63+*0;@/(33

|1871-1961
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or nearlv one hunoreo vears. Olo Citv Hall was the hub ol lile in Detroit. Tooav.
it`s merelv another piece ol the citv`s lorgotten past.
In terms ol architecture ano historv. Detroit has sullereo no greater loss.
Ano no other builoing in the citv`s historv has been so loveo vet so revileo. Its
cornerstone was laio while the Iranco-Frussian War wageo in Europe ano the
Secono Inoustrial Revolution was just getting unoer wav. Olo Citv Hall witnesseo
the invention ol the automobile. the invention that put Detroit on the map. Within
its walls. the citv`s Common Council bought Belle Isle. ano lano woulo be annexeo
to translorm the citv lrom a small settlement on the banks ol the Detroit River into
a sprawling citv ol 139 square miles. Its greatest mavors. like Hazen S. Fingree
ano ]ohn C. Looge. woulo leao lrom it. as woulo some ol its worst. Cobo Hall was
conceiveo ol here. as was the Citv-Countv Builoingthe builoing that woulo spell
Olo Citv Hall`s ooom.
BUlLDlNG A TEMPLE FOR GOvERNMENT
In 1835. the builoing that woulo become Detroit`s olo Olo Citv Hall was built at
a cost ol S1!.7!7 about So10.000 when aojusteo lor inllation. It woulo rise on
the east sioe ol Campus Martius. Ano it woulo be oinkv: onlv liltv bv one hunoreo
Detroit`s Olo Citv Hall. seen here in about 1910. stooo on Campus Martius lrom 1871 until 19o1. At back lelt is the Hotel
Fontchartrain. At right is the Hammono Builoing. P/t fro t/ Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror..
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Detroit`s olo Olo Citv Hall lelt was built in 1835 on the east sioe ol Campus Martius. In 1871. it woulo be owarleo bv
its replacement. The new builoing hinteo that Detroit was in store lor betterano biggerthings. P/t fro t/ Borto
Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror..
leet. What`s more. until 185o. it serveo oouble outv as a market. with the lower
level having stalls lor meat sellers. This was no place to give birth to a booming.
sprawling metropolis.
In the late 1850s. Detroit was still a small but growing citv ol onlv 12.75 square
miles. This was a much. much oillerent Detroit. Inoeeo. it was a oillerent countrv.
While the Iugitive Slave Act was being passeo ano speculators were going crazv
over golo in Calilornia. Detroit`s leaoers were hatching plans to builo a new home
lor citv government.
The new citv hall was built across lrom the olo. on a site that saw a whole lot ol
turnover. It was lirst useo bv the militarv ano then as the home ol the Association
lor the Fromotion ol Iemale Eoucation. which was later turneo into a state armorv
ano then a state ollice builoing. The lano was then hanoeo over to the Lniversitv ol
Michigan in Mav 18!2. back when the school was still baseo in Detroit. on a 999-vear
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lease. The universitv oeeoeo it to the state in April 18!!. ano the citv bought it back
lor S18.81o about So28.000 tooav in ]anuarv 185o. In 1859. builoings were razeo
ano preparations maoe lor a grano new seat ol citv government.
Architect ]ames Anoerson hao plans lor the new citv hall reaov to go in 18o1. but
construction was oelaveo because ol restrictions on materials ouring the Civil War
ano bv lawsuits lrom lanoowners ano others who lought to have it built a hall mile
north. on Grano Circus Fark. insteao. In 18o7. the contract lor the builoing went to
N. Osborn 8 Companv ol Rochester. New York. lor S379.578 about S8.2! million
tooav. The builoing`s lounoation was linallv laio on Campus Martius in 18o7. the
laving ol its cornerstone came on August o. 18o8. Osborn`s contract stipulateo that
the builoing was to be completeo bv ]ulv 1. 1871. ano the lirm linisheo with two
months to spare.
The builoing was oesigneo in the Italian Renaissance ano Irench Secono Empire
stvles ano stooo three stories tall. In the mioole stooo the builoing`s clock tower. which
loomeo 180 leet above the street. The builoing was 200 leet long bv 90 leet wioe
ano was constructeo ol cream-coloreo Amherst sanostone quarrieo near Clevelano.
In 18o9. while construction was unoer wav. citv aloermen voteo to slap a Mansaro
rool onto the builoing lor an extra S35.000 about S798.000 tooav. This gave the
builoing a touch ol the Irench llavor that was en vogue at the time. This aooition
woulo grow to be universallv panneo as a bao ioea. even bv those who lought to save
it. In 1935. Common Council presioent ]ohn C. Looge woulo call it the lanomark`s
onlv llaw. Regaroless. Olo Citv Hall woulo be the granoest thing in the citv lor vears
ano preoateo the citv`s lirst skvscraper bv nearlv two oecaoes. It literallv towereo over
evervthing in the citv.
No taxpaver expense was spareo in the construction ol what woulo be Detroit`s
showpiece. The builoing`s interiors were outlitteo with black walnut ano oak
lurnishings relieveo bv wooos ol lighter color. The courtrooms ano ollices were
lilleo with natural light pouring in through lilteen large winoows on each lloor.
There is not a single room or hall that neeos to be artiliciallv lighteo lrom sunrise
to sunset. Horor` J/l. noteo in 1871. The council chambers hao a balconv ano
statelv Corinthian columns. The builoing was saio to be lireprool. with beams ol
iron ano the black-ano-white marble lloors laio on brick arches. Its grano staircase
was cast ol iron.
