Wayne County Building, Detroit, MI
Posted by: 
WrightStuff
N 42° 19.918 W 083° 02.587
17T E 331672 N 4688657
The Wayne County Building is located on Randolph Street in Detroit, MI.
Waymark Code: WM1Z0K
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 08/06/2007
Views: 98
The Wayne County Building, at the east end of Cadillac Square, occupies a block bounded by Randolph, Congress, E. Fort and Brush Streets. The structure, a good early example in Michigan of Italian Renaissance, was designed by John Scott and Company and built between 1895 and 1902. The tal ground and first stories are of rusticated granite; the three upper stories and the tower are of Ohio sandstone. Emphasis is given the main (Randolph Street) entrance by a high flight of steps and a Corinthian portico. The sculptured compositions of the pediment, in high relief and framed by the ornamental cornice, depict General 'Mad Anthony' Wayne conferring with the Indians. Above and flanking the portico are two spirited groups of bronze figures symbolic of Progress, the work of J. Massey Rhind, New York sculptor. The square tower, rising 280 feet from the ground leverl and enriched by a Corinthian colonnade, terminates in a small green and gold dome and lantern. At the four corners of the tower colonnade parapet are single bronze figures representing Law, Commerce, Agriculture, and Mechanics
--excerpt from Michigan: A Guide to the Wolverine State, 1941
The Wayne County Building served as the hub of Wayne County government for much of the 20th century, holding most of its offices, court sessions, and public hearings. In the 1960's, many of the county's offices were moved to a more modern facility a few blocks away. By the 1970s, deterioration due to neglect forced the county to consider demolition of the building. However, the building was saved from the wrecking ball when a private partnership agreed to restore the building and lease it back to the county. After $17 million in renovation, the Wayne County Building reopened in late 1987 becoming a model for preservation in Detroit. Despite much of the county's offices being transfered to the Coleman A Young Municipal Center, many of the county's offices still remain in the Wayne County Building, including the office of the Wayne County Executive.
Book: Michigan
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 243
Year Originally Published: 1941
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a Visit, please supply an original image of the Waymark.