Frederick Stearns Building

Frederick Stearns Building
Location: Detroit, Michigan
 United States
Built: 1899
Architect: William B. Stratton
Architectural style: Other
Governing body: Private
NRHP Reference#: 80001927[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP: October 14, 1980
Designated MSHS: January 8, 1981[2]

The Frederick Stearns Building is a manufacturing plant located at 6533 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981.[2][1] It has been converted to condominiums.[3]

Contents

History

Frederick Stearns & Company, established in 1855,[4] was a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer in 19th century Detroit. In the late 1890s, Stearns commissioned William B. Stratton to design this building[3] (Stratton also designed Stearns's personal home, the Frederick K. Stearns House, a few years later).[2] Construction was completed in 1899 at a cost of $85,000.[4]It originally contained Stearns's production facilities, as well as warehouses and white-collar offices.[3]

The building was converted into condominiums in 1989,[3] and is now known as the Lofts at Rivertown.[5]

Description

The building was originally three stories in height; a fourth floor was added later. The original building, with its upper story addition, is constructed from brick.[3] The facade is symmetric, with projecting pavilions at each end and another in the center;[3] this front section, which housed the company offices, is 13 bays wide and five bays deep.[5] The center paviolion contains an arched stone entryway and a clock on the third floor. Each window in the Jefferson facade is trimmed with limestone.[3] Fourth-floor gables above the end paviolions add to the appeal of the building.[3]

A taller concrete addition, the top of which can be seen from Jefferson,[3] was built in 1906.[4] This addition was designed by Albert Kahn.[5]

External links

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ a b c Stearns, Frederick K., House from the state of Michigan
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Frederick Stearns & Company Building from Detroit1701.org
  4. ^ a b c The Lofts at Rivertown history page
  5. ^ a b c Fredrick Stearns & Company Building from the city of Detroit