Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District
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Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District
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Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is a notable building in the district.
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| Location |
Detroit, Michigan  United States
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| Coordinates | 42°22′5″N 83°3′57″W / 42.36806°N 83.06583°WCoordinates: 42°22′5″N 83°3′57″W / 42.36806°N 83.06583°W |
| Built | 1904 |
| Architect | Field, Hinchman and Smith; Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, et al. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements |
| NRHP Reference # | 04000601 |
| Added to NRHP | June 15, 2004 |
The Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District is a historic district located along Piquette Street in Detroit, Michigan, from Woodward Avenue on the west to Hastings Street on the east. The district extends approximately one block south of Piquette to Harper, and one block north to the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Line. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The area along Piquette was an important center for automobile production in the early 20th century. Ford Motor Company, Studebaker, Cadillac, Dodge, and Regal Motor Car had plants in the area, as well as suppliers such as Fisher Body. In 1910, the two largest automobile producers in the world, Studebaker and Ford, were located next door to each other on Piquette. Although the area is largely empty and derelict now, as recently as the 1950s there were 50,000 workers employed in plants in the district.
Major railroad infrastructure, known as the Milwaukee Junction, was built in the 1890s to facilitate industrial expansion in the city of Detroit. The heart of Milwaukee Junction was Piquette Avenue, although industrial plants were built in this area on both sides of Woodward Avenue, with the automotive industry prominently involved. The area west of Woodward and south of the railroad tracks is the New Amsterdam Historic District, while a portion of the area east of Woodward is now the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District.
The Autocar Service Building is located on the southwest corner of Piquette and Brush. It is currently owned by the City of Detroit Parks and Recreation Department.
The Studebaker Plant was located on the north side of Piquette, between Brush and John R. The building first housed Wayne Automotive in 1906. In 1908, Wayne merged with Northern Motor Car to form the E-M-F Company. The owners of E-M-F formed a manufacturing and distribution partnership with Studebaker, and eventually Studebaker took control of E-M-F (and the plant) in 1910. Studebaker continued to manufacture automobiles in the plant until 1925. After Studebaker left the plant, Chrysler used it until the mid-1960s as a parts facility.
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