Photo: Scan by NYPL · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Station · Detroit, United States
Michigan Central Station
- Dated
- Dated 1912–13
- Declared purpose
- Railroad station and office tower
- Today
- Survives (restored 2024)
- Architect of record
- Whitney Warren, architect (warren & wetmore, with reed & stem): about 48 when credited (1912, born 1864). Build time on record: about 1½ years (1912–13).All architects of record →
Hidden history
Found, Not Built
A Beaux-Arts station with an 18-story tower. It sat empty for decades and reopened after restoration in 2024.
Too big for its city
The station hall was built for traffic that never came, then it was left empty from 1988.
Same architects as Grand Central
It shares a style with the great stations of its day.
Questions worth asking
- Why build a station this grand so far from downtown?
Possible original uses
- Grand transit hall
- Civic tower
What the photos show
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Surrounding Buildings
Old buildings nearby in Detroit. Compare the stone, the domes and the dates.
Lost Buildings
Neighbours that were torn down or burned. Tap one for its photos.
Research
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
