Old City Hall - Demolition photos
Old City Hall
Nearly a century of Detroit history reduced to nothing but a heaping mound of rubble.
The storied clock tower was the last piece to come down.
Half of City Hall lies in rubble in September 1961.
One of the heads of the virtues statues is lowered. They were removed in pieces.
One of the maidens of virtue is removed from the cupola in pieces.
Nearly the entire northwest corner is reduced to rubble.
Demolition moves to the northwest corner. The demolition work was done at night.
The porch lies in a heap in front of Old City Hall.
The clock faces and sculptor Julius T. Melchers' four maidens went to Ft. Wayne in pieces.
The statues of French pioneers are now at Wayne State University.
Demolition is finished and work on razing the Majestic begins, its windows removed.
Nov. 1, 1961: Nothing remains. Demo signs are on the Majestic Building, which met the same fate.
The rubble is mostly gone, carted away to be used as fill at a marina in St. Clair Shores.
Demolition begins at night unannounced on Aug. 14, 1961.
Old City Hall under demolition in 1961