Bricktown in Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Detroit Cornice and Slate Building

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, May 3, 2021

1. Detroit Cornice and Slate Building Marker

Inscription. Designed by Harry J. Rill in 1897 for the Detroit Cornice and Slate Company, this building features a finely crafted facade of galvanized steel. The use of sheet metal in commercial buildings evolved from the cast iron structures built in New York in the 1850s. Metal permitted elegant ornamentation to be rendered quickly and cheaply. It was also convenient when, as in Detroit, there was a lack of stone quarries and skilled workers. The Detroit Cornice and Slate Company fashioned many of the building’s simulated carvings on the friezes and tympanums in its shop here. Occupied by the company until 1972, the structure’s exterior was then restored and its interior was renovated for office and commercial use.

Erected 1975 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L175.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.

Location. 42° 20.075′ N, 83° 2.421′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in Bricktown. Marker is at the intersection of St. Antoine and East Lafayette Street, on the right when traveling south

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on St. Antoine. Marker is on the outside wall of Flood's Bar and Grille. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 731 St Antoine, Detroit MI 48226, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. St. Mary's Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Mary's Rectory (about 500 feet away); Church of Annunciation (about 500 feet away); Frederick Douglass - John Brown Meeting (about 600 feet away); First Jewish Religious Services (about 600 feet away); Second Baptist Church Underground Railroad Site (about 600 feet away); Second Baptist Church (about 700 feet away); Holy Family Church (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Detroit.

Also see . . . Detroit Cornice and Slate Co. Excerpt from About Us section:

Detroit was a horse and buggy town when German immigrant Frank Hesse started a new business, the Detroit Cornice & Slate Company in 1888. Detroit Cornice & Slate is still around, still in the Hesse family, and still installing slate and tile roofs the old-fashioned way. It is in its' fourth generation of Hesse family management .... with the fifth generation already active in the firm.

(Submitted on May 4, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, May 3, 2021

2. Detroit Cornice and Slate Building Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 4, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 288 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 4, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.