Park Avenue House facts for kids
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Royal Palm Hotel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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View from the southeast
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| Location | 2305 Park Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Louis Kamper |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
| Part of | Park Avenue Historic District (ID97000396) |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000812 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 25, 1996 |
| Designated CP | May 13, 1997 |
The Park Avenue House is a tall residential building located at 2305 Park Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is part of the Park Avenue Historic District in Downtown Detroit. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It used to be known as the Royal Palm Hotel.
A Look Back: The Royal Palm Hotel's Story
The Park Avenue House was once called the Royal Palm Hotel. It was one of three hotels on Park Avenue designed by a famous architect named Louis Kamper. He built them for a hotel owner named Lew Tuller. The other two hotels were the Eddystone and the original Park Avenue Hotel (which was taken down in 2015). All three of these buildings are important enough to be on the National Register of Historic Places.
Louis Kamper designed the Royal Palm in 1924. Lew Tuller built it because his first hotel, the Hotel Tuller, was very successful. When it first opened, the Royal Palm had 180 rooms, a restaurant, and five shops on the first floor. However, Tuller spent too much money. In 1928, he lost all three Park Avenue hotels because he couldn't pay his debts.
A man named David P. Katz bought the Royal Palm and the Eddystone. Katz owned the building until 1966. Then, his business also ran into financial trouble.
The Royal Palm later took on the name of the Park Avenue Hotel, which can be a bit confusing! It is the oldest hotel in downtown Detroit. It operated continuously as a hotel for many years. In 1967, Wilbur Harrington bought the hotel from Katz. He renamed it the Park Avenue House. In 1990, Wilbur gave ownership to his son, Sean Harrington, who still manages it today.
What the Building Looks Like
The Royal Palm is a thirteen-story building made of brick and stone. It features details from the Italian Renaissance style. The building is located within the Park Avenue Historic District. Its main entrance faces Park Avenue. Even though some parts of the building have been changed over time, it is still in excellent condition.
The Town Pump Tavern is located on the ground floor of the building. The front of the building is balanced, with seven sections of windows. The facade is made of orange brick, with light-colored limestone on the first two floors. Different window designs highlight the first, second, fourth, eleventh, and twelfth floors.
The main entrance is through an arched doorway. It has decorative columns on the sides. Directly above the doorway, the central windows are decorated with two female figures. On the third floor, there is a small balcony with a railing. The building also has unique windows that stick out, called bay windows.
Inside, the small entrance area has marble walls. A hallway with arched ceilings leads to the main lobby. The lobby has wooden panels on the walls and a wooden reception desk. The hallway also leads to two commercial spaces. These were made larger from the original five shops. On the upper floors, each floor originally had 15 single rooms. Some of these rooms have been combined to create bigger apartments. This means there are now 13 apartments per floor.
See also
In Spanish: Park Avenue House para niños
