Ford Building (Detroit)

The Ford Building is a high-rise office building located at 615 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It stands at the northwest corner of Congress and Griswold Streets, in the heart of Detroit's Financial District. The Penobscot Building abuts the building to the north, and the Guardian Building is southeast across Griswold Street.

Ford Building
General information
TypeCommercial offices
Location615 Griswold Street
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates42.3293°N 83.0464°W / 42.3293; -83.0464
Construction started1907
Completed1908
Height
Roof83.82 m (275.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor countabove ground: 19
below ground: 2
Floor area202,686 sq ft (18,830.1 m2)
Lifts/elevators6
Design and construction
Architect(s)Daniel Burnham
Ford Building
Architectural styleNeo-Classical and
Neo-Renaissance
Part ofDetroit Financial District (ID09001067)
Designated CPDecember 14, 2009
References
[1][2]

Toledo, Ohio, glass manufacturer Edward Ford and his son, John B. Ford, general manager of the Fords' Wyandotte, Michigan, alkali plant, had this building—then Detroit's tallest—constructed as an investment property.[3]

Architecture
Ford Building, circa 1900s

Designed by Daniel Burnham, the building began construction in 1907 and was completed in 1908. It celebrated its 100th year in 2009, and was one of the first to use a steel structural support system. It stands at 23 stories in total height, with two basement floors, 19 above-ground floors, and two penthouses. It held the title as tallest building in Detroit from 1908 until 1913. The Ford Building's primary uses are for offices and retail. Burnham styled it with Neo-Classical and Neo-Renaissance elements. It is constructed with a steel skeleton faced with terra cotta tile and accented with white Italian marble. Burham's other remaining skyscraper designs in Detroit include the David Whitney Building (1915) and the Dime Building (1912).[4]

See also

References
  1. "Emporis building ID 118532". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.
  2. "Ford Building". SkyscraperPage.
  3. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (3/2/1934 - ) (2013–2017). Michigan SP Detroit Financial District. File Unit: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Michigan, 1964 - 2013.
  4. Hill, Eric J.; John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.

Further reading
  • Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Moore, Charles (1921). Daniel H. Burnham, Architect, Planner of Cities, Volume 2. Houghton Mifflin.
  • Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6.
  • Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005). Detroit and Rome: building on the past. Regents of the University of Michigan. ISBN 0-933691-09-2.
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