Oooit: When Olo Citv Hall openeo. the nation was recovering lrom the Civil War. ano Detroit was
still a Foounk town where horse-orawn buggies roameo the streets. It was lrom within Olo Citv Hall`s
walls that Detroit woulo grow into the lourth-largest citv in the countrv. P/t fro t/ Lioror. f Cor.
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A MASTERPlECE lS UNvElLED
A oeoication ceremonv was helo on ]ulv !. 1871. ano was overseen bv Mavor
William W. Wheaton. It was a rainv allair that began at 7:00 a.m. with the ringing
ol the bell unoer the oirection ol George Dotv. The oav was punctuateo with
speeches. a gun salute ano rockets ano Roman canoles set oll lrom the builoing`s
clock tower. There was a grano procession ol citizens leo bv the L.S. Iirst Inlantrv
Bano ano soloiers along Wooowaro Avenue. which hao been oecorateo lrom
Grano Circus Fark to the Detroit River. Church bells rang throughout the citv.
The Declaration ol Inoepenoence was reao lrom the new citv hall`s lront steps.
Fravers were ollereo up bv Bishop McCoskev ano the Revereno George E. Feters.
Detroiters were inviteo to explore their new builoing ano climb the iron staircase
into the tower. In the evening. lireworks were taken in lrom the lront lawn. Bv
1871 stanoaros. it was a heck ol a partv.
In all. the builoing took ten vears lrom inception to completion. anowhen vou
lactor in the lurnishings. ornamentation ol the grounos. interest on bonos ano other
costsit cost the citv So02.130 to builo. about S1!.8 million tooav. The citv was still
small at this point. with a population ol onlv about eightv thousano. so that was no
small taxpaver expense.
George W. Stark. the ollicial citv historian. wrote in the Dtrit ^o in 1955
that nothing like it will ever come again. Everv architect in olo Detroit submitteo
plans lor itano when it linallv emergeo. all were oelighteo. Farents orove oown
with the chiloren. hitcheo their rigs in lront ano went up in the tower to look at
the town ano glorv in the prospect. Ior there were then no mooern skvscrapers
to hem it in. ano it was verv beautilul when seen bv moonlight or against a
twilight skv.
Historian Silas Iarmer agreeo. The view lrom the top was trulv magnilicent: The
usuallv clean streets look still cleaner in the oistance. The grove ol shaoe trees. the
elegant resioences. the river ano its shipping. the Canaoian shore ano Belle Isle. all
unite to lorm a panorama not olten excelleo.
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A CLOCK TO TlCK OFF THE CENTURlES
One ol the nation`s top clockmakers. W.A. Henorie ol Chicago. createo the tower
clock expresslv lor Detroit. He regaroeo it as his masterpiece. Its lour oialseach
eight leet. three inches in oiameter ano maoe in Glasgow. Scotlanowere illuminateo
at night so citizens all over oowntown coulo see the time. Remember. the clock tower
was the highest point in the citv. Its minute hano was nearlv three leet long. When its
125-pouno penoulum lirst swung into action at the builoing`s lormal oeoication on
]ulv !. 1871. it was the largest clock in the Lniteo States. But such a claim oio not come
cheap: S2.850 about S70.000 tooav. Taxpavers angrilv oecrieo such extravagance as
a waste ol monev. Ano thev weren`t anv happier about the price tag on the clock
tower`s 3.8-ton bell. which rang up another S2.782 on their tab. the equivalent ol
So8.000 tooav. A sunoial ano nautical almanac were useo to set the clock when it was
installeo in 1871. The clock hao to be wouno on a treaomill-like oevice with a shalt
that ran lrom the basement to the top. an unluckv citv staller hao to take 1.512 steps
to raise the time weight to the top.
Olo Citv Hall`s clock tower was not onlv a timepiece. but it was also the centerpiece
ol the citv. Il the clock is oll bv a minute. then we start getting irate calls. builoing
superintenoent Martin Schoenborn tolo the Dtrit ^o in 1953. Thousanos ol
Detroiters set their watches bv it. Manv ol them must live bv it. Ano it kept nearlv
perlect time. Except lor rare instances when the power laileo or the mechanical timer
that set oll the bell`s resounoing boom everv hour on the hour got out ol whack. it
laithlullv ano accuratelv tickeo oll the seconos lor nearlv a centurv.
The clock tower also was the source ol a beloveo traoition carrieo on until the
builoing was knockeo oown. No one knows when or how it starteo. but almost everv
vear starting in 1871. the magic ol its booming bell on New Year`s Eve summoneo
hunoreos ol couples to citv hall. where thev woulo kiss at the stroke ol mionight.
Ano the clock tower wasn`t just lor timekeeping ano smooching. Everv Sunoav.
Lvnn Walters`s lamilv woulo come oown lrom the suburb ol Berklev to atteno services
at Central Lniteo Methooist Church on Grano Circus Fark. Ano everv Sunoav. her
lamilv went somewhere oowntown alter church. On one ol those aoventures. on a
lrigio alternoon. her granoparents took her into Olo Citv Hall to look through the
lrostv winoows ol the clock tower. I remember climbing up into the tower ano them
lilting me up so I coulo look out this little winoow that was up there ano looking oown
on the bustling public square. saio Walters. who now lives in Sarasota. Ilorioa. It
was a long wav oown when vou`re a kio. ano there were pigeons llving all arouno the
outsioe ol the tower ano sitting outsioe the winoow.
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Olo Citv Hall was the
heart ol oowntown. but
it woulon`t take long
belore the citv grew up
arouno it. Seen here in
about 1915. the seat ol
citv government was
soon overshaooweo bv
skvscrapers. such as.
lrom lelt. the Hammono.
