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All the United States Michigan Detroit Grand Army of the Republic Building

Grand Army of the Republic Building

Detroit’s downtown castle is one of the oldest structures in the city.

Detroit, Michigan

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Christopher Linton
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GAR Building.   http://buildingsofdetroit.com/places/gar
Cornerstone of GAR Building.   http://www.flickr.com/photos/71288712@N00/...
Starting renovations 2011   Maharaji Rastafari / Atlas Obscura User
Starting renovations 2011   Maharaji Rastafari / Atlas Obscura User
GAR Building after restoration and reopening circa 2016   Michelle and Chris Gerard
2011 starting renovations   Maharaji Rastafari / Atlas Obscura User
Starting renovations 2011   Maharaji Rastafari / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Built in 1899 at a cost of $50,000, this turreted building served as the meeting hall and memorial for an organization called The Grand Army of the Republic.

The GAR was founded in 1866 by a surgeon who had served in the American Civil War and became one of the most influential fraternal organizations in America. By the 1890s, the organization had grown large and influential with its endorsement almost a necessity for anyone with political ambitions. In recognition of this growing influence, the City of Detroit called upon the services a well-known architect, Julian Hess, to build the largest GAR hall in Michigan.

Built on land deeded to the City of Detroit with the stipulation that that it forever be used as a “marketplace,” the GAR leased the lower floors to various businesses such as a bank, barber shop and tire store. This arrangement continued until 1934 by which time the aging veterans in the city had dwindled to only 24. Celebrating their last Memorial Day in the building during May of that year, the building became the property of the city and served as an office for various city interests. Despite the conversion to city offices, the GAR was given one room to continue meeting and each member was provided a key to the building.

The last veteran died in 1942 and the building eventually became a neighborhood recreation center until its closure in 1982. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. As of 2015, two restaurants have taken up shop in the castle. The first is Parks & Rec, a breakfast diner featuring egg creations, with the second being Republic Tavern, an upscale American-style eatery. 

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Check the restaurant hours before visiting, they are subject to change!

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ronin

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Anna Friedman, santisime, tessofthedurbeyfields, michaeloftroy...

  • Anna Friedman
  • santisime
  • tessofthedurbeyfields
  • michaeloftroy
  • Maharaji Rastafari

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October 6, 2010

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  • Detroiturbex: Grand Army of the Republic: http://detroiturbex.com/content/downtown/gar/gar.html
Grand Army of the Republic Building
1942 W Grand River Ave.
Detroit, Michigan, 48226
United States
42.335039, -83.054892
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