Building, Core City, since 1899
Williams Brothers Co.
Standing, closed
- Opened
- 1899
- Standing
- 127 years
Designed by Albert E. French
Williams Brothers Co. has stood on Grand River Ave. in Core City since 1899, 127 years and counting. Who built it, what makes it special and how to see it for yourself.
What is there now
Standing, closed
- Closed Source: Historic Detroit
We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 25, 2026. Nothing new at this address in the last two years.
The story
In 1899, in Detroit's Gilded Age, when stove works, shipyards and railroads made the city's first fortunes, Williams Brothers Co. opened in Core City.
Credit the design to Albert E. French.
Its doors are closed for now, but the building still stands.
Go see it at 5301 Grand River Ave. Photos never get the scale right.
Timeline
- 1899 Built Designed by Albert E. French
- 2026 Today Standing, closed
Where it is
5301 Grand River Ave.
On this map
- 1 Williams Brothers Co. This place
- 2 Detroit Fire Department Training School 0.2 mi
- 3 Scovel Memorial Presbyterian Church 0.3 mi
- 4 Olympia Stadium 0.4 mi
- 5 Redeemer Presbyterian Church 0.4 mi
- 6 Columbian School 0.6 mi
- 7 Max Jacob House 0.6 mi
- 8 King Solomon Baptist Church 0.6 mi
- 9 Lee Plaza 0.7 mi
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
Architect
Albert E. FrenchArchitect. Designed Basilica Ste. Anne de Détroit (1887) and Williams Brothers Co.
Also by Albert E. French
More from Detroit in the 1890s
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![Eastern States, [Str. Eastern States, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4436-2275-thumb-5717c27eed.jpg)
Eastern States
Ship, built 1902, by Louis Keil, demolished 1956
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Majestic Building
Building, built 1896, Beaux Arts, by Daniel H. Burnham, demolished 1961
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Bonstelle Theatre
Theater, built 1903, Beaux Arts, by Mason & Kahn
Photo: Saul Vielmetti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Harmonie Club
Building, built 1895, Beaux Arts, by Richard E. Raseman
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
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
Around the block
It is in Core City. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.
- Detroit Fire Department Training School School, built 1931, by Hans Gerhke 0.2 mi
- Scovel Memorial Presbyterian Church Monument, built 1898, demolished 2005 0.3 mi
-
Olympia Stadium
Stadium, built 1927, by C. Howard Crane, demolished 1986
Photo: Carla Anderson, Historic American Buildings Survey, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
0.4 mi
-
Redeemer Presbyterian Church
House of worship, built 1910, Spanish Renaissance, by Harry J. Rill
Photo: Dclemens1971, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.4 mi
- Columbian School School, built 1893, by Malcomson & Higginbotham, demolished 1980 0.6 mi
- Max Jacob House Built 1916, French Villa, in Midtown homes 0.6 mi
-
King Solomon Baptist Church
House of worship, built 1917, English Gothic, by J. Will Wilson
Photo: Umdet, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.6 mi
-
Lee Plaza
Building, built 1927, Art Deco, by Charles Noble
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.7 mi
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.