Packard Building

Packard Building. Built c. 1913. This structure was built by O.L. Halsey by permission of the Packard Motor Car Co., to serve as St. Louis' Packard dealership and distributorship. It was designed by architect J.L. Wees. Halsey had been the first car dealer in St. Louis. By 1915, Halsey moved to Boston and turned this building over to Packard. It was a direct factory outlet until bought by George M. Berry in 1923, who sold Packards from this site through 1953., From the late teens to world war two, Packard's was the world's most popular luxury car, regularly out-selling all other luxury car competitors. Packards were conservatively stylish and admired for consistently fine craftsmanship and smooth performance. Packard's massive "Twin Six", V-12 models were sold here., The first Packard car was built in 1899. In 1900, the manufacturing company was established as the Ohio Automobile Co., in Warren, Ohio, by brothers James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard with associates. In 1902, Henry B. Joy gained control of the company. The next year, he changed its name to Packard Motor Co., and moved operations to Detroit. Packard's Detroit buildings were designed by Albert Kahn and were a breakthrough for auto plants, in airiness, few columns and open space. The Packard buildings established Kahn as the pre-eminent designer of auto plants, including his later buildings at the Ford, River Rouge Plant, the world's largest auto production facility.