Famous people's places / Detroit – Downtown

Penobscot Building

A 1928 Art Deco skyscraper on Griswold Street, once the tallest building in Michigan, decorated with Corrado Parducci's Native American-themed ornament.

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01 / The story of this place

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The Penobscot Building rose on Griswold Street in downtown Detroit in 1928, its 47 stories topped by a distinctive red aircraft-warning beacon that made it a fixture of the city's skyline for decades and, at the time, the tallest building in Michigan. Its name and decoration nod to Maine's Penobscot people, a theme the building's architects carried through in its ornament, including the intricate Native American-inspired carvings that sculptor Corrado Parducci worked on as the tower went up in 1927 and 1928. Parducci, an Italian immigrant who became Detroit's most prolific architectural sculptor, contributed decorative work to dozens of the city's landmark buildings during this era. The Penobscot remains an active office tower today, still one of downtown Detroit's most recognizable skyscrapers.

Opened 1928, once Michigan's tallest building
47 stories, topped by a red beacon
Corrado Parducci carved its Native American-themed ornament
Still a working office tower downtown

Famous Detroiters

Famous people tied to this place 2

Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.

Wirt C. Rowland 1878–1946 · architect
Worked here
His 47-story setback tower, Detroit's tallest building until 1977.
Corrado Parducci 1900–1981 · architectural sculptor
Worked here
Griswold Street tower whose Native American-themed ornament Parducci worked on.

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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25

An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.