902 Hamilton Avenue, Flint, MI

[AK Buickman]

What does 902 Hamilton Avenue in Flint, Michigan look like today, with the Buick Administration Building gone?

Has anything been built on the property since the demolition of the Administration Building?

If I recall correctly, the Michigan Historical plaque identifying the site of Buick Motor Division was to remain on this property. Is the plaque still in place on this property?

Gary Klecka, BCA #1955

'49 Super

'55 Roadmaster

'66 Wildcat

'70 Electra 225

'72 Electra 225

[Larry Schramm]

The site is a vacant lot/city block with the parking lot still there and the footprint of the building. Here is the link to Google maps where you can see what is left. The area below the "A" is where the administration building was.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&q=902+e+hamilton+ave+flint,mi&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=672&wrapid=tlif132265804275710&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Edited November 30, 2011 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Dandy Dave]

We went past there on the 2008 after war tour. The road was rough and ridden with pot holes. Brian Heil lead the way and pointed to the empty lot where the once proud Buick Motor Car factory, and buildings stood. Dandy Dave!

[TG57Roadmaster]

Compare the satellite image with this circa-1950 linen postcard...

Larger

We lived in Flint in 1970-71 when it was still a vibrant city, and took a school field trip

to Buick Main during the 1970 model year. Too bad that the memories are so vague.

TG

[BUICK RACER]

BUICK CITY DEMOLITION March 2002 Pictures courtesy of Norb Burwell

Some old pictures. The Administration Building was torn down in 2005, I came over the hill on Hamilton one day and it was gone, was pretty sad!

[Rich Morton]

I can't get link to work.Is it me?

[Guest BJM]

Questions on the AdMin Building. For perspective, the Packard Factory had it's executive offices on it's site and until they were ransacked a person could really be in the rooms of some of the great names in Packard history.

In the case of the Buick AdMin building, would this have been where the Buick President's offices were going way back? And I assume then board / meeting offices and other significant rooms?

[BUICK RACER]

Michigan Historical Markers

Click on the Buick Motor Division - the picture of the white building is the Admin Building that was razed.

They tried to sell it, rent it out, but nobody was interested but the scrappers.

The marker has been removed, it says.

[Centurion]

Questions on the AdMin Building. For perspective, the Packard Factory had it's executive offices on it's site and until they were ransacked a person could really be in the rooms of some of the great names in Packard history.

In the case of the Buick AdMin building, would this have been where the Buick President's offices were going way back? And I assume then board / meeting offices and other significant rooms?

I believe that this Administration Building was erected in 1967, so it was not in use during the era of some of Buick's past greats, like Harlow Curtice. For that, you would need to look at Buick's earlier administration building, which dated, I believe, from the pre-1920 era. Here's an image, showing new 1955 Buicks on an auto transporter, with the earlier administration building in the background. I believe that this structure was razed when the new 1967 administration building was completed, but I would need to defer to some of our Flint-based folks on that point.

[CheezeMan]

Brian, I believe you are correct. I recall Dad saying that he moved into the new building around '68. I thought he said his group was the first to move in.

Probably the most unique new technology used in the new building was movable walls. Most of the interior walls were movable so they could reconfigure the cubicles and offices in many ways. If you weren't paying attention or out on vacation for a week, you would come back and get lost.

I also worked in that building, and was there while they razed the factory. It took many months to take the factory down, and every once in a while, I would feel the earth shake when they dropped a section. That is a feeling I will never forget.

My team was the last inhabitants of the building, other than the maintenance guys. It truly was a sad time while everything that once was so well kept, went to blight so fast. A year or two before it closed, the main freight elevator caught fire or something and couldn't be repaired, so it was left broken and unused. The well manicured lawns and rock beds that I walked by on my lunch hour every day became eyesores during the last few months and years. The spot where I parked my vehicle for many years sprouted a weed that appeared to be 6' tall, when I drove by months after it was closed.

All in all, just really sad.

[Centurion]

Chuck, thank you for your first-hand recollections. All of this made me very sad as well, and I've always lived 2,500-miles from Flint.

I had long hoped that the Sloan Museum's Buick Gallery and Research Center would be able to acquire the administration building, and utilize it as a center of Buick history. But this was just my pipe dream, since I'm sure that the Sloan could not take on the maintenance of such a large structure, even if GM had gifted the facility to the museum.

