32-42 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Detroit, Wayne County, MI

Significance: The First Williams Block is a rare example of a pre-Civil War commercial building remaining in Detroit. It is also an important example of the work of Sheldon Smith, a member of Detroit's first generation of architects, who was best-known for his commercial block designs. John Constantine Williams, who built this commercial building to develop part of his real estate holdings in Detroit, was a member of one of the city's wealthiest families during the middle decades of the nineteenth century.
Survey number: HABS MI-322