J.K. Burnham & Co

**Benjamin A. Vazquez, U.E.** · June-03-17, 02:51 PM

I'm working the history of a warehouse in London, and I've come across a newspaper reference which reads, in part...

"The style and design of the new building are to be exactly similar to that of the firm of J.K. Burnham & Co., corner of Woodward and Jefferson avenue, Detroit. Mr. Loyd, the well-known architect, has the plans in preparation, and inside of a couple of weeks they will be submitted to the Messers Birrell for their approval. The building will be built of white and red brick, with stone facings, and will be one of the finest wholesale houses in America."

I'm familiar with Lloyd's work, but I can't find an image anywhere online or in my library of the Burnham warehouse being referenced. I was wondering if anyone here were capable of turning such an image up.

**Benjamin A. Vazquez, U.E.** · June-03-17, 02:53 PM

For what it's worth this: https://www.facebook.com/20945990954...type=3&theater is an image of the building in question, but I'm not absolutely certain it's the same building being referenced in the newspaper article, hence my desire to seen an image of the Detroit building.

**jcole** · June-03-17, 03:29 PM

J.K. Burnham apparently built their new store on Woodward at Jefferson in 1879. I found this and an ad in th 1879 Polk directory; Woodward and Jefferson are vastly different today than back then. In 1902 JK Burnham merged to become Burnham, Stoepel and Co.
Name: jk burnham 1879.JPG
Views: 717
Size: 27.6 KB

Name: jk burnham 1879.JPG
Views: 717
Size: 27.6 KB

This is a bill from 1919 with a drawing of their building. I don't know if it helps, but that's what I can find.

**jcole** · June-03-17, 03:52 PM

The location of the Jefferson and Woodward store was called "The Carpenter Block" according to the Detroit Free Press of 1879 But I haven't been able to find a picture
Name: carp block.JPG
Views: 834
Size: 53.5 KB

Name: carp block.JPG
Views: 834
Size: 53.5 KB

**Neilr** · June-03-17, 04:26 PM

W. Hawkins Ferry, in his The Buildings of Detroit, [[1968), has this picture of the Burnham Building.

Name: Burnham Bldg..jpg
Views: 813
Size: 124.7 KB

**EastsideAl** · June-03-17, 10:37 PM

They didn't stay in that Jefferson & Woodward building all that long. By the late 1890s maps indicate that Burnham Stoepel had moved to a larger home at 19 E. Larned at Bates, which is the building shown on the bill posed by jcole above.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · June-03-17, 11:51 PM

Is the Stoepel of Burnham & Stoepel the one that Stoepel Street was named for?

**EastsideAl** · June-04-17, 12:38 AM

Here is a photo from the the DPL Burton Historical Collection of the west side of Woodward just south of Jefferson circa 1880 showing the JK Burnham Co. building in use. Of course, Hart Plaza is in this location today.

The building appears to have been converted to a hotel sometime before 1920. As shown in the picture from The Buildings of Detroit that Neilr posted above, it was known as the Nelborn Hotel by the 1950s. It appears that the building lasted until all of the buildings south of Jefferson were cleared for the Civic Center redevelopment project in the early 1950s.

**EastsideAl** · June-04-17, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Is the Stoepel of Burnham & Stoepel the one that Stoepel Street was named for?

Yes, and the 2 Stoepel Parks on the west side too. Frederick Stoepel took the money he earned in the dry goods business and invested it in real estate in what was then rural Greenfield and Redford Townships. As the city expanded, the Stoepel family became major developers of the west side.

**Bigb23** · June-04-17, 02:04 AM

Not to detract from the excellent history from Jcole and others, boy, has this sounded familiar for the last hundred years? And not done.?

"The style and design of the new building are to be exactly similar to that of the firm of J.K. Burnham & Co., corner of Woodward and Jefferson avenue, Detroit. Mr. Loyd, the well-known architect, has the plans in preparation, and inside of a couple of weeks they will be submitted to the Messers Birrell for their approval. The building will be built of white and red brick, with stone facings, and will be one of the finest wholesale houses in America."

By the way - excellent photos, more Marine ship photos would be appreciated. Tashmoo anyone ?

Bob-lo has been on the death bed for 30+ years. How about the heyday of Detroit Steamers [[NOT dog/human poop- current slang),

at the turn of the previous century? Harsons Island and the St. Clair Flats used to be the Great Gatsby of our area.

Michigan Thumb News has the best of St. Clair River resorts. Thanks.

**p69rrh51** · June-05-17, 03:37 PM

Two images of the building from the Burton Historical Collection. One from the early 20th century, and the other is circa 1917.

**p69rrh51** · June-05-17, 03:45 PM

The pre-1921 address was 172 Jefferson, the post 1921 address was 1 W. Jefferson.

**Wheels** · June-05-17, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

Two images of the building from the Burton Historical Collection. One from the late 19th century and the other is circa 1917.

What is the Arch next to it in the first picture?

**Jason** · June-05-17, 04:24 PM

I don't know the specifics of that arch, but it looks like a temporary triumphal arch related to WW1.

At the time people liked to build temporary structures and some of them were popular enough to get rebuilt permanently. Washington Square Arch in NYC is an example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_Arch

**p69rrh51** · June-05-17, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

What is the Arch next to it in the first picture?

From the Burton Historical Collection, circa 1910.

Welcome arch for Elks Club convention, Detroit, Michigan.

https://digitalcollections.detroitpu...ndora%3A172077

**Wheels** · June-05-17, 04:44 PM

Thank you I had never heard of or seen that before.

**Benjamin A. Vazquez, U.E.** · June-06-17, 07:26 AM

Many thanks. This is an incredibly quantity of information, and gives me everything I need.
It doesn't, unfortunately, give me everything I want. The building in the photographs is nearly identical to a building here in London which was torn down in the mid-twentieth century. It was located next door to the building I'm working on, and given the vagueness of the description in the newspaper it was always a distinct possibility that it referred to an adjacent address. This means that of the two Lloyd-designed structures here in London in 1950, both of them had been demolished by 1990. Because of course they were.
Many thanks again.

**EastsideAl** · June-06-17, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Thank you I had never heard of or seen that before.

A very large and exuberant arch structure topped by an obelisk was built over that same Woodward-Jefferson intersection for the 25th Anniversary National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic [[Union veterans of the Civil War) in 1891. This was an enormous event at the time, one for which parts of the city were developed or redeveloped, old soldiers were camped out all over the area, huge parades were held, all buildings were decorated, and several triumphal arches were built around the city.