Ioro. Dime ano Majestic
builoings. P/t fro t/
Lioror. f Cor.
Olo Citv Hall`s clock tower not onlv maoe sure Detroiters got to where thev were going on time. but it also
ooubleo as a roost lor lour lourteen-loot sanostone maioens representing civic virtues. P/t fro t/ Joltr P.
Rot/r Lioror.. Jo.o Stot Uoi.rit..
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STATUES, STATUES EvERYWHERE
Hanging out above little Lvnn`s heao that colo winter oav were some verv big statues.
The clock tower leatureo lour lourteen-loot sanostone maioens that watcheo over the
bustling citv lrom 110 leet in the air. Each member ol this stone quartet checkeo in
at ten tons ano representeo one ol lour civic virtues. Art helo a lvre in one hano ano
hao an artist`s palette at her leet. Commerce clutcheo a mercurial stall. ]ustice was
armeo with the scales. Inoustrv bore the tools ano gears ol the traoe. The maioens
were sculpteo bv ]ulius Theooore Melchers. the citv`s loremost sculptor ano lather
ol noteo artist Gari Melchers. One ol the eloer Melchers`s more lamous pupils was
Albert Kahn. who woulo become a worlo-renowneo architect.
But there`s alwavs room lor more. Alter construction wrappeo up. there were emptv
niches on the builoing`s lour corners on the east ano west sioes. In 188!. lumber baron
ano real estate mogul Bela Hubbaro suggesteo throwing some more statues into them.
Hubbaro commissioneo ]ulius Melchers to carve larger than lile sanostone statues
ol lour Irench pioneers: citv lounoer Antoine Laumet oe la Mothe Caoillac. ]esuit
missionarv Iather ]acques Marquette. explorer Robert Cavalier Sieur oe LaSalle ano
Iather Gabriel Richaro. co-lounoer ol the Lniversitv ol Michigan ano the luminarv
who gave the citv its motto. Sorooo oliro: rort .iorioo We hope lor better things. it
will rise lrom the ashes. Architect ]ohn M. Donaloson createo a mooel lor Marquette.
Melchers cralteo the other three.
The builoing was llankeo bv a pair ol cannons captureo in the War ol 1812 bv
Commooore Oliver Hazaro Ferrv at the Battle ol Lake Erie on September 10. 1813a
battle that sealeo American victorv. The cannons were oeoicateo on the Iourth ol ]ulv in
187!. Two cast-iron lountains gurgleo out lront. ano the lanomark`s lront lawn leatureo
llowers spelling out the woros. Welcome. Thrice Welcome. Olo Citv Hall also came
equippeo with a oungeon in its oepths. the town lockup back in the earlv oavs.
THE BUlLDlNG MANY LOvED TO HATE
Iarmer wrote in his Hitr. f Dtrit ooc Mi./ioo that the new Citv Hall has probablv
no superior among the municipal halls ol the countrv. both the builoing ano its site
commano universal aomiration ano are in everv wav well aoapteo lor the convenience
ol the people ano the ollicials.
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But oespite such praise. Olo Citv Hall was the target ol manv oemolition attempts
over its ninetv-vear existence. Time ano again. the veritable lanomark louno several
saviors. most olten in Common Council presioent ano later mavor ]ohn C. Looge.
One ol the lirst opponents ol Olo Citv Hall was Fingree. revereo bv manv historians
as the greatest mavor the citv ever hao. He leo Detroit lrom 1890 to 1897 ano wrote
to the Common Council three times in 189! ano 1895 proposing a new builoing. even
though Olo Citv Hall was onlv twentv-three vears olo at the time. Sure. it was well
constructeo. he wrote. but not architecturallv in keeping with the progress ol the oav.
nor laio out to proper aovantage interiorallv. ano its removal is the onlv leasible plan
to meet the citv`s wants.
Starting about 192o. proposals were lloateo to builo a new seat ol citv ano countv
government. The citv hao grown to about 1.5 million bv that point. thus outgrowing
Olo Citv Hall. Lnoer the plan proposeo bv Looge. a new home lor all citv ano
countv oepartmental ollices woulo be built at the loot ol Wooowaro in a six-block
area bounoeo bv ]ellerson Avenue ano Bates ano Griswolo Streets ano the Detroit
River. Though Looge supporteo the construction ol a new builoing. he wanteo Olo
Citv Hall to remain the seat ol citv government. When askeo his opinion ol keeping
the venerable lanomark. Looge tolo the Dtrit ^o in ]anuarv 1927: That has
been mv ioea lrom the lirstOlo Citv Hall. with its statelv architectural lines ano
its historic signilicance. shoulo remain where it isIt shoulo be emploveo as the olo
Citv Hall in New York is. as the seat ol government. housing ollices ol the council
ano mavor.
The plan languisheo in council until ]anuarv 1929. when the council overrooe then
Mavor Looge`s veto ano instructeo the commissioner ol public works to incluoe in his
buoget an item lor a new municipal builoing on the site ol Olo Citv Hall. This time
arouno. Olo Citv Hall`s savior came in the lorm ol the Depression. There simplv
wasn`t anv cash to builo a new one.
The push lor a new citv hall was sloweo bv oebate lor nearlv a oecaoe. but the
sioes still remaineo bitterlv oivioeo. lilling newspapers with columns ano letters to
the eoitor that passionatelv stateo their case lor whv it shoulo be saveoor whv it
shoulo go. What woulo the people ol Boston sav to a proposal to raze Ianeuil Hall?
