Paige-Detroit and Graham-Paige

[renf]

Frederick Paige began producing cars in Detroit in 1909. A few years later his successful Paige-Detroit firm erected a large brick factory on 21st street, presumably within walking distance of 21st and Vernor Highway. Am I correct in think that none of this plant remains? Almost all of 21st street has been removed.

A large former Graham-Paige plant stands on West Warren near the intersection with Lonyo, a plant that was used by Chrysler for several decades. Was that plant built by Paige-Detroit or was it built after the Graham brothers purchased Paige-Detroit?
Was that Graham-Paige plant designed by Albert Kahn? It has what looks to be a Parducci carving on the front of the office building that faces West Warren.

[LDoolan]

Albert Kahn did do some design work for Graham-Paige.

Here's a couple of references for you... You may have to enlarge the page to read the text, but it's info you're seeking.
http://books.google.com/books?id=AzE...actory&f=false

http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=16

You can also look in the "Old Car Factories" thread in the archives of Detroityes.

I don't know the answer to your first question, however I'm sure someone will come along that does.

[Hornwrecker]

There was a carmaker, Cartercar, at 21st & Baker St in 1905-06[[?), before moving to Pontiac in 1907. There are some photos on page 9 of the OCF thread of that factory. I'm guessing that it might have been the same building for Paige, as there seemed to be a revolving door on many of these buildings and new auto makers taking over from the last maker.

Attachment 7811
This might have been the factory in question. This is the only car factory in my OCF database in that vicinity.

I'll have to do some reading of the book linked above to see if I can verify my speculation.

[MikeM]

I don't know about the 21st Street factory. The one on W Warren was built for Paige before Graham acquired Paige. I think Kahn designed it; if not, then he designed some of the expansions/administration buildings.

[Hornwrecker]

I found a mention in google books, about the incorporation of Paige-Detroit 1909, in vol 24 of the Horseless Age.

The location mentioned on 21st St. is identified as the former Stearns Laboratory building. Now all we have to do is find that.

[EastsideAl]

The Stearns Lab building that was taken over by Paige-Detroit as its first factory was on 21st between Baker [[now Bagley) and Porter, opposite the end of Bristol Pl. The Customs area for trucks crossing the Ambassador Bridge is on that site today. The building was used as a laundry into at least the 1950s.

Paige-Detroit began building the Warren plant in 1913, and moved into it early in 1914.
Here is an Oct. 1913 ad for the upcoming1914 models that features the new plant:
http://www.wcroberts.org/Paige_Histo...913-10-18.html

[LDoolan]

I found a mention in google books, about the incorporation of Paige-Detroit 1909, in vol 24 of the Horseless Age.

The location mentioned on 21st St. is identified as the former Stearns Laboratory building. Now all we have to do is find that.

I'd figure related publications like Automotive Industries would have mention of it as well. I have some old copies of Automotive Industries, Motor Record, Automotive Manufacturer in my collection, but nothing this far back. My main target of interest is 1928-1940.

[renf]

The portrayal of a new factory in the 1914 Paige-Detroit ad does not resemble what now
stands on West Warren near Lonyo. There is a mystery here. I thought that Paige-Detroit
was constructing the West Warren plant in 1927 when the Graham Brothers bought the firm.

[Hornwrecker]

I think that factory pictured in the ad was the one at McKinstry and Fort, with the usual artist's interpretation making it appear grander than it really was.

[MikeM]

Paige-Detroit began building the Warren plant in 1913, and moved into it early in 1914.
Here is an Oct. 1913 ad for the upcoming1914 models that features the new plant:
http://www.wcroberts.org/Paige_Histo...913-10-18.html

Yes, that's the McKinstry Avenue plant.

[Hornwrecker]

Attachment 7812

Attachment 7813
Attachment 7814

Looks like the plans changed since the ad.

[Hornwrecker]

The Stearns Lab building that was taken over by Paige-Detroit as its first factory was on 21st between Baker [[now Bagley) and Porter, opposite the end of Bristol Pl. The Customs area for trucks crossing the Ambassador Bridge is on that site today. The building was used as a laundry into at least the 1950s.

Looks like the same building that I posted above as Cartercar, since it appears to be the only structure this size and number of floors in the 1921 Sanborn maps.

Attachment 7816

Thanks for the laundry info, which helped to nail down another OCF.

[EastsideAl]

Thanks for the correction on that plant information. I totally missed the existence of the Fort-McKinstry factory as having been built as a Paige-Detroit plant.

It appears that the Paige-Detroit #2 factory on Warren was built sometime around 1920 [[although I have seen dates as early as 1914). Here is part of an ad from a Dec. 1920 publication that shows a picture of the Warren facility and identifies Albert Kahn as the architect:



The plant also shows up, apparently somewhat expanded, in the 1924 Sanborn of the area:

[EastsideAl]

From histories of the Paige and Graham-Paige companies, it seems that the Warren facility underwent several expansions. The office building, also a Kahn design, was built around 1925. Another nearby building was built after the company was bought by the Graham brothers.

As I understand it, Graham-Paige also built or acquired a factory out in Wayne too.

A portion of the Warren facility is still standing today, and is apparently being used by Shatila Food Products.

Here is an aerial shot of the Graham-Paige plant from some time in the 1930s:



And here is a Google Maps satellite image of what remains now: