United Steelworkers Building (Gone)
East Chicago, IN Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
Here's the old United Steelworkers Building in East Chicago, IN. With its ornate terra cotta facade and classic Neoclassical design, it's easy to see this wasn't just another office building. Even sitting vacant, it still has plenty of character. 10-08
Built in 1927, the building originally served as the East Chicago branch of the Lake County Superior Court before later becoming a union hall for the United Steelworkers of America. It was a fitting home in a city that grew alongside the steel industry.
The detailed terra cotta work is what really catches the eye. Buildings like this were designed to make an impression, and even after years of neglect, many of those decorative touches are still easy to appreciate.
UPDATE: The building remains vacant, and the old United Steelworkers signage is long gone. While there have been ideas over the years to bring the building back to life, it still awaits a new chapter. 07-26
Auburn Automobile Company
Auburn, IN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's the Auburn Automobile Company Administration Building in Auburn, IN. Even if you're not a car enthusiast, this Art Deco masterpiece is hard to miss. Built in 1930 as the headquarters and showroom for the Auburn Automobile Company, it still looks every bit as elegant as the luxury cars it once helped sell. 10-08
Designed by architect Alvin M. Strauss, the building is filled with colorful Art Deco details inside and out. It was the perfect backdrop for Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles during the company's heyday. Unfortunately, the Great Depression took its toll, and production came to an end when the company closed in 1937.
Fortunately, the story didn't end there. The building found a new purpose in 1974 when it became the home of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. Today, visitors can walk through the original showroom and admire more than 100 beautifully restored classic automobiles in the same space where many of them were first introduced.
It's always nice when a building keeps doing what it was built for. Instead of selling luxury cars, this one now celebrates them.
Auburn Automobile Company
Auburn, IN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
UPDATE: The building is beautifully preserved and continues to operate as the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. The original Art Deco architecture and entrance sign have both been carefully maintained, making this one of Indiana's finest automotive landmarks. 07-26
Lafayette Building (Demolished)
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's a look at the Lafayette Building in Detroit, MI. The Lafayette Building had been built in 1923 as a 14-story office space. The Lafayette housed the Michigan Supreme Court among other tenants. The building was closed down in 1997 and is presently owned by the City of Detroit.
Unfortunately, on June 25, 2009, the City's Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously to demolish the building and has already awarded out a demolition contract. According to a Preservation Magazine article, the National Trust for Historic Preservation had named the Lafayette Building to its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2005. 07-09
Jeep Engineering Building (Demolished)
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's the old Jeep Engineering Building on Plymouth Road in Detroit, MI. By the time this photo was taken, the campus had already lived several different lives, but the tall brick tower still made quite an impression. If you've seen older photos, you may remember the tower with a huge Kelvinator sign, and later the familiar script American Motors logo near the top. 10-09
The complex opened in 1927 as the headquarters and factory for Kelvinator before becoming home to Nash-Kelvinator and later American Motors. After Chrysler acquired AMC in 1987, the campus became the Jeep and Truck Engineering Center, where engineers helped develop some of Jeep's most recognizable vehicles along with Dodge trucks.
Even without the signs, the tower remained the focal point of the property. It was one of those buildings that reminded you just how much automotive history was packed into Detroit's industrial landscape.
UPDATE: The long-abandoned complex has since been demolished, including the landmark tower. Today, the site has been cleared for new industrial development, bringing an end to nearly a century of automotive history along Plymouth Road. 07-26
Jeep Engineering Building
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Detroit News 1965 (Closed)
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Here's a look at The Detroit News Building in Detroit, MI, along with a fleet of newspaper delivery trucks ready to head out across the city. It's a snapshot from an era when the morning paper arrived on just about every front porch, and buildings like this never seemed to slow down. 03-07
Designed by Albert Kahn and completed in 1917, the building served as the longtime home of The Detroit News. Behind its handsome stone facade, giant printing presses rolled out thousands of newspapers each day while trucks lined up outside for delivery routes throughout southeast Michigan.
It's a scene that's hard to imagine today. Newspapers are still around, but the long rows of waiting delivery trucks have mostly disappeared into history.
UPDATE: The Detroit News moved out of the building in 2014, but the landmark has been beautifully restored for new commercial tenants. The carved "The Detroit News" lettering still remains above the entrance as a reminder of its newspaper days. 07-26
United Steelworkers Building (Gone)
Auburn Automobile Company
Auburn Automobile Company
Jeep Engineering Building (Demolished)
Detroit News 1965 (Closed)
