The 46 m (151 ft) building was designed by George H. Edbrooke,[3][4] [a] and is considered the first skyscraper in the city, and was the tallest in the state when built.

[6][7] Born in Massachusetts, George H. Hammond moved to Detroit in 1854 and opened a small meat market at the corner of Third and Howard streets.

Hammond later bought a refrigerated boxcar patent from William Davis, a Detroit fish dealer.

As the meat was processed, it was loaded into the refrigerated rail cars and shipped cross country to the east coast.

[15] The building was built using iron beams and wooden joists which were protected by 2" hollow tiles.

[17] When Ellen Hammond hired architect and chief contractor, George H. Edbrooke, she retained 15% of the building fee to ensure quality of workmanship.

Upon completion, it was determined that defective work was provided by the plasterers, steam fitters and carpenters and Edbrooke was not paid in full.

[19] In August 1890, the 246 offices of the building were illuminated for an entire week to honor the Detroit International Exposition.

[20] The roof of the building was used to signal ships in the Detroit River to warn them of storm conditions on the Great Lakes.

A. Mercier a general contractor, who wrote to the Hammond Building Company to advise them that outside workmen may "invariably come to (his) office as there is no other place for them to go."

Edbrooke as the architect of record, however graduated in 1898 from the school of architecture which was after construction of the Hammond Building was complete.