Frederick H. Spier and William C. Rohns were both born in Germany in the mid-1850s and arrived in Detroit in 1883. Together, they built one of the most productive architectural partnerships of late 19th-century Detroit, with a particular talent for churches and train stations. In 1908, they brought junior associate Hans Gehrke into the partnership, expanding the firm’s work to include fire stations. Author, photographer and architectural historian Dale A. Carlson explores the legacy of Spier, Rohns & Gehrke through some of the buildings that still define their work, from the ornate Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church to the Gandy Dancer in Ann Arbor and the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters, now home to the Detroit Foundation Hotel.
ARCHITECTURE LECTURE SERIES
Architect of Entertainment: C. Howard Crane | Oct. 10
The Firm That Built Detroit: Smith, Hinchman & Grylls | Nov. 7
Detroit's Palace Architect: Louis Kamper | Dec. 5