Need help: 1915 contractor or architect?

**buildingsofdetroit** · July-27-10, 05:40 PM

Found this photo of the Tuller from 1915 [[the Statler is just wrapping up construction at left) and you can see the finishing touches being put on the Tuller's southern wing. Now, one of the mysteries of the Tuller is no one knows who built the first two wings. But if you zoom in on this photo, you can see the name James L. Stuart on the Tuller. I'm betting this is the construction firm, but you never know. Anyone have a 1915 directory to see whether Stuart was a contractor or an architect?

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...art=;resnum=12

**gazhekwe** · July-27-10, 05:51 PM

James L. Stuart was the contractor, of Pittsburgh, PA. He also built Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, completed in 1913.

His home was featured in a 2003 home tour:

James L. Stuart House: Featured in a 1906 issue of Pittsburgh Builder, a monthly journal published from 1904 to 1919 spotlighting regional architecture, this Colonial Revival home was designed for James Lyall Stuart by Pittsburgh architects Joseph Ladd Neal and George M. Rowland. The house was noted in a 1970s survey by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation as an "integral part of a group of similar eclectic houses which document the mien of a wealthy, turn-of-the-century suburban environment."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_131115.html

**buildingsofdetroit** · July-27-10, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

James L. Stuart was the contractor, of Pittsburgh, PA. He also built Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, completed in 1913.

His home was featured in a 2003 home tour:

James L. Stuart House: Featured in a 1906 issue of Pittsburgh Builder, a monthly journal published from 1904 to 1919 spotlighting regional architecture, this Colonial Revival home was designed for James Lyall Stuart by Pittsburgh architects Joseph Ladd Neal and George M. Rowland. The house was noted in a 1970s survey by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation as an "integral part of a group of similar eclectic houses which document the mien of a wealthy, turn-of-the-century suburban environment."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_131115.html

Dag nabbit. The hunt for the Tuller architects continues. Thanks for the interesting info, though, Gaz.

**Ray1936** · July-27-10, 06:34 PM

Great photo also -- if energy-inefficient with all those old double-hung sash windows.

**gazhekwe** · July-27-10, 06:49 PM

Those windows were still in and operable in about 1962? I think it was. I stayed there with my dad during the Republican convention. There was a fire that night, but no alarm was raised. We could smell the smoke and hang out the eleventh floor window to see several fire trucks in the street below. A call to the desk elicited the information that it was nothing serious. As you can see, we survived the night, so it must not have been too serious, though smelly and scary to a couple of Yoopers.

**Kathleen** · July-27-10, 07:00 PM

Amazing photo!!! Thanks for posting it. I love seeing what is still standing and what was there prior to today's vintage buildings.

**gnome** · July-27-10, 07:46 PM

It was always my understanding that Mr. Tuller fashioned himself an architect and that he only used draftsmen to wrist out the details. That may explain the funkiness between the original building and the addition you see in the wsu pic. IIRC there was a slight dip in elevation between the two, demonstated by a rather awkward ramp connecting the southern and northern floors.

**carlscomputers** · July-27-10, 07:55 PM

Might go down to Burton this week, will see what I can find if you haven't found info yet...

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

Found this photo of the Tuller from 1915 [[the Statler is just wrapping up construction at left) and you can see the finishing touches being put on the Tuller's southern wing. Now, one of the mysteries of the Tuller is no one knows who built the first two wings. But if you zoom in on this photo, you can see the name James L. Stuart on the Tuller. I'm betting this is the construction firm, but you never know. Anyone have a 1915 directory to see whether Stuart was a contractor or an architect?

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...art=;resnum=12

**Whitehouse** · July-27-10, 07:58 PM

What's that??

Recycling of a horse carriage??

**Hamtragedy** · July-27-10, 11:49 PM

Is the Hotel Charlevoix [[to the right of the Tuller) still standing? There is a similar building there today.

**Gsgeorge** · July-28-10, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

What's that??

Recycling of a horse carriage??

