Wolverine Hotel architect?

**buildingsofdetroit** · May-29-09, 10:36 PM

Anyone have a clue who it was? I'm thinking no one that famous since you never see a name attached to it. Any help [[and hopefully with a source) would be appreciated.

**mccarch** · May-30-09, 07:23 PM

The Wolverine Hotel's architect was G. H. Gottschalk & Co. of Chicago, per the Detroit Free Press of February 1, 1920.

I ran across this a while back; it took a bit of looking to find it.

**renf** · May-30-09, 07:55 PM

What was/is the address for the Wolverine Hotel? Is it still standing?

MIRepublic · May-30-09, 08:22 PM

Do a quick search. It's been gone since Comerica Park was completed.

**wolverine** · May-30-09, 09:40 PM

It was located where the "front door" parking lots are for Comerica. Nothing structural ever replaced it.

Photos of its destruction
http://implosionworld.com/wolverine.html

Video of its destruction
http://www.biggerblast.com/index.php...etroit-MI.html

**FlyByDon** · May-31-09, 09:06 AM

My Two cents worth

http://www.aerialpics.com/C/wolverine.html

**Lowell** · May-31-09, 09:24 AM

I used to park in front of the Wolverine when I went to the downtown YMCA, which was cater corner from it. FlyByDon, do you know what that banner read "Save Detroit's ???". Just curious.

I can see the downtown Edison stacks and the Hudson's warehouse, now part of the Ford field complex in the background of the lower implosion.

**FlyByDon** · May-31-09, 10:42 AM

Morning Lowell,

The sign read "Save Detroit's Gem. As in the Gem Theatre.

**FlyByDon** · June-01-09, 09:00 AM

This thread inspired me to add a few more images taken for the pre demolition site preparation.

Look again at: http://www.aerialpics.com/C/wolverine.html

**buildingsofdetroit** · June-01-09, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by mccarch

The Wolverine Hotel's architect was G. H. Gottschalk & Co. of Chicago, per the Detroit Free Press of February 1, 1920.

I ran across this a while back; it took a bit of looking to find it.

I owe you huge. That clip was not in the old newspaper clippings I have found on it. Do you have a bunch of other info on it?

**detourdetroit** · June-02-09, 09:09 AM

the wolverine was a stupid and wasteful demo...although it was fun to watch coming down.

**mccarch** · June-03-09, 04:55 PM

It's more complicated than I thought. The information that I previously posted [[from the Detroit Free Press of Feb. 1, 1920) has a reproduction of a black and white rendering, and states "G. H. Gottschalk & Co., of Chicago, are the architects."

But I also have a scrapbook clipping [[from an undated issue of The Detroiter - a real estate magazine of sort, I think) that has the same rendering, but not cropped at the rendering's base. At the base, G.H. Gottschalk is listed as the Builder, and L. P. Rowe as the Architect.

My guess is that Gottschalk functioned as both a builder and architect. If you google his name, you can find several hotels he built/designed on the south side of Chicago. Perhaps L. P. Rowe was hired as the architect of record for the State of Michigan? I'm not sure of the architectural registration requirements c. 1920. I've been unable to find any further information re. L. P. Rowe.

**buildingsofdetroit** · June-03-09, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by mccarch

It's more complicated than I thought. The information that I previously posted [[from the Detroit Free Press of Feb. 1, 1920) has a reproduction of a black and white rendering, and states "G. H. Gottschalk & Co., of Chicago, are the architects."

But I also have a scrapbook clipping [[from an undated issue of The Detroiter - a real estate magazine of sort, I think) that has the same rendering, but not cropped at the rendering's base. At the base, G.H. Gottschalk is listed as the Builder, and L. P. Rowe as the Architect.

My guess is that Gottschalk functioned as both a builder and architect. If you google his name, you can find several hotels he built/designed on the south side of Chicago. Perhaps L. P. Rowe was hired as the architect of record for the State of Michigan? I'm not sure of the architectural registration requirements c. 1920. I've been unable to find any further information re. L. P. Rowe.

Uh, wanna be best friends? I'd love to get copies of some of this stuff if you're willing. Where'd you acquire it? Just copying articles out of the library?

**EastsideAl** · June-04-09, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by FlyByDon

This thread inspired me to add a few more images taken for the pre demolition site preparation.

Look again at: http://www.aerialpics.com/C/wolverine.html

And in the background of that photo, behind the Wolverine, is the old Albert Kahn designed Downtown YWCA. Also torn down for the ballpark. I used to swim often in its beautiful 4th floor pool, with a great view of downtown through the huge windows, back when I was a kid and my mother worked in the building. Best pool in Detroit ever.