The Durant-Dort Carriage Company Office is a National Historic Landmark owned by General Motors. A late 19th-century office building located at 316 West Water Street in

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

, it was built and occupied by GM's parent, Durant-Dort, followed by

Dort Motor Car Company The Dort Motor Car Company of Flint, Michigan, built automobiles from 1915 to 1924. In 1886, William Crapo "Billy" Durant and Josiah Dallas ("Dallas") Dort, as equal partners, established the Flint Road-Cart Company, later named the Durant- ...

, until 1924. This building was the focal point of

William C. Durant William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry and co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each s ...

's efforts in building first carriages and then automobiles, and is the only extant building closely associated with Durant. Here – reprint of the text of the Michigan Historical Marker placed in front of the building. pivotal decisions were made in the development and financing of the

Buick Motor Company Buick () is a division (business), division of the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American Brand, marques of automobiles, and w ...

, the beginning of

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...

, and Durant's founding of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

. The building was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1978. and

Description

The office building is a three-story red-brick rectangular structure, measuring 40 feet by 60 feet, on a brick foundation with a full basement. The windows are sixteen-over-one wood-sash windows in a flat-arched surround. When built it was considered one of the finest office buildings in the country primarily because of the ornate interior. A number of the original interior original features remain, including first-floor wainscoting, much of the woodwork and some marble flooring.

History

The office building was constructed in 1895–96 to house Durant-Dort's offices and, on the second floor, their carriage showroom. A contemporaneous account describes it as "an elegant office in connection with hemain factory, where clerks, stenographers, and typewriters are engaged in the clerical part of the company's business. Originally built as a two-story

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

structure with a flat roof, its flat roof was replaced around 1900 with a hipped roof. An entrance portico was added, giving the structure a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

appearance. In 1906 a fire damaged the roof and, rather than repairing it, the company added an extra story and again capped the building with a flat roof. The portico was also removed at that time. This configuration remained until the 1980s. After

— which had taken over all the building in steps between 1915 and 1917 as carriage building came to a close — moved out in 1924 it provided office space for various service organizations such as the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

and the local Chamber of Commerce. In 1947 the Arrowhead Veteran's Club bought it for its headquarters. Recognising its historic associations the city of Flint purchased it in 1977 with the help of an anonymous $55,000 donation.

National Historic Landmark

It was designated a

in 1978. Using the designation and the deteriorating condition of the building as an impetus the Genesee County Historical Society undertook the task of restoring the building. Funds were raised, and it was restored to its early 1900s condition with the hipped roof and portico of that time. This restoration was completed by 1986.

Bought by General Motors

GM announced that it would purchase the Durant-Dort office building and nearby Factory One in May 2013. GM will take over responsibility for maintenance from the Flint Historical Foundation. Early reports indicated that the office building is to be restored and used as a showcase for company events. As of 2017, the office building is occupied by the Genesee County Historical Society. General Motors provides funds for the operation and maintenance of the building, and is plans are in the works to conduct tours of the office and the nearby "Factory One," the original factory building associated with the Durant-Dort Carriage Company.

References

External links