Downtown – Flint, Michigan
We sought out to find the core of the Flint’s historic commercial footprint. Along the way we found exemplars of urban design in The Paterson building, numerous banks from the 1920s, and the Capitol Theatre completed in 1928 to resemble a lush Roman garden. The 500 block of Saginaw Street, looking both north and south from Kearsley Street, captures the city’s historic red brick roadways. One tower grabs the eye. Today the Mott Foundation Building but originally the Union Industrial Bank, this can be seen from all throughout town. Not every feature was a slam dunk. Late-20th-century economic development attempts, brought the $15.75 million festival marketplace opened by the Rouse Company in 1985.
410 E 4th St. Situated in the historic Grand Traverse District / Carriage Town area of downtown Flint, this massive 3,790-square-foot home dates back to the early 1900s. The property features iconic Queen Anne-style cross-gabled architecture, bay window extensions, and a large covered front porch currently being restored with brick masonry work. [1]
East Village Inn, 318 E Court St. The distinctive building features a prominent butterfly roofline and patterned concrete breeze-blocks, which are classic design elements originally popularized by the Imperial 400 motel chain during the mid-century modern era.
Sylvester Manor Apartments, 224 E Court St. Constructed in 1927, this classic six-story mid-rise building stands out as a prime example of late 1920s architecture, featuring a prominent tan-brick facade, decorative crenellated roofline trims, and elegant bay window towers accented with classic green roofing material. The property sits on the corner of East Court Street and Beach Street in the heart of downtown Flint, right across from the Christenson & Fiederlein PC law offices. [1, 2]
Soriano’s Mexican Kitchen, 836 S Saginaw St. Situated at the intersection of South Saginaw Street and East Court Street, this historic two-story Italianate-style brick structure originally housed the Bailiwick restaurant before operating as El Potrero. It was later revitalized to feature a full-service bar and dining space, serving as a staple dining destination in the heart of downtown Flint. [1, 2, 3]
Court Street United Methodist Church, 225 W Court St. Dedicated in 1894, this stunning red-brick church features a soaring square belfry tower, highly detailed brickwork accents, and magnificent arched stained glass windows facing the street. Standing as the home of Flint’s oldest continuously organized religious congregation, the site is recognized as an official Michigan State Historic Site. [1, 2]
Federal Building, 600 Church St. Completed in 1931 under the direction of acting supervising architect James A. Wetmore, this Art Moderne structure originally served as the main United States Post Office for the city. Today, it functions as a federal courthouse housing the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The building was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. [1, 2]
While the primary structural framing and walls of the Flint Federal Building are clad in smooth limestone, the decorative inset panels and the eagle bas-relief above the entrance are indeed polychromatic terra-cotta. Using molded architectural terra-cotta allowed New Deal-era federal designers to cleanly incorporate the complex, stylized geometric patterns and symbols typical of Art Moderne and Art Deco design into the main stone facades.
Beach Street and West Court Street. This building features an iconic zig-zag canopy roofline, directly mirroring the dramatic mid-century modern butterfly style seen on the East Village Inn just a few blocks down Court Street. The building is situated immediately adjacent to the Genesee County Circuit Court parking areas.
Mott Foundation Building, 503 S Saginaw St. Completed in 1930 and originally known as the Union Industrial Building, this 16-story Art Deco tower stands as one of Flint’s most defining architectural icons. The view is captured looking north along South Beach Street at the intersection of West First Street, with the white facade of the historic Mott-Simms Building (Universal Building) visible further down the block.
Genesee County Savings Bank Building, 500 S Saginaw St. Completed in 1920, this architectural landmark features an elegant Neoclassical facade clad in smooth white terra-cotta tiling and limestone accents. The exterior design is highly recognizable by its tall, arched second-story windows topped with decorative keystones and cartouches. The ground-floor commercial spaces have served as a long-standing anchor for downtown Flint dining options, famously hosting the 501 Bar & Grill from 2009 until 2023, followed by a brief run as a Sweetwater Tavern location. Today, the building houses the Community Foundation of Greater Flint on its upper floors. [1, 2, 3]
Citizens Bank Building, 328 S Saginaw St, Flint. Completed in 1910 and expanded in the 1920s, this Beaux-Arts landmark is famously topped by the iconic Citizens Bank Weather Ball—the large spherical sign visible on the roof that changes colors to forecast the local weather. The view is captured looking northeast from a parking area along South Beach Street, with the modern signs for the University of Michigan-Flint campus visible on the far right.
Flint Journal Building, 200 E 1st St. Completed in 1924 and designed by the renowned industrial architect Albert Kahn, this limestone-clad structure originally served as the longtime headquarters and printing facility for The Flint Journal newspaper. The building features an elegant classical facade with massive arched ground-floor windows and highly detailed stone cornices. Today, the facility has been beautifully repurposed as the flagship campus for the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicine research division.
Flint Farmers’ Market, 300 E 1st St. This open-air pavilion is the outdoor vendor area of the Farmers’ Market that sits directly across the street from the historic Flint Journal Building. It features dozens of indoor and outdoor vendors selling fresh produce—such as the Pennell Farms stand visible on the left—alongside artisanal foods, crafts, and prepared meals.
Capitol Theatre, 140 E 2nd St. Opened in 1928 and designed by the renowned theater architect John Eberson, this stunning structure is celebrated for its highly detailed, Italian Renaissance-style terra-cotta exterior. The view is captured looking across the intersection of East Second Street and Harrison Street, showcasing the theater’s iconic vertical blue blade sign on the right and the extensive street-level storefronts running down the block. After a massive multi-million dollar restoration, it reopened as a premier live performance and film venue managed by the Whiting Oversight Committee.
Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicine Flint Campus, 200 E 1st St. This modern expansion wing stretches down East First Street, directly connecting to the historic, three-story limestone Flint Journal Building designed by Albert Kahn visible in the background. The facility serves as a major hub for public health research, medical education, and community-based healthcare initiatives in downtown Flint.
East First Street and Harrison Street. This vantage point frames several of the city’s key landmarks across a central parking lot. The ten-story historic Citizens Bank Building (328 S Saginaw St) anchors the center background, topped by its famous spherical Weather Ball. To its right, the brown brick tower of the Northbank Center rises into the skyline.
Citizens Bank Building complex, 328 S Saginaw St. The structure on the right is the original 1910 Beaux-Arts tower topped by the iconic Citizens Bank Weather Ball. The tower on the left is the matching classical expansion wing added to the complex in the 1920s. Today, the ground floor serves as a major downtown branch for Huntington Bank, which acquired Citizens Bank’s successor.
Doyle Building, 131 E Kearsley St. Constructed in 1866, this three-story Italianate brick building is one of the oldest surviving structures in downtown Flint. The view is captured looking northeast across the intersection of the historic brick-paved South Saginaw Street and East Kearsley Street. Today, the building houses a United States Post Office retail branch on its ground floor.
The Rowe, 201 W Kearsley St. Originally constructed in 1928 as a retail building, this five-story structure underwent a massive modern revitalization that seamlessly blended historic brick aesthetics with a striking contemporary glass atrium entry facade. Today, it stands as a cornerstone of downtown Flint’s revitalization, housing street-level retail space—including the visible sign for the Landaal Inbound Mail Center—alongside upper-level loft apartments.
John C. Hieber Building (also known as the WadeTrim Building), 100 S Saginaw St. Constructed in the late 19th century, this Romanesque Revival building features monumental arched windows across its second story and detailed brick corbeling. Today, it serves as a bustling multi-use space in downtown Flint, hosting the engineering firm Wade Trim, the WNEM TV5 News Flint Bureau, and the popular local eatery Flint Crêpe Company on the ground floor.
Dryden Building, 601 S Saginaw St. Originally constructed in 1902, this five-story commercial structure underwent a massive modern revitalization that completely restored its classic brick facade and prominent bay windows. Today, it stands as a premier downtown innovation hub, housing open-concept offices, a University of Michigan-Flint student incubator space, and ground-floor retail shops.
The Ferris Wheel, 615 S Saginaw St. Originally built in 1930 as the Ferris Bros. Fur Company building, this Art Deco structure underwent a complete historic rehabilitation to become a major downtown innovation hub. Today, it serves as a co-working space and business incubator housing Foster Forward, 100K Ideas, and various startup offices.
Flint Masonic Temple, located at 755 S Saginaw St. Completed in 1911, this monumental Beaux-Arts style structure features massive limestone columns framing its upper stories and a deeply rusticated stone base. It has served as a primary anchor for civic and fraternal events in downtown Flint for over a century, and its rich historical significance is officially commemorated by a green Michigan State Historic Site marker placed right next to the main entrance staircase.
Architecture and Construction
- Design & Style: Designed by Detroit architect Hugh B. Clement in the classic Renaissance Revival style. It features grand limestone masonry, arched second-story windows, and heavy decorative columns flanking the main entrance. [1]
- Timeline & Cost: Construction began following a cornerstone laying on October 22, 1909, and the building officially opened to massive celebration on May 16, 1911. The total historical construction cost was $175,000. [1, 2, 3]
- Historic Designation: Due to its local importance, it was listed in the State Register of Historic Sites in May 1981 and holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. [1, 2]
Notable Local Legac
- Famous Members: In Flint’s golden industrial era, the temple served as a meeting ground for several automotive pioneers and city founders, including Charles Stewart Mott and Josiah Dallas Dort (founders of General Motors), as well as Walter Chrysler. [1]
- The Temple Dining Room: Since 1947, the building’s basement has housed a beloved, homey lunchtime staple known as the Temple Dining Room. For decades, it served as a popular gathering space for local lawyers, judges, and courthouse staff. [1, 2, 3]
- Community Service: Over the generations, the building has hosted civilian groups, blood drives for the American Red Cross, theater ensembles, and fundraisers like the iconic community chicken dinners. [1, 2]
Recent Restoration & Future
Following years of declining fraternity membership, the building was sold at the end of 2018 to the community development organization Communities First Inc. Backed by a $250,000 Prosperity Award from the Consumers Energy Foundation and a substantial $1.5 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the facility is being completely overhauled. The ongoing restoration is revitalizing the historic commercial kitchen to bring back public dining, while transforming the upper levels into a premier community arts, culture, and entertainment venue. [, 2, 3]
The entrance to the Flint Masonic Temple features a heavy flat pediment canopy with inset segmental arch. The main doors are set back deep inside the stone archway, painted in a dark forest green. A classic, spherical glass globe lantern on a dark pedestal sits on the ledge directly above the right side of the entryway.
800 South Saginaw Street. Features an eclectic, Spanish Revival-influenced facade with smooth stucco walls and distinct red-tile roof details. Marked by large arched storefront windows lining the ground floor, small turrets with pointed peaks along the roofline, and decorative geometric tiles accenting the exterior brickwork.
As we prepared to leave with a parade of historic buildings leaving us in awe, we had to reflect for a moment about the Flint water crisis and how access to safe, affordable, and healthful water is a basic human right.