It's amazing is what it is. I am stunned by the density of old Detroit, and how there is now nothing but parking lots in the majority of this photo. Where there was once a dense, chaotic pure urban mess... Now just a sea of disparate lots, guarded against each other by a mess of aluminum fences. Look at the mix of house styles, the smaller buildings in this photo... Those things make a city pulse and vibrate. It's a shame we've lost so much of that. This photo to me is the image of a "quintessential American city".

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Is the Hotel Charlevoix [[to the right of the Tuller) still standing? There is a similar building there today.

Yep, tall and... well, not so proud. It is the beat-up tower across from Park Bar & Cliff Bells, and is one of Detroit's oldest skyscrapers, built in 1905. Its staircase is missing and the homeless and vagrant around here seem to think that this building is an outhouse.

**Magnatomicflux** · July-28-10, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

What's that??

Recycling of a horse carriage??

Sure look like the cab of an Omni-bus to me Whitehouse I think you're right.
Seems like it's being used in a work related way....maybe a bus service is run out of this home. Anybody got a listing for this residence and what it was used for?

**English** · July-28-10, 01:45 AM

There was a Tuller street in my old neighborhood. It's interesting to know more about another person who shaped the Detroit of old. Thanks for this.

**Downtown Dave** · July-28-10, 09:20 AM

That looks a lot like the "Owl Night Lunch" wagon now located inside Greenfield Village, next to the Ford/Model T ride exhibit. This wagon was a fast food stop for the era. And this IS a fascinating photo.

**EastsideAl** · July-28-10, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Downtown Dave

That looks a lot like the "Owl Night Lunch" wagon now located inside Greenfield Village, next to the Ford/Model T ride exhibit. This wagon was a fast food stop for the era. And this IS a fascinating photo.

Agreed. I think it's an old fashioned lunch wagon. Photos from this era and earlier of Detroit and many other cities will reveal these, usually near where there were lots of working men. They would be pulled in by horses and temporarily parked, often on a daily basis. So, perhaps this one was parked here for all of the nearby construction workers.

They often had a few stools in the cramped interior and a window for street service. These were like a combination of the later 'roach coach' catering trucks and diners, before diners existed.

Here is the one in Greenfield Village mentioned by Downtown Dave. According to the Village it was parked outside the Edison company at Michigan and Griswold every night for the night shift workers there. You'll note the stairs to get inside and the take-out window in the back are very similar to the details in the Tuller picture.

At this link one can be seen in an old Detroit photo of some torn-up railroad tracks:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...%5DDPA5171.TIF

**renf** · July-28-10, 08:02 PM

The Hotel Charlovoix still stands in the Park Avenue Historic District
and awaits renewal.

http://www.detroit1701.org/Hotel%20Charlevoix.html

**buildingsofdetroit** · July-29-10, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by renf

The Hotel Charlovoix still stands in the Park Avenue Historic District
and awaits renewal.

http://www.detroit1701.org/Hotel%20Charlevoix.html

More like it awaits a visit from the unfriendly folks at Adamo. Sad, but the building's prospects are minimal at best.

Just spent four hours today at the Burton poring over 1905 and 1914 building permits. Sadly, no architect info. The permit was pulled by Lew Tuller himself - but that doesn't mean he's the architect. Permits were also pulled by the builders and the owners. The next step might be going over page after page in the real estate section around the date the permit was pulled to see whether - by God's good graces - an architect is listed in the announcement.

If you'd like to play at home, and help me from losing my mind, Lew Tuller pulled the permit for the original 1906 Tuller Hotel on May 31, 1905. Address was 17-31 Park Ave. [[remember, this was before the addresses were renumbered).
The second building permit, for the five-story addition to the original building, was pulled July 20, 1909, by [[Sweet) Lew.
I do know the architect of the last addition, in 1923, was William H. Adams, but that doesn't do much good as this was the least significant addition of the three.