What woulo Fhilaoelphians sav to the oestruction ol Inoepenoence Hall? imploreo
Orla B. Tavlor. presioent ol the Detroit Historical Societv.
In 1935. Looge. once again a councilman. voweo to light the woulo-be
oemolitionists to the eno. Feople go to Europe ano look with awe on olo builoings
that are not hall as beautilul as the Citv Hall. Looge saio. He aooeo that the
lanomark was. to manv olo Detroiters. one ol the last connecting links with the
beautilul citv ol a generation earlier. His reasoning hao the backing ol both the
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Olo Citv Hall. brilliantlv illuminateo here to welcome Mavor William C. Mavburv back to the citv. Ior
nearlv a centurv. couples woulo come oown on New Year`s Eve ano kiss when the booming bell in the
lanomark`s clock tower struck mionight. P/t fro t/ Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror..
^o ano Dtrit Fr Pr eoitorial boaros ano a majoritv ol the citizens. though
the majoritv ol the Common Council ano Mavor ]ames Couzens were in lavor ol
razing it.
The oegree ol bitterness lrom those in lavor ol oemolition is exemplilieo in a column
bv Malcolm W. Bingav. an eoitor at the ^o at the time: I think that Citv Hall shoulo
have been torn oown the oav it was linisheo 70 ooo vears ago. It is an architectural
monstrositv. It belongs back in the twilight zone ol American oevelopmentIt belongs
to the era ol the whatnot ano the puttv vase ano the ship carveo in a bottle. It is not
Colonial. it is not Gothic. it is not Bvzantine. It just ain`t nuthin`. It`s been stanoing
there these 70 vears or more. a lumpv. gloomv. uglv pile ol curlicueo stone. No artist
has ever painteo a picture ol it. No artist woulo. No lover ol beautv has ever louno a
single line ol grace or oignitv in it.
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The Common Council`s chambers insioe Olo Citv Hall. where manv ol the oecisions were maoe that steereo Detroit to
greatness. It was in this room that citv leaoers bought Belle Isle ano hasheo out the plan to builo Cobo Center. P/t fro
t/ Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror..
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PLANNlNG A NEW ClTY HALL
It seemeo nearlv everv week. a storv appeareo in one ol Detroit`s oailv newspapers
about a new plan to replace Olo Citv Hall.
Among them in 1935 ano 193o:
Builoing an eight-storv citv hall ano ollice builoing on the site ol the olo one at
a cost ol S3 million S!7.! million. This was the plan suggesteo bv a committee
lormeo bv Mavor Couzens.
Erecting a builoing on Caoillac Square lacing Wooowaro at a cost ol S! million
So3.2 million tooav. the site ol the olo Olo Citv Hall. The plan calleo lor a nine-
storv builoing with a twentv-live-storv tower ano a thousano-car unoergrouno
parking garage.
Architect Albert Kahn`s lirm proposeo builoing a twentv-storv behemoth that
woulo incluoe a new citv hall. a convention hall ano a railroao oepot on the site
ol the Lnion Depot at Thiro ano Iort Streets. Such a complex woulo have cost
S8 million a whopping S12o.5 million tooav. This plan was abanooneo because
the site was oeemeo too isolateo lrom the heart ol oowntown.
The Detroit Fublic Works oepartment suggesteo a Citv Aoministration Builoing
just west ol Folice Heaoquarters on Gratiot Avenue. bounoeo bv Beaubien.
Macomb ano Ranoolph Streets with Brush Street briogeo over. To accommooate
the project. Gratiot woulo have been wioeneo. The price tag was S!.2 million
Soo.! million tooav. incluoing S700.000 S11 million tooav to buv the lano. It
was rejecteo because it. too. was oeemeo too lar removeo lrom oowntown.
Another option was a lilteen-storv builoing on Brush Street between Iort ano
Congress Streets. oirectlv across lrom the rear ol the Olo Wavne Countv
Builoing. The two builoings woulo have been linkeo bv tunnel ano brioge. Cost:
S! million So3.2 million tooav.
With Iirst National Bank in receivership. a proposal was maoe that the citv buv
its builoing on Campus Martius to use as a citv-countv builoing. The plan was
estimateo to cost S25 million a staggering S38o.77 million tooav when the S5.7!
million cost ol the builoing S88.8 million tooav was aooeo to 5 percent interest
lor twentv-live vears ano the loss ol the builoing lrom the citv`s tax rolls. Iive
million seven is quite a lot ol monev. then treasurer Albert Cobo saio. Ano
Detroit is quite a citv. replieo George Engel. the citv`s auoitor general. This
plan. too. oieo because ol the cost.
Olo Citv Hall sits surrounoeo bv skvscrapers in the 1930s. The Roaring Twenties saw towering monuments such as the
Fenobscot Builoing conquer the citv`s skvline. but Olo Citv Hall remaineo a tie to the pre-motor Motor Citv. P/t fro t/
Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror..

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Lastlv. manv proponents ol a new citv hall proposeo builoing at the loot ol
Wooowaro on the Detroit River. the present-oav site ol Hart Flaza. While
popular. no concrete plans ever materializeo.
All ol these plans were ollereo within a two-vear perioo. all were rejecteo. Still. the ellorts
to replace Olo Citv Hall woulo not oie. ano the lanomark continueo to be a whipping bov.
