The Penobscot Building
Encyclopedia
- This is a part of the Penobscot BlockPenobscot BlockThe Penobscot Block is a complex of office towers centered around the 45-story Penobscot Building at the corner of Griswold Street and West Fort Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan....
. for the 45-story tower, see Penobscot BuildingPenobscot BuildingThe Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
, and for other uses, see Penobscot (disambiguation)Penobscot (disambiguation)The Penobscot people are a Native American nation. Places named after the people are:-Places:* Penobscot, Maine* Penobscot County, Maine* Penobscot Indian Island Reservation, Penobscot County, Maine* Penobscot River* Penobscot Bay...
.
The original building of the complex (confusingly named "The Penobscot Building") was built in 1904 and finished in 1905. It stands to this day at 13 stories, at 131 West Fort street. The office building
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
is used mainly for retail
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
. It was constructed in the Beaux Arts architectural design, and incorporates brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and stone
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
into its materials. This is the original Penobscot Building, and one of three buildings of the same name in the later-constructed complex.