Thompson-Starrett Co.
American construction and engineering firm, 1899 to 1968, New York City, New York
Closed in 1968
Builder of the General Motors Building, the 220-foot tower that rose in Detroit's New Center in 1922, a National Historic Landmark since 1978. Beyond Metro Detroit, Thompson-Starrett Co. built the First National Bank Building in Pennsylvania (1909) and the Woolworth Building in Tribeca, New York (1912).
- the height of the General Motors Building
- 220 feet
- notable works beyond Metro Detroit
- 4
Thompson-Starrett Co.'s skyline, here and beyond
The General Motors Building beside 4 of Thompson-Starrett Co.'s notable works elsewhere, drawn paler, oldest at left. Heights are to scale where one is on record (2 of 5, tallest the Woolworth Building at 791 feet); the rest are drawn at one standard size.
The General Motors Building beside 4 of Thompson-Starrett Co.'s notable works elsewhere, drawn paler, oldest at left. Heights are to scale where one is on record (2 of 5, tallest the Woolworth Building at 791 feet); the rest are drawn at one standard size.
- Standing
- Beyond Metro Detroit
- Tap or point at a building
The story
Metro Detroit knows Thompson-Starrett Co. by the General Motors Building, 15 floors in Detroit's New Center, finished in 1922 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It rises 220 feet over 15 floors. Built in the years Detroit became the Motor City and built like it meant to stay on top, it has stood for 104 years. Thompson-Starrett Co. was an American construction and engineering firm in New York City, New York, at work from 1899 until 1968.
Outside Metro Detroit, Thompson-Starrett Co.'s work includes the First National Bank Building in Pennsylvania (1909), the Woolworth Building in Tribeca, New York (1912), and the Fenn Tower in Ohio (1929). Albert Kahn drew the plans for the General Motors Building. The General Motors Building still stands at 3044 W. Grand Boulevard, and the best way to know Thompson-Starrett Co. is to stand in front of it.
Thompson, Starrett Co. was an American construction contracting and engineering firm based in New York City that operated from 1899 until 1968.
Thompson-Starrett Co.'s work in Metro Detroit
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General Motors Building
1922, Detroit's New Center, Skyscraper
Still standing, photographed 2020
Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
No work matches every choice. Remove a filter above to see more.
Beyond Metro Detroit
4 notable works by Thompson-Starrett Co. in 4 places, from 1909 to 1930, as Wikidata lists them.
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First National Bank Building Pennsylvania, 1909 Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons -
Woolworth Building Tribeca, New York, 1912, 791 feet tall Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Aude assumed (based..., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons -
Fenn Tower Ohio, 1929 Photo: Tallonator at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons -
Paresky Commons Andover, Massachusetts, 1930 Photo: Daderot, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Who Thompson-Starrett Co. built with
- Albert Kahn on the General Motors Building
Where the work stands
Photo credits
All 5 photos on Thompson-Starrett Co.'s page, each with its author, license and the original.
- General Motors Building (Cadillac Place), View southeast showing north (front) and west elevations, 1981 Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- First National Bank Building Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Woolworth Building Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Aude assumed (based..., public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fenn Tower Photo: Tallonator at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paresky Commons Photo: Daderot, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
The facts on Thompson-Starrett Co. come from Wikipedia, Photos, and Wikidata; Rebuild Detroit wrote the story above from them, and each photo names its license.