For half a century the Penobscot Building crowned Detroit's skyline, and its red beacon still glows. The Greater Penobscot Building, completed in 1928 and designed by Wirt Rowland, rose forty-seven stories and was the tallest building in Detroit, and one of the tallest in the world, when it opened. Its name honors the Penobscot people of Maine, a nod from developer Simon Murphy to his roots in the Maine lumber trade, and Native American motifs appear in its detailing.
At its peak glows a red beacon, once a beloved landmark for pilots and ships. The building's setback profile, stepping back as it climbs, was shaped by zoning meant to let light reach the streets below, the classic silhouette of the 1920s skyscraper boom. For fifty years no Detroit building stood taller, until the Renaissance Center rose on the river.
Step back and find the red orb glowing at the summit, the same light that guided travelers toward the city for nearly a century.