Posts Tagged ‘Packard Plant’
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Detroit’s Packard Motors Plant is a massive factory complex designed by Albert Kahn and built by Henry Joy in 1907. Work areas around the main buildings were completed in 1911. Kahn’s industrial designs stood out for meeting modern requirements for mass manufacturing processes. Reinforced concrete structures were essential for fire resistance and load bearing capacity for heavy machinery required for making cars. Ford’s Highland Park Plant, and the Fisher 21 Body Plant share similar design and functional elements.
From the early 1920’s influential car companies such as Ford, Studebaker, EMF, Hudson, Hupp, Pierce Arrow, General Motors and Continental Motors had operating plants in Detroit. Many plants were located near the railways which would transport finished cars throughout the US domestic market. The Great Depression of the 1930’s destroyed many of these companies as they were forced to merge with other companies or go bankrupt.
Packard also made fighter engines for the allies in World War II. In spite lucrative military contracts, Packard and many other companies could not recover from the previous decade, and faded away into history. Packard Motors famous promotional tagline was “Packard ask a man who owns one”. To this day Packard cars have a rabid following, however the factory that made them has not been protected by heritage status.
This trip turned out to be the final expedition at the Packard Plant. Numerous fires and recycling of building materials severely damaged the structural integrity of the site. Restoration of this historic industrial facility seems unlikely.
References
A57-1, A57-2 Archives
Tags: 35mm film camera, ababdoned Packard Plant Detroit MI, abandoned American Industrial sites, abandoned architecture, abandoned Detroit factories, abandoned Detroit Industrial places, abandoned industrial institutional places, abandoned places, Albert Kahn, American auto history, analog photography, black and white photography, Canon t70 camera, Detroit, Detroit architecture, Detroit Industrial buildings, fine art prints, historic Packard Plant, historic preservation, manual photography, Michigan, modern ruins, Packard Motor Car Company, Packard Plant, Packard Plant condition in 2008, Packard Plant Detroit MI, Packard Plant kitchen, Packard Plant Photos, Packard Plant roof panorama, Packard Plant tour, photography, silentbuildings, Studebaker-Packard Corporation, urban exploration, Urbex, vintage, W.Roland Hamilton, Westinghouse industrial AC power source
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Wednesday, July 4th, 2007
Detroit’s Packard Motors Plant is a massive factory complex designed by Albert Kahn and built by Henry Joy in 1907. Work areas around the main buildings were completed in 1911. Kahn’s industrial designs stood out for meeting modern requirements for mass manufacturing processes. Reinforced concrete structures were essential for fire resistance and load bearing capacity for heavy machinery required for making cars. Ford’s Highland Park Plant, and the Fisher 21 Body Plant share similar design and functional elements.
From the early 1920’s influential car companies such as Ford, Studebaker, EMF, Hudson, Hupp, Pierce Arrow, General Motors and Continental Motors had operating plants in Detroit. Many plants were located near the railways which would transport finished cars throughout the US domestic market. The Great Depression of the 1930’s destroyed many of these companies as they were forced to merge with other companies or go bankrupt.
Packard also made fighter engines for the allies in World War II. In spite lucrative military contracts, Packard and many other companies could not recover from the previous decade, and faded away into history. Packard Motors famous promotional tagline was “Packard ask a man who owns one”. It would be nice to turn some of Detroit’s old factories into museums.
References
A34-3, A44-4, A44-5, A44-6, (2006-2007)
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned architecture, abandoned buildings Detroit, abandoned factories Detroit, abandoned places, Albert Kahn, analog photography, black and white photography, Canon t70 camera, Detroit, Detroit architecture, Detroit Industrial buildings, Detroit manufacturing history, fine art prints, historic preservation Detroit, industrial and institutional ruins, industrial history Detroit, industrial ruins in America, infiltration, manual photography, Michigan, modern ruins, Packard manufacturing facility, Packard Motor Car Company, Packard motor car plant, Packard Plant, Packard Plant Photos, photography, silentbuildings, Studebaker-Packard Corporation, UE, urban exploration, Urbex, vintage, W.Roland Hamilton
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Tuesday, May 30th, 2006
Detroit’s Packard Motors Plant is a massive factory complex designed by Albert Kahn and built by Henry Joy in 1907. Work areas around the main buildings were completed in 1911. Kahn’s industrial designs stood out for meeting modern requirements for mass manufacturing processes. Reinforced concrete structures were essential for fire resistance and load bearing capacity for heavy machinery required for making cars. Ford’s Highland Park Plant, and the Fisher 21 Body Plant share similar design and functional elements.
From the early 1920’s influential car companies such as Ford, Studebaker, EMF, Hudson, Hupp, Pierce Arrow, General Motors and Continental Motors had operating plants in Detroit. Many plants were located near the railways which would transport finished cars throughout the US domestic market. The Great Depression of the 1930’s destroyed many of these companies as they were forced to merge with other companies or go bankrupt.
Packard also made fighter engines for the allies in World War II. In spite lucrative military contracts, Packard and many other companies could not recover from the previous decade, and faded away into history. Packard Motors famous promotional tagline was “Packard ask a man who owns one”. To this day Packard cars have a rabid following, however the factory that made them has not been protected by heritage status.
During the Detroit Electronic Music Festival a couple of friends and I took a short tour of historic industrial sites in the city. Packard was significant to us because of the venues legendary status attained through after hours rave parties in the mid 1990’s. Some of these parties featured Detroit’s third wave of electronic musicians. Exploring the entire site could easily require an entire day. Even after several trips there were still several places left unexplored till the summer of 2008.
References
A35-2, A35-4 (April 2006 – July 2007) Archives
Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned factories Detroit, abandoned places, Albert Kahn, American Industrial ruins, analog photography, automotive history detroit, B&W photos, black and white photography, Canon t70 camera, DEMF 2006, Detroit architecture, historic preservation Detroit, industrial and institutional ruins, industrial history Detroit, infiltration, Kodak CN400, manual photography, manufacturing history Detroit, modern ruins, packard automotive plant, Packard manufacturing facility, Packard Motor Car Company, Packard Plant, Packard Plant Photos, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings in Detroit, silentbuildings.com, Studebaker-Packard Corporation, UE, urban exploration, Urbex, W.Roland Hamilton
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