Traces

....wandering around Belle Isle's Tudor and tile-roofed maintenance building...built in 1894, designed by George Mason, used as a stable for the workhorses of the island.....the original Belle Isle Zoo was adjacent to this building, and the zoo keeper and his family lived in the 2nd floor of this maintenance complex.....

....hard to tell from this photo, but the bird is faux, part of the decorative metal work....

...this sculptural wonder is to the left of the door above (the right eye bolt is missing)...maybe to hook the doors open?

...and what did this do?

Other notable Detroit buildings by George Mason include the Gem Theatre and the Masonic Temple. Mason recognized the talent of a young Albert Kahn, an apprentice at Mason's firm, and mentored him extensively. Albert Kahn was Mason & Rice's chief designer at the time this maintenance building went up.