Re: Merlin inspection building question

Posted by Leeedy On 2014/5/22 22:17:40

Hello... as I have said elsewhere, the part of the plant you refer to here was altered many times, before, during and after the war. So the photos are only valid for so long.

And yes, this building was whacked wayyyyyy back in the 1950s when the Edsel Ford Expressway was cut through and replaced most of Harper Avenue along this area with a concrete ditch occupied by the expressway. An eastbound one-way access road from Mt. Elliot curved around the edge of the building and crossed the expressway via a bridge... then joined what was left of Harper. It is still in this configuration today.

Of course engine production had moved out to the Utica Packard Plant well before this. I am certain that the building was largely empty at the point when it was chopped off. Wisely, whoever oversaw the shortening of the building re-used the same bricks for the outer face... and the same architecture, so the building looked the same pretty much from the ground, except that it shrank from the original size and retreated south.

Shortly after all this happened I believe Stone Container Corporation took over that building and Essex Wire Company moved into the other buildings at the north end of Concord at the Expressway. What used to be a parking lot was made into an access road that basically led from Concord at the expressway westward until it joined with the company street that led through the plant south the Grand Blvd. Essex WIre may have also been in the other building for a short time. I lost track of who came and went over the years.

I also repeat... the Packard Plant and facilities ONCE extended beyond (north of) Harper Avenue. They had buildings here and a small test track.... yessss. Once upon a time.

Anyway, hope this helps...