Lost hotel, Detroit, 1921 to 1997
Wolverine Hotel
Demolished in 1997
- Opened
- 1921
- Style
- Italian Renaissance
- Torn down
- 1997
Designed by L.P. Rowe
The Wolverine Hotel stood in Detroit from 1921 until 1997. 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 Wolverine Hotel, designed by L.P. Rowe, stood on this spot for 76 years. It came down 29 years ago. Today the spot is a surface parking lot.
- 1921 Opens Wolverine Hotel
- 1985 Closes Wolverine Hotel
- 1997 Comes down Wolverine Hotel
- 2026 Today Surface parking lot
What is there now
A surface parking lot
- Today Source: OpenStreetMap
- Wolverine Hotel 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 Wolverine Hotel went up in 1921, during the boom years when the auto industry turned Detroit into one of the fastest growing cities in America.
The design came from L.P. Rowe, in the Italian Renaissance style.
It is gone now, demolished in 1997, and the map pin below marks where it stood.
Timeline
- 1921 Built Designed by L.P. Rowe
- 1985 Closed
- 1997 Demolished
- 2026 Today 29 years since it came down
Where it is
53-65 E. Elizabeth St.
On this map
- 1 Wolverine Hotel This place
- 2 Detroit College of Law 110 ft
- 3 Madison Theatre Building 180 ft
- 4 Grand Circus Park Historic District (Boundary Increase) 280 ft
- 5 Fillmore Detroit 340 ft
- 6 Central United Methodist Church 340 ft
- 7 Huntington Bank Tower 370 ft
- 8 YMCA (Downtown Branch) 390 ft
- 9 Francis Palms Building and State Theater 410 ft
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
More from Detroit in the 1920s
-
Bethel Community Transformation Center
House of worship, built 1922, by Albert Kahn
Photo: paintings by Myron G. Barlow photography by Helmut Ziewers,, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Cadillac Place
Building, built 1920, by Albert Kahn
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
-
Westin Book Cadillac Hotel
Hotel, built 1924, Neo-Renaissance, by Louis Kamper
Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 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
-
Buhl Building
Skyscraper, built 1925, Neo-Romanesque, by Wirt C. Rowland
Photo: I, Mikerussell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
- Detroit College of Law School, built 1937, Art Moderne, by George D. Mason, demolished 1997 110 ft
-
![Madison Theatre Building, [View of Madison Theatre and Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4627-2357-thumb-b2374e7d74.jpg)
Madison Theatre Building
Theater, built 1917, Neoclassical, by C. Howard Crane
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
180 ft
-
Grand Circus Park Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Historic district
Photo: Mikerussell at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
280 ft
-
Fillmore Detroit
Building, built 1925, Renaissance Revival, by C. Howard Crane
Photo: Mikerussell at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
340 ft
-
Central United Methodist Church
House of worship, built 1867, Gothic Revival, by Gordon W. Lloyd
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
340 ft
-
Huntington Bank Tower
Skyscraper, built 2022
Photo: Supreme Boonz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
370 ft
- YMCA (Downtown Branch) Building, built 1909, by Donaldson & Meier, demolished 1997 390 ft
-
Francis Palms Building and State Theater
Theater, built 1925, Beaux-Arts, by C. Howard Crane
Photo: JJonahJackalope, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
410 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.