[JohnD1956]

Damn that satellite image really hurts... Wasn't the 1978 BCA meet on this site?

[The Old Guy]

The first national in 1971 was there and the next few were also there. I think 1971-72 -73-75-and 78 were there for sure ( there was no meet in 1974 )

[JohnD1956]

78 was the first National we drove our current 56 to. We still vividly remember driving down a main road, following a tractor trailer painted Artic white with the Buick Emblems upon it. As we passed the driver gave several toots of the horn. It made my wife and I feel like a member of the buick family to have that occur. That same time the Midas Muffler chain was using the "Midasize It" slogan and as we drove out the gate after the show a bunch of tweens sitting on the curb slung that phrase at us. We laughed most of the way home. 9 months later another member of this board was born. What a great show!

[AK Buickman]

Thank you all for the update. It's sad that this beautiful building is now dust.

I attended all of the 1970's BCA Flint National Meets with my '55 Roadmaster, so I have a lot of fond memories and photos in and around the Administration Building.

In 1971, during the BCA show, I found a ladder leading to a trap door that led me to the roof of the Administration Building. The bird's eye view of the many Buicks participating in Flint '71 was super! I snapped some nice photos of the show from the roof. Several other BCA Buick guys found their way up on the roof until a not-so-happy Buick Motor Division guard found us, and chased us off and out of the building.

Throughout the years, I've always wondered who the BCA members were that joined me on the roof in July, 1971--I think it was July 7-8, 1971, the dates of the meet. After 40 years, I may be a few days off.

Are any of you guys that were up there that day still around?

Gary Klecka, BCA #1955

[BUICK RACER]

THE FIRST Buick Club of America National Meet

[Centurion]

AKBuickman, is the light-colored '55 Buick, partially obscured by the light pole, your '55 Roadmaster?

Roberta, thanks for the wonderful link!

[The Old Guy]

The Buick "Bug" ( the 1910 race car ) is driven by me . I had the priviledge of driving it at all the national meets where it made a running display

The black 32 side mounted 4 door in the picture with the red 30s cars is mine. It is the one just above and across the aisle from the red cars.

Edited December 2, 2011 by The Old Guy (see edit history)

[CheezeMan]

gosh, I've seen that Shamrockaway (motorhome/monstrosity, er... what ever its called) before.

Hasn't been well kept over time. ShamRockAway | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts

[JohnD1956]

What a find! And what a concept. Wonde rwhat it was like to drive that with the dual turning axles up front.

[AK Buickman]

Centurion wrote:

AKBuickman, is the light-colored '55 Buick, partially obscured by the light pole, your '55 Roadmaster?

Brian,

Yes, that is my '55 Roadmaster parked behind the light pole.

It was a huge thrill to pull into that first BCA National Meet and see this many Buicks in one place!

In 1971, the '55 Buicks were parked with the NEW cars at the show, since a '55 was only 16 years old at the time. I recall feeling a bit out of place showing a new car at this 1971 show.

Chicagoland Chapter member Jim Schilf's green '49 wagon is also visible on the right side of this photo.

Joe, weren't you working at the registration booth?

Gary Klecka, BCA #1955

[JohnD1956]

...It was a huge thrill to pull into that first BCA National Meet and see this many Buicks in one place!

I had similar feeling about the 78 Meet, my first BCA National, and I believe 900 + Classic Buicks on the field. I got a similar rush this year at Danvers.

[DAVES_BUICKS]

Gary, the photo that Roberta posted of the 1971 show was taken by me. I don't remember who else was up on the roof, but I do remember getting chased down by Buick security after taking several photos. At the '71 meet, Bud Cline of Buick posted a notice to see if anyone in the Flint area was interested in starting a Buick Club chapter. That led to the formation of the Buicktown Chapter, and a few of us origional members are still around. Brian, the '41 Sedanette (black and pearl grey) is mine, which is probably why I took that photo. I still have the car. You may have seen it at Bishop Airport on display with three other 40-41 Buicks and the B-24 at the 100th anniversary meet back in 2003.

Dave Langdon

BCA #2098