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Lost building, Detroit, 1902 to 1967

Holmes Building

Demolished in 1967

A drawing of Holmes Building from its recorded size and style. No photo we may share has turned up yet.
Opened
1902
Torn down
1967

Designed by Pollmar & Ropes

The Holmes Building stood in Detroit from 1902 until 1967. Here is what it was, who made it and where to find the spot today.

On the map

Then and now

What stands there now

Today

The spot today, from the street Photo: Street View, 2026

A vacant lot

Detroit's Holmes Building, designed by Pollmar & Ropes, stood on this spot for 65 years. It came down 59 years ago. Today the spot is a vacant lot.

Walk the block on the map
  1. 1902 Opens Holmes Building
  2. 1966 Closes Holmes Building
  3. 1967 Comes down Holmes Building
  4. 2026 Today Vacant lot
How we know what stands there
  • County parcel records SPEC ACT LAND ONLY

Checked October 25, 2026. We never guess: a site no source speaks for shows no answer.

What is there now

A vacant lot

  • Today Source: County parcel records
  • Holmes Building came down Source: Historic Detroit
See then and now

We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.

The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

In 1902, during the boom years when the auto industry turned Detroit into one of the fastest growing cities in America, the Holmes Building went up.

Pollmar & Ropes drew the plans.

It is gone now, demolished in 1967, and the map pin below marks where it stood.

Timeline

  1. 1902 Built Designed by Pollmar & Ropes
  2. 1966 Closed
  3. 1967 Demolished
  4. 2026 Today 59 years since it came down

Where it is

1507 Broadway

On this map

  1. Holmes Building This place
  2. Wurlitzer Building 70 ft
  3. Detroit Opera House 90 ft
  4. Eureka Building 100 ft
  5. Hartz Building 120 ft
  6. Edelweiss Cafe 150 ft
  7. Simmons & Clark Building 170 ft
  8. Metropolitan Building 180 ft
  9. A&M Coney Island Building 280 ft

Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors

Who made it

Architect

Pollmar & Ropes

Architecture firm. Designed the Roosevelt Hotel (1923) and 10 more in Metro Detroit

Also by Pollmar & Ropes

More from Detroit in the 1900s

Around the block

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.