Elwood Bar
Designed by Detroit architect Charles Noble, and built in 1936, the well preserved Elwood Bar is the best known small-scale example of the streamlined Art Moderne style in Detroit. A one-story, flat-roofed structure located at the northern edge of the Detroit central business district, its two street facades are clad in dark blue and cream colored enameled, steel panels. The southwest corner of Elwood's bar is curved and extends six feet above the roofline to form a cylindrical tower. This is ornamented with short blue horizontal stripes with four geometric diamond signs between them. The exterior of the Elwood Bar is decorated with geometric design and neon signage.
Renewed interest and a resurgence of popularity in American restaurants and diners from the 1930's era has allowed for the preservation of some of these structures across the nation. Translated by American designers into easily constructed restaurants which relied on materials such as highly polished stainless steel, many of the 1930's restaurants derived their appearances from high-style architecture movements such as European Art Deco and early International style. Restored in 1988, the Elwood Bar is scheduled to be moved to the south corner of Brush Street and Adams Avenue, four blocks to the east-southeast. The Elwood Bar is located within the project area in downtown Detroit designated for the construction of the new Tigers and Lions stadiums.
The current location of the Elwood Bar is 2100 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. The future location is 1745 Brush Street, Detroit. The Elwood Bar is open to the public.
Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places Detroit, MI Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.
