Need som help with the history of an old factory building

Hello!

I am an architect student from Denmark and my class have been working with Detroit this year. We were on a study trip in early November last year and spent a couple of weeks exploring and learning about Detroit. Forward to today I and my partner are working with an old factory close to the Eastern Market. And we find it hard to find any history about it, the address is 1825 Division St and it is right next to Dequindre Cut. You can see the location in the map below.

Attachment 35257

We believe that the building was a part of the meat factory a little to the North, but we are not sure of that. So, what we would like to know is the history and uses of the building and its immediate surroundings. :confused:

Thanks in advance :)
Jacob

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Originally Posted by Jacob

Hello!

I am an architect student from Denmark and my class have been working with Detroit this year. We were on a study trip in early November last year and spent a couple of weeks exploring and learning about Detroit. Forward to today I and my partner are working with an old factory close to the Eastern Market. And we find it hard to find any history about it, the address is 1825 Division St and it is right next to Dequindre Cut. You can see the location in the map below.

Attachment 35257

We believe that the building was a part of the meat factory a little to the North, but we are not sure of that. So, what we would like to know is the history and uses of the building and its immediate surroundings. :confused:

Thanks in advance :)
Jacob

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I believe it was part of the old Thorn apple valley complex before they closed. I have some old Baist’s maps that show these buildings around when they were built, I’ll have to dig them up to see if there is any more info on their original purpose. Hope you guys come up with something great for this location, it has a ton of potential with the walkout to the Dequindre Cut. Unfortunately the current owner is pretty negligent and stubborn.

Welcome to the forum, Jacob! Can't help you, but there's plenty of people here who can hopefully. :D

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Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

I believe it was part of the old Thorn apple valley complex before they closed. I have some old Baist’s maps that show these buildings around when they were built, I’ll have to dig them up to see if there is any more info on their original purpose. Hope you guys come up with something great for this location, it has a ton of potential with the walkout to the Dequindre Cut. Unfortunately the current owner is pretty negligent and stubborn.

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Thank you for the information :) We also like this location, the building have a lot of potential and since it is close to Estern Market and Dequinder cut we have a lot of options for a program.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Welcome to the forum, Jacob! Can't help you, but there's plenty of people here who can hopefully. :D

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Thank you very much :)

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Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

I believe it was part of the old Thorn apple valley complex before they closed. I have some old Baist’s maps that show these buildings around when they were built, I’ll have to dig them up to see if there is any more info on their original purpose. Hope you guys come up with something great for this location, it has a ton of potential with the walkout to the Dequindre Cut. Unfortunately the current owner is pretty negligent and stubborn.

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Or Armour Packaging Plant? I recently read that somewhere but can't seem to find the information.

I see Armour Co. [[meats) listed at 1825 Division Street in 1935, 1940, and 1967 city directories. This 1921 map shows the company on Alfred Street but the building was probably expanded sometime after.

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Zoomed out:

Attachment 35264

1949 Sanborn does indeed show building at that address as part of Armour Meats complex, although 1825 is not the address for the portion closest to the cut.

Attachment 35266

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From the Streetview of that address though, it appears that the part of the Armour plant that actually remains standing is the portion that would be addressed on Alfred, and that the buildings that fronted on Division are gone now.

Is that you Jacob?

Attachment 35268

Thank you Maot, MikeM and EastsideAl. It does indeed looks like it was Armour Meats complex that used the building before. The maps are relay helpful so thank you for them:)

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Originally Posted by MikeM

Is that you Jacob?

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Haha, no that is not me nor anyone in my class I believe. The picture was taken back in 2016, we were there from 1 to 10 November 2017 ;).

The area has changed greatly since my time in Detroit [[the 50's and 60's) but this is the old Armour Meats receiving area. The Grand Trunk Western delivered refrigerated cars full of "hanging beef" and other meat there for break down into cuts for meat markets around the city. I worked for Hygrades and Hammond Standish who were other purveyors of meat in that era. Actually live animals were delivered into the city then and the process began and the end product shipped to markets in SE Michigan. Hard to believe it happened in the center of the city. There were several meat processors along the Dequindre Cut and at Michigan Avenue around 20th Street. The structures were really well built and could be repurposed. Good luck, Jacob.