Michigan Part 1: Detroit's History and Architecture

Downtown Detroit

In the upper, Midwestern United States, you will find the peninsular state of Michigan. It is peninsular because the state is made up of two distinct land masses, the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, separated by the Straits of Mackinac. Michigan is the only state with this distinction.

Both peninsulas are surrounded by the Great Lakes. The Lower Peninsula is bordered by Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie and the Upper Peninsula by Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Lake Superior is the largest of these lakes and also holds the title for being the largest fresh water lake in the world. Lake Michigan is the second largest of the Great Lakes and though it bears the name of the state, it also borders the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

History and Monuments

Transcending

My visit to Michigan focused on the Lower Peninsula, which is the more populated and urbanized part of the state and includes cities such as Lansing, the state capital, Ann Arbor, which I will share about in an upcoming post, and Detroit, the largest city in Michigan and the place where I started my Michigan adventure.

Detroit was founded as a French fort in 1701 and became part of the United States in 1796. Detroit played an important role in the decades leading up to the Civil War, as it was the final stop of the Underground Railroad.

Detroit saw massive growth and transformation in the 20th century. The largest contributor to this was the automotive boom that occurred in Detroit, earning it the nickname "Motor City." This overlapped with its shift in the musical landscape, largely shaped by Motown Records, which impacted both American culture and the Civil Rights Movement. (More on this and the automotive industry in upcoming posts in this series.)

I started my tour of Detroit in Hart Plaza, under the 63-foot semi circle called Transcending, pictured above. The monument was designed by David Barr, while the base was designed by Sergio de Guisti and consists of five Vermont boulders and fourteen bronze reliefs. Transcending is considered the largest monument in the country dedicated to the Labor Movement. The piece is actually composed of two arcs that do not connect, symbolizing the unfinished work of the movement.

Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain

Also in Hart Plaza is the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain. Due to a variety of technical issues, improper maintenance and Detroit's bankruptcy in 2013, the fountain sat dormant for over a decade. I was happy to see it restored, upgraded and in working order when I visited, as the 120-foot aluminum and steel tower, designed by Isamu Noguchi, is quite the modern marvel.

The Spirit of Detroit

The most iconic monument in Detroit is the Spirit of Detroit, located just across the street from Transcending, in the heart of downtown Detroit. Marshall Fredericks, who was commissioned to make the statue in 1955, didn't originally name the piece. Rather, the people of Detroit gradually began to refer to the bronze masterpiece as The Spirit of Detroit and the moniker stuck.

The name was likely inspired by the Bible verse inscribed just behind the monument. It reads:

“Now the Lord is that Spirit,

and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is liberty.

-2 Corinthians 3:17"

The Fist

Adjacent to The Spirit of Detroit is a monument to 12 year, heavyweight, boxing champion, Joe Lewis. The monument, called "The Fist," was created by Robert Graham and celebrates Louis's boxing career and his contributions to the city of Detroit. The arm is 24-feet long and weighs 8,000 pounds.

Architecture

Guardian Building

Before arriving in Detroit, I was told not to miss the Art Deco masterpieces. If you've been reading my blog, posts about Miami and Cincinnati for example, will convey my love for this architectural design style. My tour of Detroit's Art Deco scene commenced with a visit to the Guardian Building, one of Detroit's premier historical landmarks.

Step foot inside and you will be transported to the Roaring 20's, the backdrop that inspired renowned architect Wirt C. Rowland to create this magnificent building.

The building is constructed like a cathedral, with two towers connected by what could be a nave. In fact, the Guardian Building has been referred to as "The Cathedral of Finance."

Throughout the building you will find intricate mosaics, stained glass, murals and more.

A total of 40 artisans, highly skilled in their diverse crafts, collaborated to create this 43-story skyscraper that has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Not only is the building an amalgamation of artistic mediums, it also blends diverse cultural influences including those from Native American and Aztec cultures.

I can try to describe how lavish, elegant and timeless this building is, but my words won't do it justice. Go visit yourself and marvel at the design, craftsmanship and explosion of color up close.

Fisher Building

The next building I visited is the Fisher Building, another National Historic Landmark in the heart of Detroit.

Designed by legendary architect Albert Kahn and completed in 1928, the Fisher Building was honored by the Architectural League of New York with a silver medal one year later.

The building has a marble-clad façade, hand-painted, barrel-vaulted ceiling, gorgeous mosaics, and extensive bronze embellishments, including the ornate, elevator doors pictured above.

 These aspects have earned the 441-foot tower the title of “Detroit's Largest Art Object.”

Book Building and Book Tower

The final architectural gem I visited in Detroit is the Book Building. Though not an example of Art Deco, this Neo-Classical and Neo-Renaissance building captured by heart. When the Book Building, designed by Louis Kamper, opened in 1926, it held the title of the tallest building in town, though that title has since been taken by other skyscrapers.

After a period of vacancy and a $300 million renovation, the building reopened in 2023, the year before I visited and stood agog in the rotunda. Look up and you will see the massive, 6,000 panel, glass dome with 7,000 jewel embellishments. This alone is reason to visit the building.

That said, if you do visit, for beautiful views of the city, I suggest also taking a trip up the elevator to the Book Tower to have a drink at Kamper's Rooftop Lounge.

Sports

Ford Field

In addition to its architecture, Detroit is also known for its sports teams including the Lions (football), the Tigers (baseball) and the Bears. Nah, just kidding about the last one. Detroit's last two teams are the Pistons (basketball) and the Red Wings (hockey). The Lion's stadium (or Ford Field, where one of my favorite people used to play), hosted the 2006 Super Bowl. It regularly seats a whopping 65,000 people, but is expandable and can accommodate up to 80,000 at full capacity.

Comerica Park

Comerica Park, home of the Tigers since 2000, is located right next door to Ford Field.

Distinctive features of the stadium are the 80-foot bats framing the gates and the massive, tiger statues including 33 tiger heads placed all around the stadium.

While visiting Detroit, I was fortunate to stay in a hotel with a beautiful view of the Detroit River. Fun fact: Detroit is the only major city in the United States where you can look south and gaze at our neighbors to the north.

That's right. Just across the river, you can see Canada (more on that in a future post). I tried to catch as many sunsets as possible because my vantage point from the U.S., of the sun setting over Detroit and Windsor, Canada was simply spectacular.

More on my visit to Michigan coming up next.