A.E. Barit mansion in Grosse Pointe

[pfb53]

Are there any pictures of the Barit home?

[Patrick]

Was he the head of Hudson Motor Co?

[pfb53]

Yes he was.

[Patrick]

Didn't think he would have been allowed to live in GP due to certain restrictions.

[pfb53]

I think he lived on Windmill Pointe Drive. What restrictions were there?

[MidTownMs]

He was living in Grosse Pointe Pk. when he died in 1974.

[Patrick]

If you were a certain religion [[Jewish) or a certain ethnicity, then you were evaluated by points. I am not sure how much of this actually went on but A.E. Barity was Jewish so.

[MidTownMs]

[QUOTE=Patrick;302610If you were a certain religion [[Jewish) or a certain ethnicity, then you were evaluated by points. I am not sure how much of this actually went on but A.E. Barity was Jewish so.[/QUOTE]

Here is the 411 on the Grosse Pointe point system:

In the spring of 1960, a civil court suit unexpectedly shed light on how the real estate market operated in Grosse Pointe. The trial revealed that there was a screening system in effect in the Grosse Pointes that required real estate brokers to submit the name of a potential property purchase to the Grosse Pointe Property Owners Association. The Association then engaged a private detective to fill out an investigative questionnaire. As was written in the pamphlet Rights, a publication of the Anti-defamation League of B’nai B’rith [[ N. Braverman, 1960), “The filled out questionnaire was then turned over by the Association to a committee of brokers which totaled up the scored points and sent it back to the Association. They made the final evaluation as to whether or not the prospective buyer had made a passing grade.” Out of a maximum of 100 points, a passing grade was based on a sliding scale for different nationalities; “Poles would pass with 55 points, Southern Europeans with 75, Jews with 85.” Negroes and “Orientals” were not even eligible; their disqualification was automatic.” The point system considered such details as whether the prospective buyer was “American” or “Americanized,” if his occupation was typical of his own race, or if either the Mr. or Mrs. was “swarthy” in appearance or spoke with an accent. The private detective was also asked to find out about the prospective buyer’s reputation and how the outside and inside of his previous home was maintained.” [[How this was determined without being a peeping tom was not in the court record!). “There was a question as to whether the buyer dressed “neat” or “slovenly;” and “conservative” or “flashy.” The trial even revealed that a new form had been introduced, the “blue form,” because too many Jews were passing the existing point system. The real estate brokers were constantly tinkering with the system to keep “undesirables” out of the Grosse Pointes. The trial also revealed that the system had been adopted in 1945 and that the Grosse Pointe Homeowners Association, in league with local realtors , had been blatantly discriminating for fifteen years. [[from my book, Privilege, Power, and Place: The Geography of the American Upper Class, p. 42). Today, almost 50 years later, there may be no systematic approach to Antisemitism and racism but Grosse Pointe remains a bastion of segregation that would put Selma to shame

[pfb53]

He probably passed the points system being President of Hudson Motor Co. and having worked under Roy Chapin and also with the Hudson Department Stores. Very interesting though.

[p69rrh51]

Here is the 411 on the Grosse Pointe point system:

In the spring of 1960, a civil court suit unexpectedly shed light on how the real estate market operated in Grosse Pointe. The trial revealed that there was a screening system in effect in the Grosse Pointes that required real estate brokers to submit the name of a potential property purchase to the Grosse Pointe Property Owners Association. The Association then engaged a private detective to fill out an investigative questionnaire. As was written in the pamphlet Rights, a publication of the Anti-defamation League of B’nai B’rith [[ N. Braverman, 1960), “The filled out questionnaire was then turned over by the Association to a committee of brokers which totaled up the scored points and sent it back to the Association. They made the final evaluation as to whether or not the prospective buyer had made a passing grade.” Out of a maximum of 100 points, a passing grade was based on a sliding scale for different nationalities; “Poles would pass with 55 points, Southern Europeans with 75, Jews with 85.” Negroes and “Orientals” were not even eligible; their disqualification was automatic.” The point system considered such details as whether the prospective buyer was “American” or “Americanized,” if his occupation was typical of his own race, or if either the Mr. or Mrs. was “swarthy” in appearance or spoke with an accent. The private detective was also asked to find out about the prospective buyer’s reputation and how the outside and inside of his previous home was maintained.” [[How this was determined without being a peeping tom was not in the court record!). “There was a question as to whether the buyer dressed “neat” or “slovenly;” and “conservative” or “flashy.” The trial even revealed that a new form had been introduced, the “blue form,” because too many Jews were passing the existing point system. The real estate brokers were constantly tinkering with the system to keep “undesirables” out of the Grosse Pointes. The trial also revealed that the system had been adopted in 1945 and that the Grosse Pointe Homeowners Association, in league with local realtors , had been blatantly discriminating for fifteen years. [[from my book, Privilege, Power, and Place: The Geography of the American Upper Class, p. 42). Today, almost 50 years later, there may be no systematic approach to Antisemitism and racism but Grosse Pointe remains a bastion of segregation that would put Selma to shame

