Ford Building Celebrates 100 Years

[Meddle]

Posted: Oct. 31, 2009

STILL STANDING TALL
Ford Building in Detroit approaches 100th year

BY JOHN GALLAGHER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Famed lawyer Clarence Darrow rented an office there once while defending Ossian Sweet in 1925 in one of Detroit's most-famous trials. Darrow was just one of many tenants, famous or not, who occupied downtown Detroit's Ford Building over the years.

One of Detroit's earliest skyscrapers, the 19-story Ford Building, at 615 Griswold St., is to celebrate its 100th anniversary on Nov. 12 with a reception and party.

Chicago architect Daniel Burnham designed the Ford Building. He created a modern office building but faced it with white terra-cotta accented with white Italian marble for a more classical look and decorated it with neo-Renaissance flourishes.

Overshadowed in the downtown office market by more famous buildings like the Guardian and the Renaissance Center, the Ford Building continues to operate today as it always has, as the office home of small law firms and other downtown tenants.

Tom Paglia, the building's owner for the past 18 years, bought the building for $1.35 million at an auction in 1991. Since that day, he said this week, he has watched downtown add casinos, stadiums, restaurants and lofts, evolving from a workplace to more of an entertainment center. But his building has endured despite a brutal slump in the downtown office market, which suffers the highest vacancy rates in the region.

"The building has been successful because of its ability to provide necessary services for its tenants," Paglia said this week. "We strive to make service our primary goal here, and we feel that's what will attract and keep tenants here."

Contact JOHN GALLAGHER: 313-222-5173 or gallagher@freepress.com

http://freep.com/article/20091031/BU...hes-100th-year

[d.mcc]

Tear that schitt down!

[buildingsofdetroit]

Truly an underappreciated skyscraper. It's just too bad that Burnham's first skyscraper in the city - the Majestic Building - wasn't saved instead: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/majestic

[Lorax]

Remember when Sanders had a branch on the ground floor of the Ford Bldg?

[davewindsor]

Interesting. I overlooked this building in the past and googled the webpage and its website says it was Detroit's first skyscraper http://www.fordbuilding.com/Ford_Building/Welcome.html

I also always thought it housed, or at least once housed, the Ford Motor Company's offices or had some relation to Henry Ford, but it was named after the Edward Ford Plate Glass Company who had no relation to Henry Ford.

[buildingsofdetroit]

Interesting. I overlooked this building in the past and googled the webpage and its website says it was Detroit's first skyscraper http://www.fordbuilding.com/Ford_Building/Welcome.html

I also always thought it housed, or at least once housed, the Ford Motor Company's offices or had some relation to Henry Ford, but it was named after the Edward Ford Plate Glass Company who had no relation to Henry Ford.

It was not Detroit's first skyscraper. Wasn't even the second.
First was the Hammond Building: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/hammond
Second was the Majestic Building: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/majestic

[softailrider]

Remember when Sanders had a branch on the ground floor of the Ford Bldg?

I think there's a Sanders on street level there or the Penobscot Building next door.

[EastSider]

It was not Detroit's first skyscraper. Wasn't even the second.
First was the Hammond Building: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/hammond
Second was the Majestic Building: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/majestic

Considering neither of those buildings exist any longer, Tom is probably taking artistic license with the "first" designation. "Among Detroit's existing skyscrapers, it's the first" maybe the more accurate, but is it more marketable?

[buildingsofdetroit]

Considering neither of those buildings exist any longer, Tom is probably taking artistic license with the "first" designation. "Among Detroit's existing skyscrapers, it's the first" maybe the more accurate, but is it more marketable?

I think saying it's the oldest would work.

[313WX]

I think there's a Sanders on street level there or the Penobscot Building next door.

Well it's not an authentic Sanders Ice Cream Parlor, just a Party Store that distributes Sander's Ice Cream.

[DetroitPlanner]

Well it's not an authentic Sanders Ice Cream Parlor, just a Party Store that distributes Sander's Ice Cream.

The store is in the location of one of the last original Sander's stores. The Store was large enough to encompass not only the convienience store, but the Salon and the Mr. Pita behind it. I'm pretty sure this store was open until the late 1980's.

This is one of the few buildings in the City that has strong retail due to its walk-by traffic. It has inviting and open windows to display things and has seemed to never had any issues in filling vacancies.

[Maxine1958]

Remember when Sanders had a branch on the ground floor of the Ford Bldg?

I do indeed remember that Sanders store. I worked in the Sanders store right on Woodward next to the First Federal Bldg for a few years in the late 70's. I often traveled between the two stores to trade or exchange merchandise.

I'll have to take a walk over there since I'm working downtown again.

So many memories . . .

[buildingsofdetroit]

I think saying it's the oldest would work.

Actually, it's not even the oldest surviving skyscraper. The old Chamber of Commerce Building [[aka United Way Community Services Building) was built in 1895. It would be the oldest - and the city's second skyscraper.

[rb336]

Interesting. I overlooked this building in the past and googled the webpage and its website says it was Detroit's first skyscraper http://www.fordbuilding.com/Ford_Building/Welcome.html

nope, it says "oldest"

hard to think of the 10-story Hammond as a skyscraper

ok, the flier says "first"

[ghettopalmetto]

The Ford Building is 100 years old? How did such an antiquated dinosaur escape notice of the DEGC? All these old buildings are getting in the way of the rebirth of Detroit.

Tear that schitt down!!!

[Motor City Sam]

A few years ago, I worked for a company with offices there. I always loved that building, and thought it got overlooked when the conversations turned to historic structures downtown.

Detroit Planner makes a good point about the inviting look of the first floor retails operations.

[buildingsofdetroit]

nope, it says "oldest"

hard to think of the 10-story Hammond as a skyscraper

ok, the flier says "first"

Hammond in 1889 is considered the first for many reasons, not least of which was its steel-framed construction. While 10 stories might not seem like a lot now, it was then.
The Chamber of Commerce Building on Capitol Park was second at 1895. Now, it doesn't look ANYTHING like it used to, so you COULD make the argument that the Ford is the oldest-most-preserved skyscraper, but ...
Majestic Building was third in 1896. Much more of a skyscraper as we view them today, at 14 stories.
The Ford didn't come till 1909.
So in short, even if you didn't want to not count the Hammond, the Ford wouldn't be the first.

[davewindsor]

nope, it says "oldest"

hard to think of the 10-story Hammond as a skyscraper

ok, the flier says "first"

Hmmm, I could have sworn it used to say the "first" a couple days ago. Now it says the "oldest".

[Meddle]

hard to think of the 10-story Hammond as a skyscraper

I would say the same about a 19 story building now. But this is now, that was then.

[buildingsofdetroit]

Hmmm, I could have sworn it used to say the "first" a couple days ago. Now it says the "oldest".

It's not the oldest, either. It's the second oldest surviving skyscraper in the city.