History of HED from 1893 to 1969
by Elliot Nielander
HED, also known as Harley, Ellington, and Day, stands as a renowned architectural firm celebrated nationwide for its influential contributions to university architecture, high rises, and factories. The firm's roots trace back to Alvin Harley, whose architectural vision was ignited by the iconic designs of Daniel Burnham exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Inspired by the grand neoclassical aesthetics of the White City, Harley ventured to Detroit and commenced his career as a draftsman and apprentice under the mentorship of two prominent architects: Albert Kahn in 1903 and George Mason in 1905.
After amassing substantial experience working under these architects, Harley partnered with his colleague from Mason's firm, Norman Swain Achenson, in 1908 to establish their own firm. During their five-year partnership, the firm experienced significant growth, witnessing a doubling in Detroit's construction projects. Notable accomplishments during this period included buildings like the Henery Clay Hotel and Globe Theatre. However, in 1912, the partnership dissolved, leading Harley to continue his architectural endeavors independently.
During this solo phase, Harley made significant contributions, notably designing multiple residences in Detroit’s Palmer Woods, Grosse Point, and Sherwood Forest. In 1922, he relocated his office to the McKerchey Building on Woodward Avenue at Sibley in Detroit.
A decade later, in 1933, Harley merged his firm with architect Herald Ellington (Illinois Institue of Technology C.E. 1908), renowned for his work on breweries, bridges, and modern office buildings in Detroit. Capitalizing on Ellington’s brewery expertise following the end of prohibition, the merged firm designed projects for the Strohs Brewing Company until 1938. Brewery projects constituted a substantial portion, over 50 percent, of the firm's work until America's entry into World War II in 1941.
Amidst the Great Depression, Harley and Ellington collaborated with Clarence Day, a residential architect known for his work on Tudor homes in Palmer Woods, Detroit, and Scripps House in Lake Orion, as well as being the advisor of public housing to administrations under Herbert J. Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. This partnership culminated in designing the Horace H. Rackham Educational Memorial Building in Detroit's cultural center in 1941, marking the onset of their collaboration with Michigan sculptor Marchell Friedricks, lasting until Friedricks' passing in 1998.
In 1945, the firm's principals embarked on fact-finding journeys aligned with their individual specialties for marketing and educational purposes. These expeditions included Ellington touring factories in Latin America, Day visiting higher education institutions nationwide, and Harley inspecting mausoleums and cemeteries in the eastern and southern United States. By 1948, Harley, Ellington, and Day commenced their inaugural project for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, initiating a long-standing relationship. Their work on the Administration Building, now serving as the University’s Literature, Science, and the Arts Administration Building, marked a pivotal shift for the firm toward university-focused projects.
With the advent of the GI Bill in 1950, which saw a surge in university attendees, the firm, led by Clarence Day, seized the opportunity to design innovative buildings for Michigan’s colleges and universities. Their collaboration with the University of Detroit began in 1948, evolving into designing various campus structures following the master plan developed by the firm. Among these projects were the armory building, physical education building, student activities building, library, and men’s dormitory, all completed by 1953. In a unique approach, the firm engaged university carpenters to construct a full-scale dormitory room model, allowing student teams to suggest furniture layouts and test equipment. Other significant projects during this period included the Richard Cohn Building at Wayne State University in Detroit and the Mary Markley Dormitory at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. In 1959, Clarence Day retired from the firm. Later, in the mid-1960s, Harley and Ellington followed suit. Later that decade Ellington died at the age of 78 in 1968 and Day in 1968 at 81. Harley died in 1976 at 92. Despite the death of the firm's founders, HED has continued to steadily produce various architectural projects up until today.
Works Cited
Historic Detroit. Available at: https://historicdetroit.org/architects/harley-ellington-and-day (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Harley Ellis Devereaux | 100 years of history | centennial retrospective. Available at: http://history.harleyellisdevereaux.com/pdf/HEDev_History.pdf (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Grosse Pointe Farms Mansion lists for $4.8 million | Crain’s Detroit ... Available at: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/grosse-pointe-farms-mansion-lists-48-million (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Agney, K. (2020) Real estate blog, Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Welcome to 273 Ridge Road. Available at: https://www.higbiemaxon.com/blog/historical-architecture-of-grosse-pointe-welcome-to-273-ridge-road.html (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Architects, engineers, & scientists of the Boston-Edison Historic District (no date) Architects, Engineers, & Scientists of BE | Boston Edison Historical District. Available at: https://www.historicbostonedison.org/Architects-Engineers-&-Scientists-of-BE (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Bentley Historical Library: University of Michigan (no date) A Historical Tour of the University of Michigan Campus. Available at: https://bentley.umich.edu/legacy-support/campus_tour/chronology.php (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Our history (no date) HED. Available at: https://www.hed.design/stories/our-history (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
Staff, M.T. (no date) This $1.85 million Alvin E. Harley-designed mansion in Detroit’s Palmer Woods has a ballroom, Detroit Metro Times. Available at: https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/this-185-million-alvin-e-harley-designed-mansion-in-detroits-palmer-woods-has-a-ballroom/Slideshow/29234588/29095439 (Accessed: 02 December 2023).
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