one? The very knowledgeable Gistok might, it's in his neighborhood. The original entrance of St. John Hospital facing Moross was encircled by ornate, carved sculptures. It always impressed me when I was a kid. I'm hoping it was just covered up and not removed. Does anyone know about that? | ||
Ja1mz Member Username: Ja1mz Post Number: 122 Registered: 02-2007 |
Thanks lodgedodge! | ||
Capnhook Member Username: Capnhook Post Number: 45 Registered: 10-2003 |
ok, now here's one I can't just let slip by: "they show old 3 stooges movies there" While the Redford theatre does 2x a year have a stooges festival, you get the wrong picture unless you realize that there are silents accompanied by live theatre organ, classic musicals, bond and indiana jones, Xmas fare during the season, and other non-movie events. All of this while you are sitting in what appears to be a japanese garden with stars lighting the sky overhead. Admission was $4 last time I was there and the popcorn cost less than the admission. www.redfordtheatre.com IMHO the only thing missing is a good place for dinner or dessert afterwards on the same block or around the corner. "they show old 3 stooges movies there". well I never! [grumble grumble grumble] | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1247 Registered: 11-2005 |
"I also wonder what is hidden under the first 2 modernized floors of the Lafayette and United Artists Buildings." Here's the Lafayette: http://i215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Buildings/LafayetteBuilding.jp g The two that come to mind for me, besides the Lafayette, is the Chamber of Commerce Building and the Kresge 5 & Dime at Woodward and State. | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 385 Registered: 08-2007 |
I love the Redford yet my girlfriend requested the sound of music, at least i can look more at the building if they show that movie. When i get my DSR BOOKS home i,m going to look at the pix and find which buildings might be still standing. Slipcovered or otherwise. | ||
Lorax Member Username: Lorax Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2008 |
The Book Building when I was last in there still had a lousy drop ceiling in the lobby, which I had the good fortune to see underneath twenty five years ago when work was being done above that ceiling- when they removed a large portion of the tiles there was a glass dome some height above it- looking as though the lobby may have been similar in configuration to the Farwell Building's light court- also, does anyone know if the cherub clock is still there in the Book's lobby? | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 50 Registered: 05-2008 |
ja1mz, my friend will look for those pics for you. Might be a few days, but I'll keep bugging him. I'd like to see them too! | ||
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame Post Number: 395 Registered: 12-2006 |
See the Grosse Pointe Starbucks Facade Collapse thread for a look at pics of this building without it's white siding. Very interesting. | ||
Ggores Member Username: Ggores Post Number: 191 Registered: 10-2007 |
what are some of you THINKing? You need be directed to the Redford Theatre? WTF? Just exactly what do you think of this town? Just WHAT will it take to wake people up to the fact that 'what lies beneath' is nothing more than one-shot plastic bottles of V-O? Don't anyone realize that the magic that lies within is made of crumbling porches and sidewalk lawns? Seriously, I just don't know what you kids are thinking these days. Hence... the destruction of a once-mighty-industrial City. Many questions posed here, I know, very rhetorical as well, and not debatable... but ask yourself.. can you read a tape-measure? I try best can be tried, and am still fascinated by the old school mechanics. (EDIT: once upon a time, way, way back, I sat on the very upper ledges of The Book Building, it was where the HBO transceiver was located, and my brother was The Dialer for that day. I looked down upon the bristelling town, and then looked out upon the great plains of sprawling Detroit City. It made no sense. At the time.) (Message edited by ggores on July 19, 2008) | ||
Jgavrile Member Username: Jgavrile Post Number: 159 Registered: 09-2005 |
I lived in Houston for about 3 years during the 80's. You guys can have that whole town.Its a phony piece of work.Shitty weather, too hot, too humid, too screwed up!Too many big black roaches crawling all over, that no one seems to be able to control;?? Poor quality homes built to look like they are expensive. No basements, Couldn't wait to move out of there. Bunch of B.S artists everywhere you turn there. Place sucks! | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 7128 Registered: 08-2004 |
The St. John original facade.... Eastsidedame, I don't remember the statues, but I do remember that originally there was a grand staircase at the front of the building that took you up to the 1st floor. This staircase was removed so that a ground floor (bland modern) entranceway was added at street level. The 1st floor fancy green marble entrance vestibule of St. John is still there and intact. Today it is used (IIRC) as the board room for the hospital corporation, with the new front entrance on the ground floor underneath it. I wonder if some of those statutes that you speak of were possibly moved to the large St. John Chapel at the back of the hospital? Former United Artists Building lower floors.... Thanks for the pic of the lower floors of the Lafayette Building Rhymeswithrawk. Both the Lafayette Building and the United Artists Building/Theatre were designed by C. Howard Crane. Here's 2 angles that show the lower floors. Interestingly enough they are more richly detailed than the older Lafayette Building was. They had Corinthian capitals on the pilasters between the arched windows.   IIRC, the standalone more prominent arch at the far end of the 2nd pic is the entranceway to the bank located inside the United Artists Building. | ||
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame Post Number: 530 Registered: 12-2006 |
From the What Were They Thinking? Collection, The David Whitney Building sure looks different since it's 'modernization" in the 50s: Now: http://detroit1701.psc.isr.umi ch.edu/WhitneyBldg.htm Then: (Copy & Paste Entire Link in Browser up to "9") http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/ i/image/image-idx?rgn1=vmc_all;op2=And;rgn2=vmc_all;med=1;c= vmc;back=back1218207288;q1=whi tney;chaperone=S-VMC-X-69453%2 069453;evl=full-image;chaperon e=S-VMC-X-69453%2069453;qualit y=2;view=entry;subview=detail; cc=vmc;entryid=x-69453;viewid= 69453;start=1;resnum=9 Was it "covered" or were the stylized embellishments removed? Could it ever be restored to it's previous awesomeness? | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2402 Registered: 12-2005 |
"Was it "covered" or were the stylized embellishments removed? Could it ever be restored to it's previous awesomeness"? right now I'd settle for the building being rehabbed on the inside and at least partially full of tenants. Do that and you can get to the artsy-fartsy business later. |
