Photo Opportunities

If you haven’t heard by now this past month the “World’s Largest Stove” located at the Michigan State Fair Grounds was struck by lighting and destroyed. As an icon that has been a part of Detroit for over a hundred years, it’s hard to believe it can just disappear that quickly with no warning. Here are some quick facts about the former landmark:

The stove was first showcased at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893
Stove manufacturing was a large industry in Detroit before the automobile
The stove was built by the Michigan Stove company
The stove stood 25-foot tall
It was displayed in many places before being moved in 1998 to its current spot
It was built and painted to look like an antique coal/wood burning stove

There are no plans or news as to what will become of what’s left or if it will be rebuilt. I hope that a few wealthy Detroit donors will step up to the plate and have the stove rebuilt to it’s original specifications. The only thing I hope changes is the location. The State Fair has not operated since 2009 and access to the stove is very limited to area residents and visitors. it would make much more sense for the Stove to find a new home where all can enjoy and snap pictures. In my eyes the ideal space for it would be in front of the DIA in either the north or south lawns facing Woodward. An alternative spot would be incorporated into the new Hart Plaza.

Having heard the news it got me thinking about our areas most recognized and/or photographed landmarks. I’ve come up with a list of what I think are the Top 5 in no particular order:

1. The Spirit of Detroit, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Detroit, Mich.

2. The Joe Louis Fist, Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Mich.

3. The Giant Tiger, Comerica Park, Detroit, Mich.

4. The Giant Uniroyal Tire, I-94 Highway, Allen Park, Mich.

Google Images

5. Michigan Central Station, Corktown, Detroit, Mich.

Honorable Mention:

1. Whales Mural, Broderick Tower, Detroit, Mich.

2. Heidelberg Project, Heidelberg Street, Detroit, Mich.

3. Ren Cen, Riverfront, Detroit, Mich.

4. Motown Museum, West Grand Blvd, Detroit, Mich.

SPACE

What are your favorite things to get photographed with? Let us know!

About Jeffrey S. Buck

I'm currently a Project Manager at Cypress Partners, LLC in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. I graduated from Wayne State University in 2008 with a B.A. in Journalism. Looking to broaden my view of the world, I spent a semester abroad studying at the University of Salford, a Greater Manchester University in England. I enjoy doing an array of activities, including following Detroit sports teams, SCUBA diving, traveling, reading, playing tennis, hand-written letters and going to the movies. I am the co-founder of the Woodward Spine, a blog about Detroit and its surrounding communities. The Woodward Spine aims to inform its readers about relevant news and events through creative and informative posts in these core areas: news, opinion, entertainment, history, sports and development. The Woodward Spine serves the tri-county metro Detroit area, concentrating mainly on the communities that lie along the Woodward corridor.

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1 Response to Photo Opportunities

Pamela Jeant says:

September 21, 2011 at 10:27 pm

scott fountain- belle isle
ford world headquarters-when the flags are out
anything from on the ambassador bridge
saturday night on Vernor street