The Park Avenue House is a high rise residential building located at 2305 Park Avenue in the
Park Avenue Historic District in
Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1996.
It should not be confused with the nearby
Park Avenue Hotel, which was demolished in 2015.
Significance
Formerly known as the Royal Palm Hotel, it is one of three hotels located on Park Avenue and designed by
Louis Kamper
Louis Kamper (March 11, 1861 – February 24, 1953)Louis Kampeat Find-A-Grave Retrieved on July 8, 2009 was an American architect, active in and around Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, in the United States.
Project range
In the early 20th ...
[Eric J. Hill, John Gallagher, American Institute of Architects Detroit Chapter](_blank)
''AIA Detroit'', Wayne State University Press, 2002, , , p. 60. for
Lew Tuller;
[Royal Palm Hotel](_blank)
from the State of Michigan. the other two are the
Eddystone at 100 Sproat St. and the
Park Avenue Hotel at 2643 Park Avenue (demolished in 2015). All three are on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
The Royal Palm was designed by
Louis Kamper
Louis Kamper (March 11, 1861 – February 24, 1953)Louis Kampeat Find-A-Grave Retrieved on July 8, 2009 was an American architect, active in and around Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, in the United States.
Project range
In the early 20th ...
and built in 1924 for Lew Tuller. Tuller had erected the
Hotel Tuller
The Hotel Tuller once stood at Adams Avenue West, Bagley Street, and Park Avenue across from Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was one of the largest luxury hotels in Detroit, and the first one to be erected in the Grand Circus ...
in 1907, and the success of that enterprise led him to build the three Park Avenue hotels in 1924. When constructed, the Royal Palm contained 180 rooms with baths, a restaurant, and five retail spaces on the first floor. However, Tuller overextended himself financially, and in 1928 lost all three Park Avenue hotels in foreclosure. The Royal Palm and the Eddystone were purchased by David P. Katz. Katz owned the building until 1966, when his business empire collapsed.
The Royal Palm, confusingly, took the name of the Park Avenue Hotel at some point. It is the oldest hotel in the downtown Detroit area, and operated continuously as a hotel until its conversion to a high-rise residential building.
In 1967 Wilbur Harrington purchased the hotel from Katz and renamed it Park Avenue House. In 1990 Wilbur transferred ownership to his son, Sean Harrington, who continues to operate it.
Description
The Royal Palm is a thirteen-story brick and masonry hotel with
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
details. It is located within the
Park Avenue Historic District; the entrance faces Park Avenue.
Although the building has undergone some alterations, it is generally in excellent condition.
The Town Pump Tavern is located on the ground floor of the building.
Town Pump Tavern
from Detroit CitySearch. The front facade is symmetrical, with seven bays with double hung windows. The facade is of orange brick, with limestone on the first two floors. Different window treatment draw attention to the first, second, fourth, eleventh and twelfth floors. The main entrance in through an arched doorway, with rusticated pilasters surmounted by a Doric frieze. Directly above the doorway the central windows are flanked by two feminine termini; on the third floor is a balustraded window balconet. The building features unusual packeted bay windows.
On the interior, the small entry vestibule has marble walls and shell patterned iron grates. A groin vaulted hallway with wall-mounted medieval iron lighting fixtures leads to the main lobby. The lobby has oak wainscoting and an oak reception counter in one corner. The hallway also leads to two commercial spaces, modified and enlarged from the original five commercial spaces. On the upper floors, the original floor plan had 15 single rooms on each floor. Some units have been connected to create larger spaces, decreasing the number of apartments to 13 per floor.
References
External links
The Park Avenue House
The Town Pump Tavern
{{National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan
Residential skyscrapers in Detroit
Residential buildings completed in 1924
National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan
Historic district contributing properties in Michigan
Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
1924 establishments in Michigan
Louis Kamper buildings