National Register of Historic Places

Wardell, The

Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
August 21, 2007
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
07000744

About this property

The Park Shelton is a historic condominium building located at 15 East Kirby Street (on the corner of Kirby and Woodward Avenue) in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1926 as The Wardell hotel, the building was therefore listed under this name in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Wardell was designed by Detroit architects Weston and Ellington and built by Bryant and Detwiler in 1926 as a residential hotel, intended for extended stays. Architectural sculpture for the building was created by Corrado Parducci. The name comes from Fred Wardell, who owned the Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Company. Diego Rivera and his wife (and fellow artist), Frida Kahlo, lived there while working on his mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Wardell was sold to Sheraton Hotels in October 1941, and renamed The Wardell Sheraton Hotel in 1943, then the Sheraton Hotel, and finally the Park Sheraton Hotel in December 1951. In September 1952, it was sold to New Yorker Louis Schleiffer. As he could no longer use the Sheraton name, he changed the spelling just slightly, renaming it the Park Shelton Hotel. It was the Detroit hotel of choice for such celebrities as Bob Hope, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Raymond Burr. In the 1970s, the Park Shelton Hotel was converted to apartments. In 2004, the Park Shelton was redeveloped into condominiums, creating 227 luxury units in the building. The newly refurbished building was opened in August 2004.

Location

15 E. Kirby Ave.
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
42.36056, -83.06614

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hecker, Col. Frank J., House
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0.1 mi
Freer, Charles Lang, House
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Belcrest Hotel
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Cultural Center Historic District
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Verona Apartments
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Nearby Battles

Pontiac's War – Battle of Bloody Run July 31 1763
1763Colonial
1.2 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War, 1763)
1763Colonial
1.3 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War)
1763Colonial
1.9 mi
Pontiac's War — Battle of Bloody Run
1763Colonial
2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Wardell, The listed on the National Register?

Wardell, The was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Wardell, The?

Wardell, The is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Wardell, The?

The period of significance for Wardell, The is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Wardell, The?

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