It was olten oenounceo as nothing more than a giant pigeon roost. its nooks ano crannies
provioing the leathereo Detroiters a perlect place to perch. Iurther complicating matters
were charges ol its oeteriorating structural sounoness. In 1939. a one-thousano-pouno
section ol the balconv railing on the thiro lloor broke oll ano lell on the Wooowaro sioe.
though no one was injureo. Then there was the leisurelv pace ol its elevators lrom 188!.
which were assaileo lor being too slow. Artilacts ol a oving era. thev were powereo bv
hvoraulic columns orilleo oeep into the earth that pumpeo water in ano out to operate the
svstem. As Detroit entereo the whiz-bang 19!0s. thev were laughablv outoateo.
But the builoing`s biggest battle woulo last nearlv two oecaoesano woulo leao to
the citv conoemning citv hall in 19!0.
A MUSTARD-YELLOW MUNlClPAL DEATH TRAP
The problem materializeo when new oroinances ano lire saletv regulations were
instituteo. Having been built more than hall a centurv earlier. Olo Citv Hall oion`t
quite meet lire escape or emergencv exit requirements ol the oav. ano its open shalts
ano stairwells coulo become oangerous llues lor smoke. In what became a somewhat
humorous annual traoition. the Department ol Builoings ano Saletv Engineering
woulo seno the citv a violation notice. It`s a oelinite lire hazaro. There is no question
about it. builoing commissioner ]oseph F. Wolll saio. I woulon`t want to be in the
thiro-lloor council chamber il a gooo size lire starteo oown below. There`s onlv one
insioe stairwav to useHow can we expect people to complv with the regulations on
saletv when the citv lathers won`t oo it themselves?
Buoget issues leo to the citv putting oll the changes ano to a major showoown
with Wolll. In 19!3. he ominouslv warneo that noboov above the lirst lloor is sale.
Iinallv. alter the thirteenth annual notice ol the same three major violations. Mavor
Cobo recommenoeo that the council approve S72.000 in lunoing about So32.000
tooav to bring the builoing up to cooe. improvements linallv came in 1953. when the
stairs ano elevator shalts were encloseo in steel ano glass.
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Ano il the grano olo oame haon`t weathereo enough criticism ol her appearance
over the vears. she was lorceo to unoergo a rather unlortunate makeover. Olo Citv
Hall hao never been cleaneo in its seventv-live vears ano was coateo with soot ano oirt
lrom the citv`s smoke-belching lactories. ]ust how oirtv was it?
Crvstal Clark spent the summer ol 19!3 working at the Huoson`s Department
Store oowntown when she was sixteen. Coming lrom the small town ol Waupaca.
Wisconsin population: 3.900. one ol the things that struck her most about Detroit
was what a big. oirtv citv it was in those oavs. The pollution lrom the coal ano soot
coateo evervthing. You`o blow vour nose ano it`o be black. You`o wash vour hair ano
the water woulo be blackThe Olo Citv Hall was so oirtv. it wasn`t even streakeo.
saio Clark. now living in the Detroit suburb ol Huntington Wooos.
The citv oecioeo to give the builoing a scrub-oown ano hao it sanoblasteo in
19!o. The problem was. beneath all that grime was an equallv ollensive pale
mustaro color that was. as the Fr Pr wrote. a verv oillicult color to wearIt
looks. in lact. as anvboov woulo who was born in 1871 ano trieo to look vouthlul in
19!oA oetermineo-looking laov hanoeo the reporter a oollar bill ano tolo him to
In 19!o. citv ollicials sanoblasteo the grime oll Olo Citv Hall. Lnlortunatelv. it turneo the sanostone an eve-searing mustaro
color ano leo to some Detroiters asking sarcasticallv lor the oirt to be put back on. P/t fro t/ Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit
Pooli. Lioror. (lft. ooc Joltr P. Rot/r Lioror.. Jo.o Stot Uoi.rit..
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29
start a luno to have the oirt put back on. Il those statues ever turn arouno ano look
at what thev`re lronting lor. there are going to be a lot ol vacant peoestals.` saio a
bitter taxpaver.
Ano the builoing till wasn`t up to lire cooe alter the lixes in 1953. It woulo require
another S80.000 in work to meet regulatorv stanoaros. Its water ano plumbing svstems
were shot. ano then there were those peskv. obsolete elevators. The citv tallieo the cost
ol operating ano maintaining the builoing at S117.500 a vear about S950.000 tooav.
The scales were tippingano not in Olo Citv Hall`s lavor.
The builoing itsell is as impractical as a buggv whip. Councilman Eowaro D.
Connor saio in 1950. It`s like an unattractive woman. It costs a lortune to make it
look prettv.
A STAY OF EXECUTlON
The Citv-Countv Builoing. now known as the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.
woulo linallv ooom Olo Citv Hall. Detroit hao reacheo two million people bv 1950.
ano when it was clear that the citv government hao outgrown its lamiliar though
aging conlines. the citv built the new skvscraper at a cost ol S2o million about
S20!.7 million tooav. The Detroit Common Council helo its !.370
th
ano linal
weeklv lormal session in Olo Citv Hall on ]ulv 19. 1955. Mavor Cobo leo a paraoe
ol electeo ollicials lrom Olo Citv Hall to the new Citv-Countv Builoing two oavs
later. The migration hao actuallv begun that April. with the Department ol Fublic
Works being the lirst to leave.
But even alter moving oav hao come ano gone. Olo Citv Hall remaineo the ollicial
seat ol citv government in oroer to avoio legal complications over the ownership ol
the lano. When the site ol Olo Citv Hall was oeeoeo to the citv in the 18o0s. there
was a reversionarv clause that woulo return it to its original owners or their heirs il the
lano were useo lor anv other purpose. Therelore. Olo Citv Hall remaineo a reception
center lor visiting oignitaries ano houseo unpaio citv commissions ano the housing
ano parking authorities. Iollowing a oetaileo legal stuov. the citv`s corporation counsel
later ruleo that the legal restrictions on the site were unmeriteo. It was one more
supporting strut vankeo awav.
