Maccabees Building
Maccabees Building, Woodward Ave.
The Maccabees Building is known for its beautiful Art Deco stylings and stunning ceiling mosaics in the lobby.
The 14-story building was designed by Albert Kahn and erected for the Maccabees, a fraternal organization that provided low-cost insurance to its members. In 1926, when ground was broken on this building at Woodward Avenue and Putnam Street, the order had 200,000 members in North America, and was particularly active in Michigan. Tenants started moving in as early as January 1927, but the formal opening wasn’t held until July 23, 1927, when 5,000 Maccabees members from around the country and Canada descended on the city.
The name was taken from the Maccabees of the Bible, a group of Jewish rebels who stood up against the Greeks to defend their religion. In 1960, the Maccabees moved out, relocating to suburban Southfield, and Detroit Public Schools took over for four decades. After DPS moved to the Fisher Building, Wayne State University bought the building in 2002, using it for administrative and departmental offices.
Read MoreThe Maccabees Building is known for its beautiful Art Deco stylings and stunning ceiling mosaics in the lobby.
The 14-story building was designed by Albert Kahn and erected for the Maccabees, a fraternal organization that provided low-cost insurance to its members. In 1926, when ground was broken on this building at Woodward Avenue and Putnam Street, the order had 200,000 members in North America, and was particularly active in Michigan. Tenants started moving in as early as January 1927, but the formal opening wasn’t held until July 23, 1927, when 5,000 Maccabees members from around the country and Canada descended on the city.
The name was taken from the Maccabees of the Bible, a group of Jewish rebels who stood up against the Greeks to defend their religion. In 1960, the Maccabees moved out, relocating to suburban Southfield, and Detroit Public Schools took over for four decades. After DPS moved to the Fisher Building, Wayne State University bought the building in 2002, using it for administrative and departmental offices.