From the June 4, 1913 issue of the Evening Record:
WALKERVILLE’S FIRST APARTMENT HOUSE
Realizing the need of an apartment house in Walkerville, Mr. Charles Chilver of Walkerville, has erected one of the most modern and up-to-date structures of its kind in this vicinity. The building is a two-story brick, with basement and will furnish accommodation for 11 families, besides an apartment for a janitor and room for a doctor’s office. It is being erected at a cost of about $18,000, at the corner of Sandwich Street (Riverside) and Victoria Road (Chilver). The interior finish is of Georgia Pine on the Victoria Road side apartments and oak in the apartments on the Sandwich Street side. The apartments will contain five and six large rooms. The new building will be known as the Grier apartments.
I looked high and low though my files, but couldn’t come up with a decent photo of the place. Looks like the best one I have is this shot taken from a boat on the river a few years ago… Humm…
Here’s an aerial view.
The building was designed by Smith & Walker Architects. This is the only building that I have credited to them in my files. There is a listing for an E. S. Walker (later directories show an Irwin S. Walker, Architect so E.S. Walker may be a typo), as having designed the Lincoln Road United Church in 1915. I wonder if it was the same guy…
The 1923 Directory lists the following tenants in the Riverside Dr. building:
39-41 Sandwich St. Wallkerville – Grier Apartments:
39: Chilver, C.H.
Charles H. Chilver – President, Chilver Land Company (and the namesake of Chilver Road)
39a: Wollring, F.E.
Fred E. Wollring – Works, Ford Motor Company
41: Bunnell, Mortimer
Mortimer Bunnell – Foreman, Pere Marquette Railway
41a: Beers, P.M.
Philip M. Beers – Assistant Purchasing Agent, Fisher Body Company
43: McGregor, D.M.
David M. McGregor – No occupation listed.
43a: Kerr, E.R.
Edward R. Kerr – Vice President, Kerr Engine Works (Kerr Engine Works was discussed briefly in this post)
At one time the building was pretty swanky. It’s still in great shape on the inside. Regular reader and poster “ME” spent several years living in the Grier.
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True story.
Is there any old building in Windsor and Detroit that doesn't have rumour of the Purple Gang? :)
When the Peabody Bridge was around, the view from it looked in the the 2nd floor, quite close too -- was a very big city moment, in a sort of NYC El kind of way (Elevated Subway).
Wow that was one hell of a cornerstone. Even a modest lift truck can handle 3500 lbs or so. Too bad it got buried. I'm sure you've given a few of us some ideas. ;)
Haha, wouldnt that be something? The vacant property was used for a while as a parking lot for all of the unsold Chrysler Pacificas, there were hundreds of them, and a private security force was standing guard, complete with watch dogs patrolling near the fences and razor wire. I walked by every morning on my way to work and eventually the dogs got to know me so well that they would wag their tails and run to the fence when they'd see me coming up Edna : ) Some big mean guard dogs they were : )
And they just dont make cornerstones like that anymore, John