Community Story – The Memory of 47 Building Lives on
In early 2006, Dow announced that 47 Building, the company’s corporate headquarters from 1916 to the 1960s, would be closed and demolished. The building was one of the most visible landmarks within the company’s Michigan Operations site.
In the building’s 90-year history, several major construction and renovation projects were completed to meet Dow’s growing demands for space and resources. Until the mid-1960s, 47 Building remained the company’s corporate headquarters. From 1969 forward, it continued to house Michigan Operations leaders. By 2005, the building had become a combination of three structures, not to mention several major additions.
The building meant a lot to the people of Dow and the Midland community, and the decision to close and demolish it was not an easy one. However, the situation reached a point in which further investment in the building was determined to be cost prohibitive.
The memory of the building lives on at the nearby Dow Diamond baseball stadium, where crushed brick from the building was used in the warning track around the field. A beautiful contemplative garden is also being planned for the land where 47 once stood. The space will serve as a tribute to the building, as well as those who founded the company nearly 110 years ago.
