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Lost hotel, Detroit, 1907 to 1920

Pontchartrain Hotel

Demolished in 1920

[Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Mich.], 1907 Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
Opened
1907
Torn down
1920

Designed by George D. Mason

The Pontchartrain Hotel stood in Detroit from 1907 until 1920. 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

Pontchartrain Hotel, [Hotel Pontchartrain before completion, Detroit, Mich.]
First National Building, 1st National Building, Detroit Financial District. self made
1907 Today
Drag the line to see the spot in 1907 and today. 1907 Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress Today Photo: Mikerussell at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

First National Building

Built 1922, 26 stories, Skyscraper

Detroit's Pontchartrain Hotel, designed by George D. Mason, stood on this spot for 13 years. In 1922, two years after it came down, the First National Building rose in its place: 26 stories, designed by Albert Kahn. It has now stood 104 years, more than five times as long as the hotel it replaced.

The First National Building is a high-rise office building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Detroit Financial District. The building is located across the streets from Cadillac Tower and One Detroit Center, and stands next to the Vinton Building.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Read the story of the First National Building Walk the block on the map
  1. 1907 Opens Pontchartrain Hotel
  2. 1920 Comes down Pontchartrain Hotel
  3. 1922 Rises First National Building
  4. 2026 Today First National Building, 104 years on the site
How we know what stands there
  • Rebuild Detroit records First National Building at the same spot (0 m), opened 1922

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

More photos of Pontchartrain Hotel

[Hotel Pontchartrain before completion, Detroit, Mich.], 1907 Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress

What is there now

First National Building

  • Rose on the site 26 stories, skyscraper Source: Rebuild Detroit records
  • Pontchartrain Hotel came down Source: Historic Detroit

Building permits at this address

9 permits since February 2025

$943,000 in declared work (3 of 9 name a figure) Newest: Fire alarm permit, October 22, 2026

  1. Fire alarm permit

    Installation of a Clean Agent Releasing Panel to 20th Floor Data Center Room.

  2. Fire alarm permit

    Modification of existing fire alarm system

  3. Mechanical permit

    Was asked to pull 2nd permit by inspector.

  4. Elevator permit

    City# 4025 convert to wedge shackles. Fnb east freight #24

  5. Alteration permit

    Install new Fire Alarm System to Code in Tenant Suite 7 (Chick-Fil-A) per plans. Subject to Field Approval.

    $8,000

  6. Fire alarm permit

    Fire Alarm installation for new tenant.

  7. Mechanical permit

    Proposal for disconnect, removal, and disposal of the existing walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer equipment... Read all

    Proposal for disconnect, removal, and disposal of the existing walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer equipment and installa

  8. New permit

    The scope of this project is a non-structure interior remodel of existing tenant space to be converted to a... Read all

    The scope of this project is a non-structure interior remodel of existing tenant space to be converted to a chick-fil-a

    $665,000

  9. Alteration permit

    Interior Tenant alterations to Code in 1,169 sq ft Ground Floor space per plans. Subject to Field Approval.

    $270,000

Source: City and county building permits

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 1907, during the boom years when the auto industry turned Detroit into one of the fastest growing cities in America, the Pontchartrain Hotel went up.

George D. Mason drew the plans.

It is gone now, demolished in 1920, and the map pin below marks where it stood.

Timeline

  1. 1907 Built Designed by George D. Mason
  2. 1920 Closed
  3. 1920 Demolished
  4. 2025 6 building permits $943,000 in declared work, the latest October 10
  5. 2026 3 building permits The latest October 22
  6. 2026 Today 106 years since it came down

Where it is

660 Woodward Ave.

On this map

  1. Pontchartrain Hotel This place
  2. First National Building Next door
  3. Metropole Building 80 ft
  4. Foran's Grand Trunk Pub 120 ft
  5. Vinton Building 170 ft
  6. Owana 190 ft
  7. Pleasure 190 ft
  8. J.T. Wing 190 ft
  9. North West 190 ft

Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors

Who made it

George D. Mason
Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Architect

George D. Mason

American architect, 1856 to 1948. Designed the Lincoln Motor Company Plant (1917) and 39 more in Metro Detroit

Also by George D. Mason

More from Detroit in the 1900s

Around the block

Photo credits

Every photo on this page is used under its license, named here with its author and a link to the original.

  1. [Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Mich.], 1907 Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
  2. [Hotel Pontchartrain before completion, Detroit, Mich.], 1907 Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
  3. [Hotel Pontchartrain before completion, Detroit, Mich.], 1907 Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress

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.