Historic photo question - large mystery building

**EastsideAl** · April-23-12, 03:08 PM

I was working on a little project about the history of electric cars when I ran into the photo below, which is from UM's Burton Historical site. It's a picture, labelled as being circa 1908-09, of a building of the Anderson Carriage Company who were the builders of the Detroit Electric car [[and were later renamed The Detroit Electric Car Co.).

But my question has nothing to do with the company or electric cars.

In the background of this picture to the left you will see a huge, ornate brick building that I do not recognize. Does anyone here know what this building is? Know anything about its history?

The site's description of the picture has it located at Clay and Riopelle [[actually then named Guilloz). That is indeed where Anderson and later Detroit Electric were located. And, in fact, at least one Anderson/Detroit Electric factory building is still standing nearby in the Russell Industrial Center.

Given the large unknown building, I thought for a while that the location given for the photo might actually be wrong, and that it may not even be in Detroit. But a close look at the largest version of the photo reveals that the poster in the window is for an "Automobile Parade" taking place on Belle Isle.

After scouring period maps of the surrounding area though, the only real possibility I can come up for that big building is the Grand Trunk locomotive house that once stood at the nearby Milwaukee Junction. But the building in the picture seems quite large and ornate [[and square) for that purpose. Is that what it was though?

A very large full-size version of this picture can be seen at http://quod.lib.umich.edu/d/dpa1ic/x-mr0263/mr0263.tif

**DetroitPlanner** · April-23-12, 03:25 PM

The buildings on the right appear to be the buildings at the fairgrounds by Zug Island.
http://www.printsoldandrare.com/michigan/209mi.jpg
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1183042818

Note that the pics related to the Exhibition are just renderings, and the actual construction could have been much different.

Judging by this link, it does NOT appear to be Electric Park
http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?id=305&Type=2

Thats all I can think of.

**EastsideAl** · April-23-12, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

The buildings on the right appear to be the buildings at the fairgrounds by Zug Island.
http://www.printsoldandrare.com/michigan/209mi.jpg
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1183042818

Note that the pics related to the Exhibition are just renderings, and the actual construction could have been much different.

Judging by this link, it does NOT appear to be Electric Park
http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?id=305&Type=2

Thats all I can think of.

That's a very good guess, but the dates don't line up. The International Exposition was 1894-96, and the Michigan State Fair left the Delray site for the familiar Woodward fairgrounds in 1905. The first Detroit Electric wasn't produced until 1907.

A picture of the actually built 1894 International Exposition building:

**MikeM** · April-23-12, 03:45 PM

Although the factory location is correct, I think the building in the photo is mislabeled. Robert Szudarek's "How Detroit Became the Automotive Capital" has the same picture on page 143. The caption reads:

Charging Station "A" [[B and C were in other parts of the city) was located on Woodward Avenue. It was 192 feet x 90 feet, with two floors. Over 100 cars could be charged at once. After washing, polishing, and checking every mechanical device, a "chaser" [[as he was known in the vernacular of the electric garage) donned a pair of white gloves so that any grease or perspiration on his hands would not dirty the controller or steering lever, and delivered vehicles to their owners.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-23-12, 03:46 PM

If you notice, there are a lot of other buildings too, perhaps what is shown is one of the other buildings? Just because the Fairgrounds moved does not mean that the area was abandoned, other uses could have come into play afterwards.

But you are right, it is just a guess based upon what I know. I was not around at the turn of the last century!

**EastsideAl** · April-23-12, 06:42 PM

Figured it out. MikeM's tip was the one that did the trick.

The picture is indeed of a charging station and showroom that was on the west side of Woodward between Parsons and Selden. I'd long known about the still-standing Detroit Electric charging station on Grand Blvd. near Belle Isle, since my family is from the neighborhood and I went to school just a couple of blocks away. In fact, that's what began this project. But for some reason it hadn't occurred to me that there might be pictures of other such stations in the city.

So, the mystery building is the Westminster Presbyterian Church. The picture below is from when the church was nearly brand new in 1883, and it shows some of the architectural features also visible in the Detroit Electric picture. In 1919 the church was torn down to its foundations and a new building was hurriedly constructed upon them. That new building? ...Orchestra Hall.