J. L. Hudson Department Store and Addition

Michigan, United States

No longer standing

Demolished or destroyed.

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ReferenceCTBUH Skyscraper Center↗

The J. L. Hudson Building stood at 1206 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan, as the flagship store for the Hudson's department store chain. Built beginning in 1911 with additions continuing through 1946, the structure embodied the Chicago School architectural style and was designed by SmithGroup. Named after company founder Joseph Lowthian Hudson, it replaced an earlier 1891 building that had occupied the site until its demolition in 1923. The building became a Detroit landmark until its controlled demolition on October 24, 1998, which at that time set the record as the tallest building ever imploded.