- Grand Army of the Republic Building (Detroit, Michigan)
Infobox_nrhp
name =GAR Building
nrhp_type =
caption =
location=Detroit, Michigan
lat_degrees = 42
lat_minutes = 20
lat_seconds = 6.14
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 83
long_minutes = 3
long_seconds = 19.2
long_direction = W
locmapin = Michigan
area =
built =1897
architect= Hess,Julius; Raseman,Richard
architecture= Other, Romanesque
added =February 13 ,1986
governing_body = Local
refnum=86000262cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Building is an historic building in downtown
Detroit , and is among the oldest in the entire city. It was designed by architectJulian Hess , and constructed at 1942 West Grand River and Cass as an appropriate structure for meetings and other GAR related activities. The cost was split between theGrand Army of the Republic (who paid $6000 of the cost) and the city of Detroit (who paid the remainder of the $44,000 total cost). Construction commenced in 1887 and was completed in 1890. The building stands at 5 floors of height.As GAR membership was restricted to veterans of the Civil War
Union Army , their numbers dwindled through the beginning part of the 20th century. By the 1930s, the GAR had vacated the building and the city took ownership. The GAR building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places onFebruary 13 ,1986 . More recently the city has attempted to sell the building, but a coalition including theDaughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and theSons of Union Veterans of the Civil War brought suit against the city of Detroit to block sale of the building, claiming that a clause in the 1898deed on the building stated that city must preserve the building as a memorial to Civil War veterans.Recent developments
The
Detroit Free Press reports on April 7, 2007 that the GAR Building has been sold toOlympia Development , an arm ofIlitch Holdings, Inc. . The Ilitch family also owns theDetroit Red Wings and theDetroit Tigers , as well as theUnited Artists Theatre Building .The Free Press also said that the sale price was $220,500. Olympia Development is expected to renovate the building at a cost of $2 million, and use it for its staff.
Facts
* This
Richardsonian Romanesque -designed building lies on a small, triangular lot on the northwest side of downtown Detroit.
* Originally built for the Grand Army of the Republic club members in Detroit, the building included 13 shops and a bank of the ground floor, office space on the second and third floors, and a small auditorium on the fourth floor.
* By 1934, only a few GAR members were still alive and the building was given to the City of Detroit. The building was then used by theGAR Memorial Association , a women's group that used it until 1973 when the building was effectively abandoned.References
This building was built between the years 1897 and 1900 per the City of Detroit Historical Society, not 1887 as previously listed here.
ee also
*
Grand Army of the Republic Hall (disambiguation)External links
* [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MI/Wayne/state3.html National Register listing]
* [http://detroit1701.org/G.A.R.Building.htm Information on the GAR building]
* [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/METRO/608210340 Detroit News article on building and lawsuit]
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=253824 GAR Building details at Emporis.com]
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