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The Wright-Kay Building, originally the Schwankovsky Temple of Music, is one of the oldest buildings in Detroit, Michigan. It was completed in 1891, and sat on the growing fringe of Detroit's Woodward Ave. It is between Grand Circus Park and Campus Martius Park, at the corner of Woodward and John R. It was later used by the founders of Wright-Kay jewelry from 1920 to 1978. Its current use includes a nightclub on the first floor with offices and residential units above. In 1980, the building was listed on the State of Michigan's Historical Register as #P25241.
The building was constructed for the F. J. Schwankovsky Company, a retailer of musical instruments. The second floor of the structure contains a one-time concert ballroom. The Schwankovsky Company went out of business several decades after the building opened. It is a Queen Anne style building with brick and brownstone trim. The corner turrets extend from the second to fifth floors. The building was erected using a cast iron frame and was the first in Detroit with an electrical elevator— a technology that facilitated the skyscraper.
[edit] References and further reading
- Brennan, James. The Michigan Historical Marker Web Site. Schwankovsky Temple of Music. (Accessed 14 August 2007).
- Detroit 1701. Schwankovsky Building. (Accessed 14 August 2007).
- Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
- Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.
- Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6.
[edit] External links
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