Lost hotel, Detroit, 1916
Lester Hotel
Demolished
- Opened
- 1916
Designed by Joseph P. Jogerst
The Lester Hotel stood in Detroit from 1916. 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
- 1916 Opens Lester Hotel
- 1991 Closes Lester Hotel
- 2026 Today Surface parking lot
What is there now
A surface parking lot
- Today Source: OpenStreetMap and County parcel records
We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.
The story
The Lester Hotel went up in 1916, in the years Detroit became the Motor City and built like it meant to stay on top.
Joseph P. Jogerst drew the plans.
It is gone now, and the map pin below marks where it stood.
Timeline
- 1916 Built Designed by Joseph P. Jogerst
- 1991 Closed
Where it is
161 W. Columbia St.
On this map
- 1 Lester Hotel This place
- 2 Mera Hotel 230 ft
- 3 Park Avenue Historic District 350 ft
- 4 Women's City Club 360 ft
- 5 Majestic Hotel 370 ft
- 6 Iodent Building 370 ft
- 7 Blenheim Apartments 370 ft
- 8 Young Woman's Home 370 ft
- 9 Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 380 ft
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
Architect
Joseph P. JogerstArchitect. Designed The Hamilton (1914) and 4 more in Metro Detroit
Also by Joseph P. Jogerst
- The Hamilton 1914
- Charles A. Werner House 1923
- Clifford Hotel 1923
- Mt. Royal Hotel 1924
More from Detroit in the 1910s
-
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
House of worship, built 1916, Neo Gothic, by George F. Diehl
Photo: Nheyob, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Book Tower
Hotel, built 1917, Italian Renaissance, by Louis Kamper
Photo: Albert duce, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
David Whitney Building
Hotel, built 1915, Beaux Arts, by Graham, Burnham & Co.
Photo: St8fan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Detroit Athletic Club
Building, built 1915, by Albert Kahn
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Farwell Building
Building, built 1915, Chicago School, by Harrie W. Bonnah
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
![Cadillac Square Building, [Cadillac Square and County Building, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4325-2210-thumb-8479e96c24.jpg)
Cadillac Square Building
Hotel, built 1918, Beaux Arts, by Bonnah & Chaffee, demolished 1976
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
Around the block
- Mera Hotel Hotel, built 1898, Colonial Revival, by Kastler & Hunter 230 ft
-
Park Avenue Historic District
Building
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
350 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
360 ft
- Majestic Hotel Hotel, built 1926, Spanish Colonial Revival, by J. Philip McDonnell, demolished 1974 370 ft
- Iodent Building Building, built 1923, Art Deco, by Bonnah & Chaffee 370 ft
- Blenheim Apartments Building, built 1909, Tudor Revival, by Baxter & O'Dell 370 ft
- Young Woman's Home Built 1888 370 ft
- Loyal Order of Moose Lodge Building, built 1922, by Baxter, O'Dell & Halpin 380 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.