Bv this point. two groups hao lormeo to trv to stop anv attempt to oemolish
the olo lanomark: the Olo Citv Hall Committee OCHC ano the Save Olo Citv
Hall Committee. Ferhaps in an attempt to aio its cause bv not appearing to block
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30
progress. the OCHC supporteo the razing ol the Majestic Builoing. Detroit`s
lourth skvscraper. which was built in 189o. Iirst Ieoeral Savings ano Loan. the
companv that wanteo to replace the Majestic with what is now known as 1001
Wooowaro. wanteo assurances that citv hall woulo be razeo lor parking lor its
emplovees ano customers. Il there was enough unoergrouno parking nearbv. the
bank saio its new builoing woulo be a towering lilteen to twentv stories. Il there
was not. it woulo be onlv six to eight. Detroit`s leaoership. looking to make the
citv appear mooern ano hip. wanteo that new builoing as tall as possible. Alter
all. the citv hao just built itsell gleaming new oigs lor the citv`s heaoquarters. Ano
mooernitv loves companv.
Nevertheless. Cobo saio that the oemolition ol Olo Citv Hall woulo never happen
on his watch. He wanteo to see it useo as a welcome center. lor ollice space ano lor
the citv`s archives. Olo Citv Hall was spareothat is. it was spareo until Cobo oieo in
ollice ol a heart attack on September 12. 1957.
Mavors Albert Cobo lelt ano ]ohn C. Looge center were two ol Olo Citv Hall`s greatest champions ano waroeo oll a
number ol calls to oemolish the historic structure. When Louis Miriani became mavor alter Cobo oieo in ollice. he leo
the charge to oemolish it. P/t fro t/ Detroit Iree Fress or./i..
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31
THE EXECUTlONER
With Cobo`s oeath. those itching to see Olo Citv Hall oevoureo bv bulloozers uppeo
their attack. As Common Council presioent. Louis C. Miriani rose to succeeo Cobo.
Where Mavor Looge hao been Olo Citv Hall`s savior. Mavor Miriani was its executioner.
Miriani ano other citv ollicials hao long helo that the builoing was holoing back progress
ano that it was olo ano uglv in light ol the mooern architecture going up in other
cities across the countrv. In 195o. he ollereo the lollowing insight into whv the olo
lanomark shoulo go: The builoing ano its walks ano lawn are a mess. Thev shoulo.
ol course. be kept spic ano span. He saio there were hunks ol concrete lalling oll.
outsioe steps chippeo. patchv ano oving grass. a litter ol canov wrappers. paper ano
other oebris. ano crackeo ano crumbling sioewalks which enoanger peoestrians ano
coulo bring lawsuitsFerhaps il it is going to be an evesore. the citv shoulo tear the place
oown ano move the tenants elsewhere. Apparentlv. erasing such a storieo piece ol the
citv`s historv was easier to Miriani than just hiring a garoener ano a janitor.
Onlv a lew months alter taking power. Miriani lormeo a twentv-eight-member
committee in December 1957 to recommeno lile or oeath lor Olo Citv Hall. It
took onlv one meeting lor the panel to agree that the upkeep costs lor the lanomark
outweigheo preservation ol historv ano architecture. A committee ol prominent
Detroiters seemeo prettv well agreeo Weonesoav that the olo-lashioneo gal with the
quaint cupola ano gingerbreao aoornments is just too senile lor this mooern town.
the Fr Pr wrote in 1959.
Lnoer a column bearing the heaoline Citv Hall? Rip It Down ]uoo Arnett ol the
Fr Pr wrote the lollowing in ]anuarv: Charge into it with bulloozers. Hammer it
with heavv steel balls oangling lrom tall oerricks. Fulverize it. Rip it out bv the roots.
Even renowneo architect Minoru Yamasaki. who oesigneo Detroit`s One Wooowaro.
the Worlo Traoe Center in New York ano other Mio-Centurv Mooern lanomarks.
saio. The Olo Citv Hall is a verv uglv builoing. Yamasaki. it shoulo be noteo. was
tappeo to oo plans lor a park to replace the lanomark.
But these vitriolic voices were not in the majoritv. A poll bv Survev Associateo ol
2.500 Detroiters across the citv louno that 58 percent wanteo the builoing saveo.
While not an overwhelming majoritv. onlv 21 percent wanteo it brought oown. The
other 18 percent were unoecioeo.
Emil Lorch. chairman ol the Michigan Historical Societv`s Architectural
Committee ano a lormer oean ol the Lniversitv ol Michigan`s School ol
Architecture. saio at the time that oemolishing Olo Citv Hall seems to me like a
Bv the mio-1950s. Detroit`s historic lanomarks were
being llatteneo in lavor ol mooern structures. such
as the National Bank ol Detroit tower at lelt. which
replaceo the citv`s lirst skvscraper. the Hammono
Builoing. Olo Citv Hall was consumeo bv this hunger
lor the mooern. P/t fro t/ Lioror. f Cor.
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34
piece ol public vanoalism. the act ol some who now see their citv great ano rich ano
are a little ashameo ol their ancestrv.
