The Little Brick Office Where General Motors Was Born
A plain brick office on Flint's Water Street was the headquarters of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company — and is credited as the 1908 birthplace of General Motors. It's a National Historic Landmark.
Before Flint made cars, it made carriages. William C. Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort built the Durant-Dort Carriage Company into a major manufacturer, and their plain three-story brick office at 316 West Water Street became an important command post.
Durant moved from carriages into automobiles, took control of Buick, and organized General Motors in 1908. The office is associated with the decisions behind that shift, which is why its landmark record describes it as a birthplace of GM. Durant later helped establish Chevrolet as well.
The dates are easy to mix up. The office became a National Historic Landmark in 1975; its Michigan Historical Marker followed in 1978.
Across the street, Factory One began as a Durant-Dort carriage plant. GM now uses the restored building for its heritage archive, research, and gatherings. It is part of the same Flint origin story, but it was not “GM’s first factory” in the simple way that phrase suggests.
Where to see it
The restored Durant-Dort Carriage Company Office stands at 316 West Water Street in Flint. Factory One is across the street and now serves as a GM heritage archive and meeting or event space. Check current access before planning to go inside either building.
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Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 15, 2026.