Its interesting those left out are the central and northern Europeans who also did not measure up in the point system. I love how everyone assumes that is was just the ethnic groups mentioned are the "only" groups that faced the infamous points system. Overall EVERY ethnic faced that system! Yes it was skewed, but even existing home owners had to pass muster I have read some of the realtor's sheets from that era and one question that HAD to be answered was the reason for selling the home! Who today would even entertain answering that question in order to list their home?? Also interesting having read some of the deeds from GP and other well to do areas of the city they all read pretty much the same. GP was not the only area the engaged in discriminatory practices even though you seen to think so!

[MidTownMs]

Its interesting those left out are the central and northern Europeans who also did not measure up in the point system. I love how everyone assumes that is was just the ethnic groups mentioned are the "only" groups that faced the infamous points system. Overall EVERY ethnic faced that system! Yes it was skewed, but even existing home owners had to pass muster I have read some of the realtor's sheets from that era and one question that HAD to be answered was the reason for selling the home! Who today would even entertain answering that question in order to list their home?? Also interesting having read some of the deeds from GP and other well to do areas of the city they all read pretty much the same. GP was not the only area the engaged in discriminatory practices even though you seen to think so!

Even though I think so? I was just passing on information relevant to what Patrick said about the Grosse Pointe point system. I know first hand that Grosse Pointe was not the only place that engaged in discriminatory practices.

[p69rrh51]

Even though I think so? I was just passing on information relevant to what Patrick said about the Grosse Pointe point system. I know first hand that Grosse Pointe was not the only place that engaged in discriminatory practices.

I am glad you are aware of the practices around the city!
One the my favorites from the reasons given for moving was the house was too small, which of course is a legit answer but the home in question was 7,800 sq. ft.!

[MikeM]

15366 Windmill Pointe

[p69rrh51]

15366 Windmill Pointe Drive designed by William Stratton built in 1925 for Julian Harris. The front yard is so overgrown this is the best pic I could take.

[Ravine]

Mr. Higley, that's rather sly, on your part, to use the screen-name "MidTownMs."
In any case, it's nice to have a real sociologist among us.

[aoife]

Here is the 411 on the Grosse Pointe point system:

In the spring of 1960, a civil court suit unexpectedly shed light on how the real estate market operated in Grosse Pointe. The trial revealed that there was a screening system in effect in the Grosse Pointes that required real estate brokers to submit the name of a potential property purchase to the Grosse Pointe Property Owners Association. The Association then engaged a private detective to fill out an investigative questionnaire. As was written in the pamphlet Rights, a publication of the Anti-defamation League of B’nai B’rith [[ N. Braverman, 1960), “The filled out questionnaire was then turned over by the Association to a committee of brokers which totaled up the scored points and sent it back to the Association. They made the final evaluation as to whether or not the prospective buyer had made a passing grade.” Out of a maximum of 100 points, a passing grade was based on a sliding scale for different nationalities; “Poles would pass with 55 points, Southern Europeans with 75, Jews with 85.” Negroes and “Orientals” were not even eligible; their disqualification was automatic.” The point system considered such details as whether the prospective buyer was “American” or “Americanized,” if his occupation was typical of his own race, or if either the Mr. or Mrs. was “swarthy” in appearance or spoke with an accent. The private detective was also asked to find out about the prospective buyer’s reputation and how the outside and inside of his previous home was maintained.” [[How this was determined without being a peeping tom was not in the court record!). “There was a question as to whether the buyer dressed “neat” or “slovenly;” and “conservative” or “flashy.” The trial even revealed that a new form had been introduced, the “blue form,” because too many Jews were passing the existing point system. The real estate brokers were constantly tinkering with the system to keep “undesirables” out of the Grosse Pointes. The trial also revealed that the system had been adopted in 1945 and that the Grosse Pointe Homeowners Association, in league with local realtors , had been blatantly discriminating for fifteen years.

Thanks for the info Midtown! I had always wondered about the points system and when the discriminatory practices started. Our house was built in 1927 and its first two owners were Jewish. One of them owned a dry cleaning business up the block on Mack. We always figured either the system started later, when the housing market started booming postwar, or that the upper crusties did not care because our neighborhood is a "low rent district"- tons of modest bungalows near the Detroit border.

[pfb53]

Mike and p69,
Thanks for the address and photo. Obviously Mr. Barit passed the point system. And at almost 14,000 sf, the Barits never needed a larger home.