For today’s Photo Du Jour, we’re off to lovely Highland Park.
At the intersection of Hamilton & Oakman is this massive industrial building.
While a giant factory isn’t usually too exciting, the front entrace to this one is outstanding. Art Deco/Moderne elements are visible on this facade. So now it is an automotive parts distribution warehouse, but what is the history of this site?
The 1925 map, shows the site mostly unoccupied, except for the Detroit United Railway, Highland Park Shops. To the south the property was buffered by a row of houses, and Isabelle Avenue.
The 1950 map, shows the factory as being that of the Ex-cell-o corporation. It looks like the Railway Shops were incorporated into the new building. The map also states the building was erected in 1942. Note the pink/red box at the south end of the property was reserved for Street Car Right of Way. The buffer of houses was still there, however Isabelle Ave. had become Labelle Avenue.
Today Labell doesn’t exisit as Manchester Parkway buts up to the south end of the property, the houses long gone.
You want Art Deco? Dig up an old picture of the entrance to the Chrysler Institute of Engineering. THAT was Art Deco (or at least in my memory……)
This reminded me of something I wanted to ask – apologies if you already covered it. In an old Detroit history I have, there are pictures of the Detroit World Fair from something around the 1890s I’d guess (perhaps earlier). From the pictures it looks to be sited on the land between Fort Wayne and Zug island between the new LaFarge silos and Jefferson. I’ve been there a few times recently trying to find any evidence – and the land is mostly bare now so foundation posts should be detectable. But haven’t seen anything – do you have something on the location and the history?