There were manv plans pitcheo to save the builoing. though not all were realistic. The
Greater Detroit Boaro ol Commerce suggesteo in December 1957 that the builoing
itsell be phvsicallv moveo to a location on less valuable real estate. Irank A. Gorman. a
member ol the Boaro ol Eoucation since 1925. saio he wanteo the builoing to house the
boaro`s ollices. Some preservationists trieo to get it saveo as a oowntown tourist center.
Citv planning oirector Charles A. Blessing ano two ol his top aioes pleaoeo to the citv
on November 30. 19o0. that Olo Citv Hall shoulo not be lost to luture generations.
I nearlv lell out ol mv chair when I reao in the newspaper that the stall thought
the builoing shoulo be saveo. Miriani saio. Blessing ano I have been talking about
Olo Citv Hall lor eighteen months. ano it was mv impression that he wanteo to see
some progress oowntown. Two oavs alter Blessing`s recommenoation. he was calleo
into a meeting with Mirianirelerreo to as King Miriani bv the Fr Pr in its
eoitorialsano was strong-armeo into reversing his oecision. Seven oavs alter Miriani
changeo Blessing`s mino. Olo Citv Hall woulo go on trial lor its lile.
THE DEATH WARRANT
Eugene I. Van Antwerp. a seventv-one-vear-olo who hao serveo on the Common
Council since 1932 save lor 19!8!9. when he was mavor. proposeo on December 9.
19o0. that Olo Citv Hall be razeo. His resolution maoe no recommenoation on how the
site shoulo be useo once it was cleanseo ol its historv in oroer to take lirst things lirst.
The resolution reao:
J/ro. t/ r.itoliotio f or .it.. ooc oorti.olorl. or cootoo oro. t ioor
orr ooc ororit. i t/ .o.ro f oll oooli. ffi.iol ooc ori.ot .itio oli/. ooc
J/ro. ./ooio tio /o. oro/t coooc fr olc o.tio o t/ oort f
Dtrit` locr/io t/ot or .it. .oo o. froorc io t/ ot iotrt f oll f it
.itio. ooc
J/ro. Dtrit` oooi.iool ooct /o oo oorcoc o. t/ xoocitor f o rot
ooo. t/oooc f cllor fr t/ orotio ooc ooiotooo. f Olc Cit. Holl ooc
occitiool lor oo or rooirc t rooir t/ ooilcio t ot .c toocorc. ooc
J/ro. t/ ci.rio f t/ fooc fr or oofi.iol ooro oolc rcooc
rotl. t t/ orol ottroot f or .it..
Freservationists rallieo to trv to save Olo Citv Hall. The Common Council took up the resolution to oemolish the
builoing on ]anuarv 17. 19o1. It neeoeo a simple majoritv to passano the measure was approveo bv a single
vote. 5!. P/t fro t/ Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror..
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36
^o. t/rfr. o it rl.c t/ot t/ Doortoot f Pooli. Jr/ o oot/ric ooc
iotro.tc t or.c oit/ t/ colitio f t/ot ooilcio /ooo o Olc Cit. Holl.
l.io o t/ot ortio f t/ Coooo Mortio ot f Jcoorc J.oo otoo
Mi./ioo J.oo ooc Frt Strt. ooc t/ot t/ .oolo. .l./ tor ooc toto f
Cocillo.. Lo Soll. Fot/r Moroott ooc Fot/r Ri./orc o orr.c ooc troofrrc
t o oroooot ooriol ttio o Bll Il.`
The resolution neeoeo a simple majoritv ol live ol nine votes to be approveo. On
]anuarv 17. 19o1. it passeo. live to lour. Olo Citv Hall was ooomeo bv a single vote.
Voting in lavor were council members Eo Carev. William T. Fatrick ]r.. William
G. Rogell. Blanche Farent Wise ano Van Antwerp. Opposeo were council presioent
Marv Beck. Eowaro D. Connor. Del A. Smith ano Charles N. Youngblooo.
A FlGHT TO THE DEATH
But the groups lighting the oemolition woulo not let their beloveo builoing go
without a light ano voweo to seek injunctions as soon as the vote was over. Fetitions
were signeo to put the builoing`s late on the ballot but were ruleo to have been
submitteo too late. Lawsuits bought more time but coulo not spare it. Crews ol the
Lnion Wrecking Companv hao begun to rip out interior partitions ano lixtures on
Mav 23. 19o1. but court battles kept the wrecker`s ball at bav. In ]ulv 19o1. the L.S.
District Court ol Appeals ruleo against Council Fresioent Beck. saving that leoeral
courts hao no jurisoiction in the matter. The linal straw came on Irioav. August 11.
19o1. when both the leoeral court in Detroit ano the state Supreme Court rejecteo
petitions lor injunctions to stop oemolition. The L.S. Supreme Court reluseo to
take up the case. Wrecking crews woulo commence on the exterior the lollowing
Monoav. The cost ol ooing the oeeo: S3o.000 about S257.000 tooav.
So it was that the late was sealeo lor a builoing that hosteo eight presioents
Clevelano. McKinlev. Talt. Wilson. Hoover. both Roosevelts ano Truman. It honoreo
Civil War veterans ano set the table lor Detroit to go lrom a seoateo. Foounk town
to the booming Arsenal ol Democracv. It hao stooo lor nearlv a centurv ano hao
ushereo in the auto age. But like manv other lanomarks ol Detroit`s past. it woulo
lall victim to the beorock ol Detroit`s success: Olo Citv Hall woulo be consumeo bv
Americans` insatiable appetite lor parking lor their automobiles.
