The Naval Armory - Detroit, MI - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

61. The NAVAL ARMORY (open by permission), 7600 E. Jefferson Ave., a low-roofed four-story limestone structure of severe lines, designed by Stratton and Hyde, was completed in 1930 at a cost of $350,000. Lack of ornamental detail is not noticeable, although the only decorations used are five seals-those of the State of Michigan and four branches of the military service-on the north elevation, and a carved stone inscription crowning the central two-story portion of the drill hal entrance. On the west side of the building, integrated with the wall, a large bronze relief by Samuel Cashwan commemorates Edwin Denby, secretary of the navy under President Harding.
The Naval Militia was organized in Michigan in 1894. During the Spanish-American War, the Michigan reserves manned the U.S.S. Yosemite, and at the outbreak of the first World War they were the first troops to leave Michigan. The armory has a permanent force of 3 officers and 15 men, and a drill force of 25 officers and 400 men. On the main drill floor is a drill ship, 135 feet long and 15 feet wide, now under construction. Designed by Lieutenant Commander O.W. Howard and Lieutenant .G. Hine, the drill ship is the only one of its kind in the country.
Several sections of the armory are decorated with carvings and paintings by artist of the WPA Art Project. In the lobby of the officers' entrance are bas reliefs in the incised Egyptian manner, by Gustave Hildebrand; the 800 feet of wall surface, illuminated by concealed lights, depicts sailors at work. The stairway door of the officers' lounge is carved in an underwater motif by Hildebrand. In a recess of the hallway is a three-sided bench of oak, with carved panels depicting an enginroom scene on the last voyage of the Yantic, also by Hildebrand. On the north wall of the third-floor officers' lounge is Sailors, a mural in fresco by David Fredenthal, which fancifully depicts sailors at work in rough weather. In the lazaret is another Fredenthal mural in the same medium, entitled "Sailors at Play". The four walls of the dining room, adjoining the lounge, are adorned with murals by Edgar Yaeger, which portray training ships, past and present, used on the Great Lakes by the Naval reserves.
Docked in the Detroit River behind the armory is the U.S.S. Dubuque, a gunboat built in 1904 for South American waters and assigned to Detroit in 1922 as one of the Great Lakes training ships. -Michigan: A Guide to the Wolverine State 1941

That sounds beautiful I'm sure. But the building is nothing like that today. It has been abandoned for around 20 years as detailed here. I would have loved to be able to get in to see the WPA works that were described. More information at Detroit Naval Armory

Link to WPA works inside

Book: Michigan Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 266-267 Year Originally Published: 1941

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