Intrigued by this building

**kraig** · May-20-10, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

This building has been empty for a very long time. Back in the late '60s a good friend of ours looked into putting a restaurant in there, since it was so close to the the then extremely popular Joe Muer's [[yes, people used to line up out the door and down the street at Muer's). But even then the price being asked was ridiculously prohibitive, so he decided instead to open a place near Wayne. A place that later became highly popular under subsequent owners.

I vaguely remember some type of non-profit or community group operating out of there in the Mid 90's.

**Kathleen** · May-20-10, 04:31 PM

Architect Edward Van Leyen

In the 1920s, was part of the firm Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough

I'm aware of three Catholic churches that they designed:
St. Thomas the Apostle 1924
Nativity of Our Lord 1925
St. Rose of Lima 1927

**Ray1936** · May-20-10, 05:42 PM

Here's a look at the place in 1919. Most of those guys walked beats back then. The call boxes in the precinct had a green "recall" light atop them, and if a beat man saw the light aglow, he responded to take a call to a request for service somewhere. No radios then, not many cars.

**Whitehouse** · May-21-10, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Krawlspace

ca. 1950
http://bit.ly/9JYj1n

Was there a death in the force? The flag is flying half-mast. Also nice to know that the flagpole is indeed an original feature there. In Google streetview the place was still occupied. Old Glory was in top.
From the general appearance it looks like it's been well maintained, although the balcony above the front entrance has disappeared.

This is also quite rare. This very building has it's own wikipedia page! It was added to the NRHP in 1980! So the claim by the seller that this is a historic building is valid.

Great detail on the wall.

DetroitDad · May-21-10, 07:45 PM

Click here for the correct Google street view.

**Whitehouse** · May-21-10, 08:55 PM

Somehow I have to hand it the Henry Ford that he helped save some key buildings whcn he moved the to Greenfield Village. And maybe this building should have been moved there as well. It seems so desolate in the wilderness over there....

**mikefmich** · May-21-10, 11:18 PM

Ray1936, what side of town did you serve on?

**Wintersmommy** · May-21-10, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Somehow I have to hand it the Henry Ford that he helped save some key buildings whcn he moved the to Greenfield Village. And maybe this building should have been moved there as well. It seems so desolate in the wilderness over there....

That is an outstanding idea..and really the Village is lacking any buildings related to the police or firefighters, they have the fire wagons inside the Henry Ford but no buildings that I am aware of in the Village

**Ray1936** · May-22-10, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by mikefmich

Ray1936, what side of town did you serve on?

Well, I was a west-sider, but served mostly everything inside the Boulevard, east and west.

**mikefmich** · May-22-10, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Well, I was a west-sider, but served mostly everything inside the Boulevard, east and west.

Ahh, so the core city area. Hmmm. My memory isn't what it used to be, I've gotten bad bringing up names. Assuming you're born in '36.....your old enough to remember some old-timers. Lot of the boys I knew stayed in their blues.

One guy sticks out...I can remember his first name, and his partners last name, they worked the Sheraton Cadillac during their twilight years. The first name guy was at my wedding, the last name guys son was at my wedding 'cause I worked with him. 1970-1973 era.

Ted....lean tall guy.....very tall. Goofy.....great sense of humour. He always made sure my wifes car was ok out front. She owned a shop inside.

Tanona was the last name guy. Quiet, a little gruff at times.

Ted is likely gone now but...if he wasn't and still had his memory, I would surely buy him a beer my next pass thru town.

I'd send you a pm but not sure how to do it on here yet.

**Brock7** · November-03-10, 09:57 AM

Just came across this photo of an earlier crew with a better view of the cop gargoyles on the capitals if you download the largest size. I'm surprised to see at least one black officer and possibly a couple of others at this early a date.

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...%5DDPA5068.TIF

Can anyone decipher the three monograms above the entrance? They are shown clearly in this photo linked by Krawlspace http://bit.ly/auuCWi [[it must be earlier than 1930 as the streets are dirt and there are hitching posts all around the corner)

**Detroitnerd** · November-03-10, 10:20 AM

Wow, that building had a beautiful balustrade. It doesn't look the same without it.

**MikeM** · November-03-10, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Brock7

Can anyone decipher the three monograms above the entrance? They are shown clearly in this photo linked by Krawlspace http://bit.ly/auuCWi [[it must be earlier than 1930 as the streets are dirt and there are hitching posts all around the corner)

I don't know what's above the center window, but I think the ones on either side are AD and 96, i.e, built in 1896 A.D.

**Wintersmommy** · November-03-10, 12:02 PM

drove by here the other day dropping my freinds daughter off at cheerleading and I have to say I still find it enchanting...

**Islandman** · November-03-10, 01:12 PM

They want $750K for it now.

**Gistok** · November-03-10, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Gary

It's the old Gratiot Ave. DPD precinct, if I'm not mistaken.

There were 2 Gratiot Ave. Precinct Stations... the 3rd [[which is the topic of this discussion), and the old 15th, which was farther north along Gratiot near City Airport. The 15th used to be the station for much of the far east side, until the very distant 5th Precinct on Jefferson/St. Jean took over.

**mikefmich** · November-03-10, 05:20 PM

I was up in Detroit a month ago, did some artsy photos of the place. Beautiful bldg.....I'd turn that into a residence/studio in a NY second if I had the $$.

**Ocean2026** · November-03-10, 05:21 PM

Even $750k is totally unreasonable even if its the best Detroit Neighborhood. It is a nice bldg though.

**mikefmich** · November-03-10, 05:27 PM

Do we know who owns it? At 750k....it will sit there until it rots like most other things in the city.

That's at least 2-3 times what it ought bring if sold.

**pgn421** · November-03-10, 06:35 PM

Ray-where is the other police station,on the west side,that looks like the Hunt station.is it on Grand River? I remember driving by it.it seems like the same architecture.

**old guy** · November-04-10, 11:57 AM

I was looking for something else and ran across this link. Scroll half way down and there's a photo and some info about this building. Also a lot of interesting info from Ray.http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1220436215

**Islandman** · November-04-10, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by mikefmich

Do we know who owns it? At 750k....it will sit there until it rots like most other things in the city.

That's at least 2-3 times what it ought bring if sold.

Not sure of the exact owner, but as I thought, some sort of repo business run out of it. They had a For Sale banner on the building with a number. Called it and got some investigator. That's the number he told me.

**Brock7** · November-05-10, 05:42 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

There were 2 Gratiot Ave. Precinct Stations... the 3rd [[which is the topic of this discussion), and the old 15th, which was farther north along Gratiot near City Airport. The 15th used to be the station for much of the far east side, until the very distant 5th Precinct on Jefferson/St. Jean took over.

There was an older, gaslight era station on the ne corner of Russell and Gratiot built in 1873. I haven't checked, but I suppose it's long gone.
1874 http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...%5DDPA3787.TIF
1881 http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...%5DDPA3785.TIF