Willis Avenue Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Willis Avenue Station
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| Location | 50 West Willis Street Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Detroit Edison Company |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Cass Farm MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001097 |
| Added to NRHP | September 22, 1997 |
The Willis Avenue Station is a special building in Detroit, Michigan. It makes steam that helps heat many buildings in the city. This system is called district steam heating. The station is found at 50 West Willis Street, in the Midtown Detroit area. The Detroit Edison Company built and owns this plant. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This means it is an important historical site.
History of the Willis Avenue Station
The Detroit Edison Company started in 1903. Its main goal was to build and run electric power plants in Detroit. The Willis Avenue Station was the first plant they used to make steam for heating. Three other plants also help heat the central part of Detroit.
Early Days of Steam Heating
When the plant first opened in 1904, it had about 3,000 feet (910 meters) of pipes underground. These pipes are called "mains." Only 12 customers used the steam heating at first. Later that same year, workers added another 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) of pipes.
As years passed, the system grew a lot. By the mid-1940s, there were 42 miles (68 kilometers) of underground pipes. About 1,650 customers were using the steam heating then. The Willis Avenue Plant was updated many times to meet the city's heating needs. Many changes happened between 1916 and 1927. The station still helps heat buildings in the Cass Farm area today.
Henry Ford's Connection
The Willis Avenue Station is located near an older electric power station. That station was owned by the Edison Illuminating Company. It started working in 1886. A very famous person, Henry Ford, began his career there. He started working for the Edison Illuminating Company on September 25, 1891. Henry Ford was a Steam Engineer at this station. He worked the night shift, from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
