- Detroit City Hall
-
- For the current location of Detroit's City Hall, see Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.
A 1914 postcard depicting Campus Martius, with the old Detroit City Hall in the far left and the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in the far right.
The former Detroit City Hall once stood at the site of the One Kennedy Square building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The former city hall building was constructed in 1861, and finished in 1871. It was demolished in 1961. It stood at 5 stories in height, 4 above-ground, and one basement floor. It was built by Alexander Chapoton of one of the city's oldest French families. The Queen Anne style Alexander Chapoton House (c. 1870) still stands at 511 Beaubien.
The building's former location is along Campus Martius Park, and was bordered by Griswold Street to the west, Michigan Avenue to the north, West Fort Street to the south, and Woodward Avenue to the east.
Design
The Detroit City Hall was designed in the Renaissance revival architectural style (styled in a jumble of Renaissance styles including that of the French and Italian), and was built with mainly stone. The building took 10 years to complete, mostly due to restrictions of material during the Civil War, but much had to do with city politicians fighting over the bids and contracts. The tower was reportedly built very poorly, and was plagued by problems its entire existence.
The building featured sculptures of Fr. Gabriel Richard, Antoine Cadillac, Fr. Jacques Marquette and Sieur de LaSalle created by Julius T. Melchers and John Donaldson. When the building was demolished the statues were saved and moved to the campus of Wayne State University.
-
Marquette
-
Cadillac
-
LaSalle
-
Richard
The clock tower itself featured four, 14-foot stone maidens on its cornice representing justice, industry, art and commerce.
External links
- Google Maps location of the Vintonn Building
- Old Detroit City Hall at Emporis.com
- Old Detroit City Hall at SkyscraperPage.com
City of Detroit Architecture · Culture · Detroit River · Economy · Freeways · Government · History · Historic places · International Riverfront · Media · Music · Neighborhoods · Parks and beaches · People · Skyscrapers · Sports · Theatre · Tourism · Transportation
Coordinates: 42°19′49″N 83°02′44″W / 42.3304°N 83.0455°W
Categories:- History of Detroit, Michigan
- Demolished buildings and structures in the United States
- Destroyed landmarks in the United States
- City halls in Michigan
- Michigan building and structure stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
