Third precinct police station (Detroit) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Third Precinct Police Station
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Location | 2200 Hunt Street Detroit, Michigan |
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Built | 1896 |
Architect | Edward C. Van Leyen |
Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
NRHP reference No. | 80001928 |
Added to NRHP | February 29, 1980 |
The Third Precinct Police Station, also called the Hunt Street Station, is an old police station building. You can find it at 2200 Hunt Street in Detroit, Michigan. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, it's a "coworking space" called "Hunt Street Station."
Contents
About the Building
The Third Precinct Police Station is a three-story building. It is made from yellow brick and light-colored limestone. The building looks like a box, but it has parts that stick out and go back in. This design makes it look more interesting.
Cool Design Details
The main entrance is at a curved corner of the building. It has strong limestone columns and flat columns called pilasters. These pilasters are decorated with police shields and faces of policemen. The windows on the second and third floors have fancy arched frames. These frames are made of terra-cotta, which is a type of baked clay. The windows on the top floor have arched tops. A metal ledge, called a cornice, sticks out from the top of the building. It was made by a company in Detroit.
Why This Building Is Important
The Hunt Street Police Station is a great example of a public building from the late 1800s. It shows the Beaux-Arts style, which was popular then. The building is also important because of its role in the history of the Detroit police force.
A Home for Police History
A famous architect named Edward Van Leyen designed this building. He also designed the Belle Isle Casino. The police station was finished in May 1897. It served as the Detroit Metropolitan Police Department's Third Precinct for 63 years.
First Police Training Academy
This building was home to the very first police training academy in the United States! It opened in 1911. This is where new police officers learned how to do their jobs.
What Happened Next
In 1959, the Third and Seventh Police Precincts joined together. The building was then sold and used as an office space. It was empty for a while after 2004. In 2017, the building was sold again. It was carefully fixed up to keep its historic look. In 2018, it reopened as a coworking space. This means different people and small businesses can rent desks or offices there.