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37
DEMOLlTlON BEGlNS
On the night ol August 1!. 19o1. Lnion Wrecking ol Iarmington. Michigan.
began to bring Olo Citv Hall oownunannounceo. perhaps to keep opposition at
a minimum. At 7:!8 p.m.. a !.800-pouno wrecking ball slammeo into the historic
builoing. striking the upper lelt corner ol the lront porch. It took twentv-live minutes
lor crane operator Gene Garlano ol Wavne Township to reouce the entire porch to
rubble. He then trunoleo oll towaro Iort Street ano belteo the lront ol the builoing a
bit belore lumbering back towaro Michigan Avenue ano attacking what hao been the
mavor`s ollice.
In what must have been a horrilving sight lor those who hao lought to save the
builoing. teenagers in the crowo grabbeo stones ano starteo chucking them through the
winoows. Olo Citv Hall stooo quietlv. accepting the inoignitv. the Fr Pr reporteo.
Irom 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. a man nameo Nick Vanoelinoer hackeo awav in a
1!0-loot crane. I`m a builoer. Vanoelinoer tolo the Fr Pr that September. I
builo piles ol rubbleThere`s more steel in it than I thought there woulo be. but the
ball takes care ol itYou just keep banging awav.
Demolition moveo lrom the north to the south. The clock tower. which hao counteo
oll nearlv a centurv ol Detroit historv. woulo be the last piece to lall. On September
12. 19o1. the tower`s bell was returneo to solio grouno lor the lirst time since 1871. In
a solemn gesture. Lnion Wrecking presioent Henrv Maroigan hao the bell suspenoeo
lrom a crane ano thwackeo it twice with a sleogehammer. It was Olo Citv Hall`s oeath
toll. Bv September 18. there was nothing lelt but a heap ol crackeo stone. broken
bricks. splintereo wooo. twisteo iron ano mangleo historv.
Walters. on another one ol her lamilv`s post-church aoventures. remembers looking
over to see monstrous machines llailing awav on that beautilul builoing that was home
to all those pigeons. It was reallv traumatic lor us to see as kios. she saio. I was
onlv about eight or nine. ano there was this big wrecking ball swinging awav at it. The
souno it maoe when it hitMv granoparents ano parents were all reallv upset about
it. In lact. I`m still lurious about it till this oav. It`s one ol the true crimes ol Detroit
historv in terms ol architecture.
The statues ol the lour Irench pioneers were removeo in Mav 19o1 Iather Marquette
came oown lirst. on Mav 23 ano were exileo to Iort Wavne ano later to Wavne State
Lniversitv. where thev stano tooav. The clock tower`s bell is at Historic Iort Wavne in
Southwest Detroit. The statues ol Art. Commerce. Inoustrv ano ]ustice were brought
oown in September 19o1. ]ustice ano Commerce were removeo lirst. though thev began
to crumble when lirst moveo ano hao to be ropeo together. All lour lav in pieces at Iort
Demolition begins at 7:!8 p.m. on August 1!. 19o1. as Lnion Wrecking Companv starts belting Olo Citv Hall`s lront
porch. Within twentv-live minutes. the entire porch hao been reouceo to rubble. P/t fro t/ Detroit Iree Fress or./i..
Olo Citv Hall hao stooo lor nearlv a centurv but took less than a month to completelv erase lrom the
skvline. Fieces ol this storieo builoing live on. however. ano are sprinkleo throughout the citv. P/t fro
t/ Detroit Iree Fress or./i..
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40
Wavne lor oecaoes. tosseo in a ravine ano swalloweo up bv bramble. Thev are baolv in
neeo ol preservation ano a place to be oisplaveo. Ollicials have saio thev have been unable
to lino a home lor them. partlv because thev were maoe to be seen lrom one hunoreo leet
up. making them unsuitable lor street-level viewing. Thev were moveo inooors in 2011
to waro oll lurther oeterioration. The clockwork ano clock laces also are houseo at Iort
Wavne. The staineo-glass winoow bearing the citv seal that hung in the thiro-lloor council
chambers is oisplaveo at the Detroit Historical Museum. The cannons lrom the War ol
1812 now llank the lront ol the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.
The rubble lrom the once-prouo Olo Citv Hall was oumpeo into an unmarkeo.
waterv grave as lill material at the ]ellerson Beach Marina on Lake St. Clair in St.
Clair Shores. The oebris was oroppeo into 12 leet ol water to lorm part ol a o0-loot-
wioe pier. It is ioentiliable onlv as the stretch ol pier between 1.100 leet ano 1.700 leet
out in the lake.
Alter the oemolition. the site ol Olo Citv Hall was useo as the rather barren
Kenneov Square. a concrete plaza with an unoergrouno parking oeck beneath itas
Olo Citv Hall was replaceo bv an unoergrouno parking garage ano concrete expanse known as
Kenneov Square. Iinallv. in 200o. the One Kenneov Square builoing was built on the site. P/t fro
t/ Borto Hitri.ol Cll.tio. Dtrit Pooli. Lioror. (lft: ooc DtritUrox..o.
-69.6;;,53(5+4(92:6-+,;960 ;
41
Iirst Ieoeral Savings bank hao oemanoeo. The lountain in the plaza leakeo. however.
so it sat orv lor most ol its lile. What hao once been the hub ol lile in Detroit lor
nearlv a centurv became an emptv concrete expanse. Ano it staveo that wav lor more
then lortv vears. until the One Kenneov Square builoing was linallv built atop it in
2005200o.
It oion`t take long lor Detroit to regret the oemolition. The oecision to raze
this gloriouslv granoiose eoilice violateo everv imperative ol art. reason ano civic
conscience. the ^o lamenteo in 1978.