Michigan Bell Vinewood Central Office
Detail view of Vinewood central office, designed by Wirt Rowland of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and completed in 1930.
One of the unusual aspects of Michigan Bell exchange buildings is that, in order to accommodate telephone switching equipment, the ceiling height of each floor was nearly double that of a standard office building. So while this structure appears to be a typical 3-story building, it is actually taller than a 5-story office building. Note how small the front door is relative to the rest of the building (this is not the building's original door).
The chevron-shaped design appears on many of Wirt Rowland's buildings and may well have been inspired by the same design used on Navajo and Hopi rugs and pottery. Native American rugs, pottery and jewelry were popular during the early 20th century and often discussed in both mass-market and academic publications. In the space between the windows (vertically) the chevrons form diamond shapes, a motif which appears on many Rowland buildings.
Michigan Bell Vinewood Central Office
Detail view of Vinewood central office, designed by Wirt Rowland of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and completed in 1930.
One of the unusual aspects of Michigan Bell exchange buildings is that, in order to accommodate telephone switching equipment, the ceiling height of each floor was nearly double that of a standard office building. So while this structure appears to be a typical 3-story building, it is actually taller than a 5-story office building. Note how small the front door is relative to the rest of the building (this is not the building's original door).
The chevron-shaped design appears on many of Wirt Rowland's buildings and may well have been inspired by the same design used on Navajo and Hopi rugs and pottery. Native American rugs, pottery and jewelry were popular during the early 20th century and often discussed in both mass-market and academic publications. In the space between the windows (vertically) the chevrons form diamond shapes, a motif which appears on many Rowland buildings.