Globe Building

In the heart of Detroit, a sturdy sentinel stands watch over the bustling city. The Globe Building, a testament to Detroit’s rich industrial past, whispers tales of tobacco and innovation. The Globe Building isn’t just a building. It’s a time capsule. It takes us back to the late 19th century, when Detroit’s tobacco industry was booming. In 1871, a group of entrepreneurs, including Hiram Walker of Canadian distillery fame, founded the Globe Tobacco Company. They started on Atwater Street. By 1878, they were producing 300,000 pounds of tobacco a year. Their business quickly outgrew their original location. In 1888, they commissioned a new, larger factory on Fort Street: the Globe Building. The architect was William Scott & Company, and the builder was Alexander Chapoton Jr. Chapoton was a prominent figure in Detroit, responsible for many significant buildings. The Globe Building was a state-of-the-art facility. It was among the first factories in the US to use electricity. Nine electric motors powered by a single dynamo provided all the power, even for the elevator. The building was also constructed with “slow-burning” mill construction techniques. This involved using heavy masonry walls and timber framing to minimize fire risk. It was a smart move. Insurance companies favored this method. The Globe Tobacco Company thrived in its new home. By 1892, production reached 2.5 million pounds annually. They shipped their tobacco all over North and South America, and even to Great Britain. They even designed and patented their own machinery for plug tobacco production. Their packaging was innovative too: tin boxes shaped like cigar boxes with glass covers. Despite their success, the Globe Tobacco Company eventually closed its doors in 1925. The building, however, lived on. It housed various small manufacturing firms until the 1970s. In 1984, architect Louis Redstone transformed the building into office space, adding a central atrium. The Globe Building remains a proud symbol of Detroit’s industrious past.