DETROIT – What do you do with a giant stove that was struck by lightning?

This week, we took on a question through our 4YI form about the giant stove that sat at the entrance of the State Fair Grounds in Detroit.

Many remember the giant stove that moved around the city for many years -- the giant Garland Stove. More from DHS:

"The Michigan Stove Company had a 15-ton wooden replica of a Garland stove built for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, which afterward was displayed on its property on Jefferson Avenue, near the approach to Belle Isle.

Sketch of Michigan Stove Company's exhibit at 1893 Chicago World's Fair (World's Columbian Exposition brochure) (Wikipedia Commons)

The “Big Stove” was moved to the Michigan State Fairgrounds in 1965, until it deteriorated, then was disassembled and stored at Fort Wayne. In 1998 after a restoration, the stove was put on permanent display, again at the State Fairgrounds.

On Saturday, August 13, 2011, lightning from a severe summer storm hit the stove, completely burning the wooden structure."

Garland Stove fire in 2011. (Associated Press)

Remnants remain at State Fair grounds

Well, after publishing that story, we received photos from William Nichols, who was installing fiber-optic cables for a bus station near the State Fair grounds in April 2019. He found what appeared to be burned remains of a large item under one of the pavilions.

“I did some research on what I found and sure enough it was the stove," Nichols said. Check out his photos below:

Burned remains of Garland Stove in Detroit. (William Nichols)

World's Largest Stove in 2009 (Wikipedia Commons)

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