Exclusive: A site that has been closed to the public for a long time, and many have not been able to see - the abandoned, and historic Michigan Central Train Station!
#michigancentralstation
It's now the new "home" of Ford Motor Company 's Corktown Campus! More photos and video to follow! Follow us at www.myoldhousefix.com.
Michigan Central Station History:
The building is of the Beaux-Arts Classical style of architecture, designed by the Warren & Wetmore and Reed and Stem firms who also designed New York City's Grand Central Terminal. Michigan Central was designed at the same time, and is seen as a spiritual twin to Grand Central in New York, as both were meant as flagship stations on Vanderbilt's rail lines, both have the same detailing, and were opened six months apart. The price tag for this 500,000-square-foot building was $15 million when it was built.
The building is composed of two distinct parts: the train station and the 18-story office tower. The roof height is 230 feet (70 m). The original plan for the tower included a hotel, offices for the rail company, or a combination of both. The tower was used only for office space by the Michigan Central Railroad and subsequent owners of the building. The tower was never completely used; the top floors were never completely furnished, and served no function.
The main waiting room on the main floor was modeled after an ancient Roman bathhouse, with walls of marble and vaulted ceilings. The building also housed a large hall adorned with Doric columns that housed the ticket office and arcade shops. Beyond the arcade was the concourse, which had brick walls and a large copper skylight. From here, passengers would walk down a ramp to a tunnel from which the platforms could be accessed by stairs and elevators. Under the shed there were ten passenger platforms consisting of one side platform and five island platforms along ten paired tracks - (Wikipedia, 2018)
The abandoned Michigan Central Station in historic Corktown, Detroit. This is how it looked before restoration began by Ford Motor Company. Much progress is being made in the restoration and historic preservation efforts.
0 Comment(s)