Detroit’s Castle: the Grand Army of the Republic Building sits on the corner of Grand River and Cass. The G.A.R. Building opened in 1900 to serve as a hangout for the city’s Civil War veterans. The G.A.R. was closed in 1982 and has sat vacant until recently. On Nov. 1, 2011, the Carleton brothers of Mindfield Pictures bought the building from the city and began renovation work with plans to rent the ground floor for restaurant and retail space. On Thursday of this week, the restaurant Republic will open to the public.
Visit HistoricDetroit.org for more of the GAR’s history.
Here are some images i’ve captured of the GAR over the past few years:
2010, featuring hygienic dress league:
2011:
2014. Renovation work almost complete:
Stay tuned for more updates and features
Jon DeBoer Photography 