Built 1926 Opened 1926 | NRHP Reference # 07000744 Phone +1 313-872-7275 Added to NRHP 22 August 2007 | |
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Architectural style Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals Similar Belcrest Apartments, Milner Arms Apartments, First Congregational Church, Jefferson Intermediate School, Cass Park Historic District | ||
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. It was built in 1926 as a hotel, The Wardell, and the building was therefore listed under this name in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
History
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 bought by Sheraton in the 1940s and became the Wardell-Sheraton, and later the Detroit-Sheraton. It was finally renamed The Park Shelton Hotel in the 1950s, offering luxurious accommodations, but set up as a more traditional 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.