It's still in rough draft form and will grow as I continue to add more to it, but here's what I've got on the Tuller so far, if interested: http://www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/tuller

**Kathleen** · July-29-10, 05:50 PM

I'm still amazed at this photo!!! Look at all those little houses that were replaced by some of the Park Ave buildings we know today...or by buildings now torn down...and maybe some of the houses were simply torn down and nothing was ever built on the site since those new buildings needed parking for residents or employees or visitors.

Trying to see if the Hotel Vermont is one of the buildings seen above the Fine Arts Buildings on the right of the photo. http://brnation.d2sector.net/ue/detr...l_vermont.html

Stosh · July-29-10, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

More like it awaits a visit from the unfriendly folks at Adamo. Sad, but the building's prospects are minimal at best.

Just spent four hours today at the Burton poring over 1905 and 1914 building permits. Sadly, no architect info. The permit was pulled by Lew Tuller himself - but that doesn't mean he's the architect. Permits were also pulled by the builders and the owners. The next step might be going over page after page in the real estate section around the date the permit was pulled to see whether - by God's good graces - an architect is listed in the announcement.

If you'd like to play at home, and help me from losing my mind, Lew Tuller pulled the permit for the original 1906 Tuller Hotel on May 31, 1905. Address was 17-31 Park Ave. [[remember, this was before the addresses were renumbered).
The second building permit, for the five-story addition to the original building, was pulled July 20, 1909, by [[Sweet) Lew.
I do know the architect of the last addition, in 1923, was William H. Adams, but that doesn't do much good as this was the least significant addition of the three.

It's still in rough draft form and will grow as I continue to add more to it, but here's what I've got on the Tuller so far, if interested: http://www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/tuller

I suppose that I could have saved you the four hours.
Attachment 7017

I suppose that L. W. Tuller deserves his due.

Domestic Engineering 1915

http://books.google.com/books?id=ga3...hitect&f=false

**EastsideAl** · July-30-10, 12:55 AM

Ladies and gentleman, may I present The Little Pontchartrain:

**Gistok** · July-30-10, 01:06 AM

Interesting to still see the 7 story Hurley Hospital Building, between the Kales and Fine Arts Building. It's been gone at least since the 50s, replaced by a parking lot.

Also, I wish I could remember where I saw the postcard of the church that was torn down to build the newer half of the Tuller, as well as the United Artists Building along Bagley.

**Magnatomicflux** · July-30-10, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Ladies and gentleman, may I present The Little Pontchartrain:

Now that is the exact same style as the one in the photo, nice find.
I love the quality of these old pictures. What do you suppose powers that lightbulb in there?

**Krawlspace** · July-30-10, 09:36 AM

I don't mean to threadjack, but as this thread will draw some Tuller enthusiasts, I was hoping someone might be able to help me out. I have four sconces from the Tuller's Arabian Room. I have only been able to acquire the not too uncommon linen postcard showing the sconces, but I am hoping to find a photograph. I took the liberty of lifting an image of the card from buildingsofdetroit. I hope you don't mind, but I didn't have a scanned image handy. I have circled the sconces in question. Thanks!

**buildingsofdetroit** · July-30-10, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Also, I wish I could remember where I saw the postcard of the church that was torn down to build the newer half of the Tuller, as well as the United Artists Building along Bagley.

I've got several, Gistok. Give me a few and I'll put them up.

As for Tuller being the architect, that is possible, I guess. The ad above hints that Tuller did the 1914 addition - given the year of the ad. If he did the second, he likely did the original 1906 building - but it makes you wonder why they looked so different.

**esp1986** · July-30-10, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

I've got several, Gistok. Give me a few and I'll put them up.

As for Tuller being the architect, that is possible, I guess. The ad above hints that Tuller did the 1914 addition - given the year of the ad. If he did the second, he likely did the original 1906 building - but it makes you wonder why they looked so different.

With a building as unique as the original part of the Tuller, it makes you wonder if they really couldn't find a way to have any sort of continuity by adding on... without making the building look even stranger...