Lost theater, Detroit, 1905 to 2009
Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building
Demolished in 2009
- Opened
- 1905
- Style
- Arts and Crafts
- Torn down
- 2009
Designed by C. Howard Crane and Louis Kamper
The Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building stood in Detroit from 1905 until 2009. Here is what it was, who made it and where to find the spot today.
Then and now
What stands there now
A surface parking lot
Detroit's Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building, designed by C. Howard Crane and Louis Kamper, stood on this spot for 104 years. It came down 17 years ago. Today the spot is a surface parking lot.
- 1905 Opens Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building
- 1988 Closes Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building
- 2009 Comes down Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building
- 2026 Today Surface parking lot
What is there now
A surface parking lot
- Today Source: OpenStreetMap
- Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building came down Source: Historic Detroit
We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.
The story
The Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building went up in 1905, in the years Detroit became the Motor City and built like it meant to stay on top.
The design came from C. Howard Crane and Louis Kamper, working in Arts and Crafts.
It is gone now, demolished in 2009, and the map pin below marks where it stood.
Timeline
- 1905 Built Designed by C. Howard Crane and Louis Kamper
- 1988 Closed
- 2009 Demolished
- 2026 Today 17 years since it came down
Where it is
44 W. Adams St.
On this map
- 1 Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building This place
- 2 Fyfe Apartments 100 ft
- 3 Kales Building 110 ft
- 4 Campau Realty Co. Building 200 ft
- 5 Park Avenue Building 200 ft
- 6 Detroit Building 270 ft
- 7 Church of Our Father 280 ft
- 8 Huntington Bank Tower 300 ft
- 9 Women's City Club 310 ft
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
Architect
C. Howard CraneAmerican architect, 1885 to 1952. Designed the Fox Theater Building (1928) and 30 more in Metro Detroit
Also by C. Howard Crane
- Liberty Theatre 1871
- Comique Theatre 1905
- Ralph E. Burnham House 1908
- Columbia Theatre 1911
- H. Cleland Allison House 1912
- Thomas E. Currie House 1913
Col. Frank J. Hecker House, by Louis Kamper. Photo: Andrew Jameson at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Architect
Louis KamperAmerican architect, 1861 to 1953. Designed the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel (1924) and 37 more in Metro Detroit
Also by Louis Kamper
More from Detroit in the 1900s
-
Breitmeyer-Tobin Building
Building, built 1905, Beaux Arts, by Raseman & Fisher
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
![Charlevoix Hotel, [Hotel Fuller and Hotel Charlevoix, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4345-2224-thumb-6285d11b4c.jpg)
Charlevoix Hotel
Hotel, built 1905, Beaux Arts, by William S. Joy, demolished 2013
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Building, built 1904, Neoclassical, by Albert Kahn
Photo: PDru2014 from Detroit, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
![Belle Isle Aquarium, [The Aquarium and conservatory, Belle Isle Park, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4284-2164-thumb-099cdc24f0.jpg)
Belle Isle Aquarium
Building, built 1904, Baroque-Beaux Arts, by Albert Kahn
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Cary Building
Building, built 1906, Beaux Arts, by Richard E. Raseman
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Ford Piquette Avenue Plant
Building, built 1904, Late Victorian, by Field, Hinchman & Smith
Photo: Jackdude101, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
- Fyfe Apartments Building, built 1919, by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls 100 ft
- Kales Building Building, built 1914, Chicago School, by Albert Kahn 110 ft
- Campau Realty Co. Building Building, built 1924, by Charles N. Agree 200 ft
- Park Avenue Building Building, built 1923, by Albert Kahn 200 ft
-
Detroit Building
Building, built 1923
Photo: Mx. Granger, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
270 ft
- Church of Our Father House of worship, built 1881, Romanesque, by Charles H. Marsh, demolished 1913 280 ft
-
Huntington Bank Tower
Skyscraper, built 2022
Photo: Supreme Boonz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
300 ft
-
Women's City Club
Building, built 1924, Arts and Crafts, by Stratton & Snyder
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
310 ft
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.