A giant American flag adorned the side of the new Hudson's mid-rise in downtown Detroit, facing Woodward Ave., on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. It was a nod to the original J.L. Hudson's building that once draped the American flag along its side every holiday season. In 1923, the original J.L. Hudson first hung the biggest American flag in the world — 230 feet by 90 feet — on the side of its building. The building unfurled the flag annually for Armistice Day, now more commonly known as Veterans Day, on Nov. 11. The original flag was retired in 1949, replaced by a second, larger flag weighing approximately 1,600 pounds and made of 2,038 yards of wool, according to the historical society. The new flag covered seven stories of the department store and took 55 men to hang it. That flag was retired after the 200th anniversary of the United States in 1976 and was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Read more using the link in bio. 📸 Photos by detroitmandi and Tony Spina, Detroit Free Pres...