The original Addison Apartments were built in 1905 at Woodward and Charlotte and designed by Field, Hinchman & Smith. Marketed as offering “the exclusiveness of a home with the convenience of a hotel,” it provided apartment living with hotel-style services. To maximize views, the main entrance was placed on Charlotte Street, allowing the entire Woodward frontage to be used for a first-floor restaurant.

The six-story, 125-room building quickly became popular, maintaining a waiting list and prompting plans for an expansion by 1914 called the Earle Hotel, which was designed by Albert Kahn and demolished in 1972. The site now serves as a parking lot for the Addison Apartments.