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Louis Kamper

American architect, 1861 to 1953, born in Kingdom of Bavaria

Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, Detroit, 1924 Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Designer of the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, the 349-foot hotel that went up in Detroit in 1924. It is one of 38 works by Kamper on record across Detroit, built from 1889 to 1928.

works on record in Metro Detroit
38
the Book Tower, the tallest here
475 feet
of work here, 1889 to 1928
39 years
Detroit neighborhoods
10

Louis Kamper in silhouette

The 28 best documented of Kamper's 38 works on record, oldest at left. Heights are to scale where one is on record (3 of 28, tallest the Book Tower at 475 feet); the rest are drawn at one standard size.

The 7 best documented of Kamper's 38 works on record, oldest at left. Heights are to scale where one is on record (3 of 7, tallest the Book Tower at 475 feet); the rest are drawn at one standard size.

Westin Book Cadillac Hotel

1924, Detroit, 349 feet

Still standing, photographed 2025

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The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

Of everything Kamper designed here, the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel leads the list, 29 floors in Detroit, finished in 1924. The American architect Louis Kamper was born in Kingdom of Bavaria in 1861 and died in 1953.

A span of 39 years separates the International Exposition Building (1889) from the Water Board Building (1928), the first and last of Kamper's works here. The 1910s were Kamper's busiest decade here, with 14 works on record. Paul Kamper is credited beside Kamper on the Seward Hotel and the Broderick Tower and 1 more.

Scott, Kamper and Scott is credited beside Kamper on the International Exposition Building and the Col. Frank J. Hecker House. Of Kamper's 38 works here, 7 are gone, the International Exposition Building in 1895 and Providence Hospital in 1974 among them.

Today, 31 of Kamper's works still stand. Inside the city, Kamper's buildings stand in 10 neighborhoods, from Indian Village to Woodbridge.

Homes were a calling card for Kamper, 17 of them on record, the Col. Frank J. Hecker House and the Marvin Stanton Home among them. Italian Renaissance is the thread, on 5 of Kamper's works here. The Col. Frank J. Hecker House at 5510 Woodward Ave is a good first stop for anyone tracing Kamper's buildings.

Louis Kamper (March 11, 1861, February 24, 1953) was an American architect, active in and around Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, in the United States.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Louis Kamper in Metro Detroit, oldest first

Built in
Today

38 works

Where their buildings stand

38 works on the map

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  • Standing
  • Demolished
  • Altered
  • Works close together

38 works on the map

Who Kamper worked with

Where the work stands

In the Detroit Ledger

Photo credits

All 11 photos on Louis Kamper's page, each with its author, license and the original.

  1. Book-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, Michigan in 2025 Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. The Col. Frank J. Hecker House in Detroit, Michigan, United States, seen here from across Woodward Avenue, is listed on..., 2008 Photo: Andrew Jameson at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. Old Eighth Precinct Police Station in Detroit; corner of Rosa Parks Blvd and Grand River Avenue Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. The Book Tower, Detroit in the fall of 2010 Photo: Albert duce, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  5. [Cadillac Square and County Building, Detroit, Mich.] Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
  6. [Washington Blvd., Detroit, Mich.] Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
  7. Eddystone Hotel, Detroit, Michigan Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  8. Park Avenue Hotel, 2643 Park Ave, Detroit, Michigan Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  9. David Broderick Tower in Detroit, Michigan, 2015 Photo: St8fan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  10. Built in 1928, this Art Deco-style 23-story building was designed by Louis Kamper to house various Detroit city..., 2024 Photo: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  11. Park Avenue House, Royal Palm Hotel, Detroit, Michigan. Historic District contributing property Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

The facts on Louis Kamper come from Historic Detroit, Wikidata, and Wikipedia; Rebuild Detroit wrote the story above from them, and each photo names its license.