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

Ford Building

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, November 11, 2015

1. Ford Building Marker

Inscription. Among Detroit’s first skyscrapers, the nineteen-story Ford Building was built between 1907 and 1909. The Chicago architectural firm Daniel H. Burnham and Company designed it and two other Detroit buildings, the Majestic and the Dime. One of the first buildings in Detroit to utilize a steel frame, the edifice is sheathed in terra cotta and accented with Italian marble. The 250-foot-tall structure was the tallest building in Detroit for several years. Named after Toledo based glass manufacturer Edward Ford (1843-1920), it served Detroit’s Financial District and housed several of the city’s leading legal firms. During the 1926 Ossian Sweet trials, Clarence Darrow led the defense from offices on the seventeenth floor.

Erected 2012 by Michigan Historical Commission – Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number 727.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.

Location. 42° 19.799′ N, 83° 2.819′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in Downtown Detroit. Marker is at the intersection of Griswold Street and W. Congress St., on the right when traveling south on Griswold Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 615 Griswold St, Detroit MI 48226, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking

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distance of this marker. History of the Penobscot Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); State Savings Bank (about 400 feet away); Stearns Telephone (about 400 feet away); Fort Lernoult (about 500 feet away); Soldiers and Sailors Memorial (about 500 feet away); Comerica Incorporated (about 600 feet away); The Iron Brigade / The Twenty-Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment (about 600 feet away); Sainte Anne's Catholic Church (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Detroit.

Ford Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, November 11, 2015

2. Ford Building

Marker is located under the marquee awning, blocked by the truck in this view.

<i>Ford Building, Detroit, Mich.</i> image. Click for full size.

circa 1915

3. Ford Building, Detroit, Mich.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2015, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 498 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 20, 2015, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 3. submitted on November 22, 2015. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.