Frederick Stearns Building
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Location: | Detroit, Michigan United States |
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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]
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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]
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]
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