Detroit's wealth of architectural talent!

**p69rrh51** · August-03-12, 11:42 PM

#3
I have been in most of the larger homes regularly discussed here, and this home is by far the best built and one of the most elegant in the metro area. Louis Kamper knew what he was doing when he designed his home making 6,100 sq ft feel much larger. Plus its the only home I have been that has a room dedicated to storing your steamer trunks!

2150 Iroquios built in 1915 Indian Village Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 12:14 AM

How about you Patrick what are your top 3?

**Patrick** · August-04-12, 06:48 AM

It is very very tough to pick any three, as I have not actually been inside many of these homes.

-211 Arden Park by hans Gehrke [[we discussed this house on the "Own Ant House in Detroit" thread).

-The Alfred Fisher mansion in PW

-43 McKinley Place in GP

As you can tell, I enjoy the English designs the best. I was never a Francophile, except I do enjoy some Norman country stuff. I may have a few others rounding out the top 5 including Willeke's Tudor masterpeice for Oscar Weber. I think that the Weber home is the finest Tudor/English example residential design in SE Michigan...moreso than the Ford and Wilson homes even.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 08:48 AM

A nice way to start the day with a list. Hans Gehrke's design.

211 Arden Park built in 1914 Arden Park-East Boston Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 08:49 AM

Richard Marr's design for Alfred J. Fisher.

1771 Balmoral built in 1925 Palmer Woods Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 08:52 AM

A Chittenden & Kotting design.

43 McKinley Place built in 1905 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 09:02 AM

My 8th grade "graduation" party was held in the ballroom on the 3rd floor of the Weber Mansion, we all thought is was cool to ride the elevator up to the ballroom. I was in the home earlier the spring just before the Junior League took over to redo the home for its show house. While the exterior is outstanding, I found the interior suprisingly very uncomfortable and unlivable for a Willeke design. The only part of the home that I found interesting were the mechanicals in the basement especially the extensive zone controls for the heating system.

22 Webber Place built in 1923 Grosse Pointe Shores, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 09:05 AM

To round out a top 5 for me. A Leonard Willeke design.

1800 Strathcona built in 1919 Palmer Woods Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 09:16 AM

Last a C. Howard Crane design. A good friend in high school lived here. She was part of a large family and there was always something going on there. With cathedral ceilings, Pewabic Tile and terrific details its a very nice livable home.

69 Cloverly built in 1929 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 01:28 PM

Designed by Esselstyn, Murphy & Hanford.

502 Rivard Boulevard built in 1919 City of Grosse Pointe, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 01:31 PM

More school by Malcomson & Higginbotham.

Joseph W. Guyton Elementary School 355 Philip built in 1922 Detroit Public Schools Jefferson-Chalmers Detroit, MI.

Love those pesky trees!
One of 80 schools in the city nominated for inclusion on the national register.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 01:33 PM

A design by Smith & Walker. This home has one of the best looking fireplaces I have seen in the city.

2903 Seminole built in 1914 Indian Village Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 06:06 PM

A Richard Marr design.

1810 Wellesley built in 1916 Palmer Woods Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 06:08 PM

A John Scott design.

100 East Ferry Avenue built in 1886 East Ferry Avenue Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 06:11 PM

A design by Philadelphian Wilson Eyre. Also includes an image from The Inland Architect circa 1900.

Detroit Club 712 Cass Avenue built in 1891 Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 10:33 PM

A design by Verne Sidman.

471 Renaud built in 1939 Grosse Pointe Woods, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 10:40 PM

Apartment by Baxter & O'Dell.

Forest Apartments 4625 Second built in 1905 Warren-Prentis Historic District Detroit, Mi.

**p69rrh51** · August-04-12, 10:43 PM

A design by Sol L. Trig.

19450 Argyle Crescent built in 1930 Palmer Woods Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-05-12, 08:08 AM

A home built by Frazer-Couzens. John Frazer and Frank Couzens partnered to form a construction firm. The firm would eventually build 14 homes in Palmer Woods. Couzens worked in Albert Kahn's office and would go on to be mayor of Detroit.

1477 Balmoral built in 1926 Palmer Woods Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-05-12, 08:12 AM

A design by T.W. Cooper.

Carlton Apartments 4425-4427 John R built in 1909 Sugar Hill Historic District Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · August-05-12, 08:14 AM

A design by William Graves.

3434 Burns built in 1914 Indian Village Historic District Detroit, MI.

**Neilr** · August-05-12, 10:18 AM

To me, one of Richard Marr's finest works is the Georgian Apartments on West McNichols. I would place it within a grouping of the top 5 or 6 apartment buildings built in the post WWI era in metro Detroit.

If you look at the plans, you'll see that only 1 or 2 apartments open off each landing and that each apartment has a front door and also a service door to a back stairwell. Most living rooms have working fireplaces. Also note that every apartment has windows in all 4 directions which would have been important in the days before air conditioning. All living rooms have windows that face onto the street so there are no less desirable rear-facing units. Finally, every apartment has a maid's room with its own bath.

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