The Architecture of Campus Martius
Detroit's Campus Martius was the location of the most notable buildings in Detroit. Located directly between the Grand Circus and the Detroit River, was City Hall. The first City Hall (1835) was a stately but conservatively sized two story building with a large Georgian dome on top of it. The roof arches have Greek influences. This City Hall was torn down and replaced with a new building in 1871. This City Hall was much more grand and ornate. The four story replacement to it's 1835 counterpart featured strong Italian influences in exterior decoration. The roof was French with gabled windows all around, and the new building featured another Georgian dome atop it. The building in general was of the Romantic style, being highly ornate. The total cost of the building was $592,234.90. I say that only because I am proud of myself for finding such an exact number. Another notable building located on the Campus Martus was the Detroit Opera House, an elegant French Renaissance building.
1835 City Hall (the building to the left of the fountain).
1871 City Hall
The Detroit Opera House, located across the Campus Martius from City Hall.
The Architecture of Detroit's Library
Located on the lot Woodward planned for the city prison (and where the city prison was until 1848) was Detroit's Public Library. Contructed in 1875, the library was an iconic building in Detroit. It had strong Greek architectural influences with a belt course and a hexastyle portico. The architects, Henry T. Brush and Hugh Smith, desigined the building to be lit almost entirely by a skylight in the center of the building. Woodward had designed his layout of the city to facilitate civil spaces and the public library fulfilled this vision in at least one location. The library was replaced in 1921 with a much larger building, but surprisingly similar architecture. The 1921 library does have a more modern look to it, but there is still the belt course, arched windows and dental molding around the roof-line.
Detroit's Library in 1875 Detroit's Library in 1921
Detroit's Library in 1875 Detroit's Library in 1921
Detroit's Art Museum
Detroit's art museum is probably the oldest-looking building in Detroit. The planners for the building wanted it to be located at Cass Park, but negotiations over this plot of land fell through. Someone then donated a plot of land at Jefferson and Hastings to build the museum. It has strong Roman and Medieval influences. With turret-like corners facing Jefferson Ave., it casts an impressive and imposing image onto passersby. The building stood out greatly from the residential neighborhood it was placed in, but the people of Detroit still considered it one of the most beautiful buildings in the area. "This may be called the oldest and most aristocratic thoroughfare in the city..."
Both Detroit's library and art museum we monuments to Detroit's emphasis on grand public space. In the late 19th century and into the 20th century, the grand buildings of Detroit would transition from civil ones to business ones.
Detroit's Art Museum
Both Detroit's library and art museum we monuments to Detroit's emphasis on grand public space. In the late 19th century and into the 20th century, the grand buildings of Detroit would transition from civil ones to business ones.
Detroit's Art Museum
J. L. Hudson Department Store
The L. J. Hudson Department Store was located just a block away from Detroit's library mentioned above. Constructed in 1891, it loomed at least 4 stories above any building near it. This building marks the beginning of modern Detroit architecture. Pedestrians walking by Hudson's were met with 211ft. of plate-glass windows on the ground floor, but traditional arches and belt-courses were above. All of a sudden, the most massive buildings in Detroit were not devoted to servicing the people, but rather to marketing to the consumer. By 1987, many other huge department stores had taken over Woodward Ave. In the picture comparison below, you can see how the surroundings of the Campus Martius changed from 1899 to 1935.
The Harmonie Building
Beaux-Arts Style