My knowledge of this building is limited. I believe that it
was designed by Albert Kahn and constructed for Standard Motor Truck in 1912,
but it may have
been a few years after that. I have read references to the chain-driven trucks
that were built by this firm, but I have not tracked down much information
about them or their date of demise. Usually, I am able to locate extensive
information about the people and firms that occupied historically-interesting
buildings in Detroit. This area, along the Detroit Terminal Railroad going
northwest from Jefferson, was an important center for the new automobile industry
since
that rail line served not only Standard Motor Truck, but Hupmobile, Aerocar,
Saxon, Hudson, Scripps-Howard and, quite likely, quite a few other neophyte
auto firms. Hudson was the only one in this corridor that survived the Depression.
I have seen references to Standard Motor Truck building chain-driven trucks
into the 1920s. During World War I, they apparently packaged the components
for trucks and sent them to the Seabrook vehicle firm in London where the parts
were assembled and the trucks sold under the Seabrook mark. That export business
apparently came to an end with the peace of November 11, 1919. I do not know
whether Standard Motor Truck merged with another producer, or went out of business
with the onset of the Depression as many smaller producers did. In the 1920s,
both GM and Dodge purchased
several truck manufacturers as they shifted into truck manufacturing, so Standard
Motor Truck may have been absorbed by a larger
firm.
In 1989, Letts Industries, a supplier to the vehicle industry, moved into this
building. This is an old firm. Its founder, Charles Letts, began supplying
cast or forged metal products to Henry Ford’s firm as early as 1915.
Indeed, their website proudly announces that Charles Letts personally delivered
forging
to Henry Ford, using a horse team. The Letts firm still occupies the second
floor of this building. I exchanged interesting e-mail messages with Chip Letts
who
assured me that the firm was still there and observed that if you walked through
this building, you would clearly see the design features that Albert Kahn incorporated
for a truck manufacturer, including line shafts and tracks. He also assured
me that the original 10,000-pound elevator is still working.
Architect: Albert Kahn
Date of construction: 1912 or 1917
Architectural style: First generation modern automobile factory using steel reinforced concrete
Use in 2006: Letts Industries
City of Detroit Local Historic District: Not listed
State of Michigan Registry of Historic Places: Not listed
National Register of Historic Sites: Not listed
Photograph: Ren Farley; July 10, 2005
Description: February, 2006.