J. L. Hudson Department Store and Addition
| J.L. Hudson's Department Store and Addition | |
|---|---|
Postcard c. 1951
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| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Retail, Office space |
| Location | 1206 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°20′01″N 83°02′53″W / 42.3337°N 83.0480°WCoordinates: 42°20′01″N 83°02′53″W / 42.3337°N 83.0480°W |
| Construction started | 1911 |
| Completed | 1946 |
| Opening | 1911 |
| Closed | January 17, 1983 to October 1986 |
| Demolished | October 1997 to October 24, 1998 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 520 ft (160 m) |
| Roof | 439 ft (134 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 29 |
| Floor area | 723,422 sq ft (67,208.1 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Smith, Hinchman, & Grylls |
The J.L. Hudson Building ("Hudson's") was a department store located at 1206 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was constructed beginning in 1911, with additions throughout the years, before being "completed" in 1946, and named after the company's founder, Joseph Lowthian Hudson. Hudson's first building on the site opened in 1891 but was demolished in 1923 for a new structure. It was the flagship store for the Hudson's chain. The building was demolished in a controlled demolition on October 24, 1998, with many people watching from Hart Plaza (Detroit) and Dieppe Gardens (Windsor, Ontario). It was the tallest building ever imploded.
Designed by Smith, Hinchman, & Grylls, Hudson's consisted of approximately 33 levels: five basements, main floor, mezzanine, 2nd through 15th floors, 15 1/2 floor, 16th through 21st floors, 21 1/2 floor, and 22nd through 25th floors. Only the upper two basements through the 12th floor covered the entire footprint of the structure. A tower rose over 400 feet above the Farmer Street side. On all four sides, porcelain-covered copper letters spelled "HUDSON'S" in red neon.
Hudson's boasted about 2.2 million sq. ft. of retail and office space, included several restaurants and was built in the Chicago School architectural style. The facade was red brick above the second floor. Below that, it consisted of polished pink granite panels. Terra-cotta cornices and rosettes were extensively employed, along with ornamental ironwork. "JLH"-emblazoned ovals decorated frosted windows on the mezzanine and 3rd through 5th floors.
The building measured 439 feet (134 m) tall from its second basement to the top of the penthouse tower. It was also topped by a 110 feet (34 m) high flagpole.
The store closed January 17, 1983 (at the nadir of downtown Detroit's decline).
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