Another SHORPY look at the Dime Bank building, 1911.

[Ray1936]

Can anyone identify any of the background buildings? And notice -- no workers are wearing hard hats.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/10592?size=_original

[wolverine]

Very cool. You can see the beam, block, screed method being used for the floors. My have we come a long way in building technology since then.

[cramerro]

To the right would be the Farwell Building, I believe. The Dime was earlier than most the other skyscrapers in the immediate vicinity, must have been quite a sight to see the bright white brick rising up like that from so many of the red/darker brick short buildings. Also love the train track with ties in the middle of Fort St.

[Krawlspace]

The building to the right was the McGraw building. The Farwell is much farther up Griswold in Capitol Park. The McGraw was home to the Michigan Savings Bank, and at some point also held offices for the Free Press, although in the photo linked below, the Freep was still only in the adjoining building on Lafayette. The building on the far right that advertises women's shoes is where the Griswold parking deck is now. The building pictured was only recently torn down, and had a Taco Bell for a while. I recall reading something about Houdini being treated by a doctor there on the upper floors in an office before going to Harper Hospital after the ill fated punch to the abdomen. The building under construction to the far right I believe is the Peter Smith & Sons building which still stands. Construction is dated 1912 so it would put it in the right time frame. The Victorian stone building on the far left was the Post Office and Federal Building.

Shorpy's pic of the McGraw:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/10218?size=_original

And of the Post Office:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/7519?size=_original

[cramerro]

I was referring to the steel frame going up to the far upper right of the photo. It's the right size and at 2 blocks away would be fronting on Capitol Park, and was completed in the early 1910's as well.

[Richard]

Is the DPO still there? amazing details down to the curtain look in the upper stories
so far advanced for 1902 with updated drainage,fireplug,able to park bikes alongside the curb without a worry ,the missing street brick must be installing the sewer system so cool in so many ways ,but lots of smoke in background.

[Krawlspace]

I think the angle of view is too steep, and the building looks like it's just one block over. I believe the Smith building is taller as well, but without counting floors I'm not certain. See the pic below.




Sadly Richard, the post office closed and was demolished in 1931-32. Here's a great source of info on it: http://buildingsofdetroit.com/places/post

[Richard]

Thanks KS almost makes you want to cry...lol

[gnome]

The Smith bldg aka Capitol Park Bldg, is 11 stories and was completed in 1912, the Farwell wasn't opened until 1915 ... according to Skyscraper Pages.

[rsa.313]

The Smith bldg aka Capitol Park Bldg, is 11 stories and was completed in 1912, the Farwell wasn't opened until 1915 ... according to Skyscraper Pages.

Confirmed; I have an elevation drawing of the Farwell and it's dated January 1914.

[gnome]

I believe the building in the foreground on the left is the Moffat Building. It was home to the famed Detroit Stock Exchange until 1913 when they moved to Jefferson Ave.

A couple of things: from what building do you think the photog hung. And what is that Greek temple looking thing on Fort between the Dime and the P.0.?

[Fury13]

I believe the building with the "Shoes for Women" sign on it is the United Shirt building, now housing American Coney Island and cut down from four stories to two.

[EastsideAl]

I think "shoes for women" is actually on the old Kinsel's building on the NW corner of Griswold & Michigan. I believe that you can just see the peaked top of the United Shirt building poking over the top of the building just to the north of the Dime Bldg.

The building going up in the background is definitely the Peter Smith & Sons Building [[completed in 1912), now known as the Capitol Park Bldg.
Discussed here: http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1168121351
Shown here just a few years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsgeorg...7594458281167/

I believe that the greek temple-looking building immediately to the west of the Dime Building on Fort St. is the Peninsular State Bank Building.
Shown here several years later:
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...tart=;resnum=1

[Whitehouse]

Look that that masonary work being done. Which makes it so unfair if a building this size is knocked down. All the work that went in to it is unbelievable.