Town Apartments

Have you ever heard of a building that took over two decades to complete? Right here in Detroit stands the Town Apartments, a testament to resilience and changing architectural tastes. The Town Apartments, originally envisioned as the clubhouse for the Detroit chapter of the National Town and Country Club, began construction in 1928. The club, later renamed the Pontchartrain Club, hired renowned architect Wirt C. Rowland to design this grand space. Rowland, a club member himself, designed a building that would include athletic facilities, overnight rooms, and elegant public spaces. Then the Great Depression hit. Construction halted abruptly, leaving the Town Apartments a skeletal frame with only its exterior walls and roof complete. No windows, nothing. It stood exposed to the elements for over twenty years, a stark reminder of the economic hardship that gripped the nation. Imagine this elegant structure, designed for luxury and leisure, standing empty and vulnerable for two decades. Then, in the early 1950s, a group of Cleveland investors saw potential in the forgotten structure. They purchased the building and began a complete transformation. The Town Apartments, as they were then named, were finally completed in 1953, not as a private club, but as a modern residential building. The original Art Deco design of Wirt C. Rowland was heavily modified to reflect the popular International Style of the time. Many of the ornate stone decorations were removed, and the windows were widened. Traces of Rowland’s original vision, however, can still be seen, particularly on the central tower. The Town Apartments stand as a unique blend of two distinct architectural eras. It’s a reminder that even in the face of adversity, beauty and functionality can emerge.