A Stroll Through Detroit's Financial District

Above: an early Detroit lion from the master Corrado Parducci on the Buhl Building, Wirt Rowland, architect

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, perfect for exploring the embarrassment of architectural riches in Detroit's Financial District. Listed since December on the National Register of Historic Places, the district stretches from Woodward to Washington Boulevard east to west, and from Lafayette to Jefferson north to south. It is made up of thirty-some buildings, from turn-of-the-century to modern day.

The Banker's Trust Company, with its ornate wedding cake decorations, is a particular favorite of mine. It's from 1925, another Wirt Rowland fantasia. He is the architect of the Guardian Building, possibly the most well-known and most incredible of the Financial District's buildings. (not shown here, but easy to find wonderful images on Flickr)

I love the lettering style...I learned that there are three Penobscot Buildings, interconnected. Pictured below is the third and most recent, built 1925-27. For fifty years, it was Detroit's tallest building. Again, Wirt Rowland at work. He and Albert Kahn were busy men in the twenties, responsible for what seems like almost every memorable building in Detroit.

The Theodore Levin Courthouse, with its art deco eagles, built 1932-34, below.

Another personal favorite of mine is the State Savings Bank, also known as the Savoyard Center, and the People's Trust Bank. It is from 1900, designed by McKim, Mead, and White. They were primarily East Coast architects, responsible for an early version of Madison Square Garden, and the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

A Detroit Publishing Company photo of the brand-new building, from the Library of Congress...

The sculpture atop the building, a depiction of Industry and Commerce, with (I think) the state's crest in the center....

An early photo of the bank's interior....

There's so much more to see...

If you want to learn more about the Financial District, the Wikipedia site is a good start. It lists all the buildings, with brief descriptions, and a more detailed history of the area.

For exploring in person, both Preservation Wayne and Inside Detroit have walking tours of the area.

What's your favorite building in this part of town?