Original factory on west Kearsley st.

The first Buick factory on west Kearsley street in Flint.

From Don Bent's book "A Place Called Buick" is this quote: An old Flint fireman told about this building being burned down - and then rebuilt - only to burn down again. By his recollection, this happened 30 times or more.

This photo from the Buick Research Gallery shows this as the first 4 cylinder engine in 1907. This surely must be in the test building.  Link for 4 cylinder Buick.

This is 1908 inside the main building on Kearsley Street.

Description of the photo above.

View of workers posing with machinery at the Buick Motor Company factory. Handwritten on back: "Left to R. 1. Mr. Morres; 2. Mr. Hill; 3. Wm. Washer; 4. Wesley Daken; 5. [blank]; 6. [blank]; 7. [blank]; 8. [blank]; 9. David Randell with Buick over 40 yr.; 10. Beacraft, Wm. Factories--Buick."

Assembly inside the main building. "I see they have changed out the old overhead light fixtures". These new light fixtures look identical to the ones at the new engine plant #11 at the Hamilton farm factory at the north-end of Flint". This is very interesting. I need a date for this photo. 

Article announcing the 100 foot extension to the west end of the Buick Motor Works.

Inside the test building.   

Factory designation. The Flint Wagon Works was where the first Flint built Buick body work was done.

Inside the Kearsley plant.

Kearsley street Buick workers.

The top photo is inside the main building showing assembly. The middle and above are two views inside the test building at the Kearsley plant.

This photo is looking west after Mason Motors has taken over.   Short Mason Buick history.

Interior of  the factory shown above.

In this view from the riverbank facing southeast you can still see the original Buick Motor Company sign where the later addition was added.

Here we see the Buick plant has now been taken over by Mason Motors which was incorporated on August 2, 1911. You can just see the old wagon works in the background at left. It now shows Chevrolet painted on the west wall.

Enlarge this article printed in the Flint Daily Journal September 11, 1903 to read about the new Buick plant coming to Flint. I made this reproduction with the exact layout style of the original. 

This photo is a view looking at the site of the future Buick factory. You are facing northeast from the Chicago and Grand Trunk main line. Buick will block this view of the Flint Wagon Works.

Originally built as a one story factory in the fall of 1903 but shortly expanded to three with an additional 100 feet added at the rear in 1906. This spot would eventually become the site of Chevrolet factory #4. This view is facing west. I worked in factory #4 in 1973 during a layoff from Buick. This view is facing west from the Pere Marquette main line.

1936 Aerial view of location.