Detroit's wealth of architectural talent!

**p69rrh51** · June-25-17, 11:36 PM

Designed by the staff at Sears, Roebuck & Company. The Osborn, 15775 Archdale built in 1925 Grandmont, Detroit, MI. Includes a Sears Catalog page featuring The Osborn, circa 1920's.

**p69rrh51** · June-25-17, 11:38 PM

Designed by Wiedmaier & Gay. Business block, 18200 Grand River built in 1930 North Rosedale Park, Detroit, MI.

Builder: The Vinton Company

**p69rrh51** · June-25-17, 11:40 PM

Designed by Louis Kamper. Stratford Arms Hotel, 2640 Park Avenue built 1923-1924 Midtown, Detroit, MI. Includes an article featuring the building from a 1924 edition of the Detroit Free Press.
Demolished: Date unknown to me
Image from the Burton Historical Collection, date unknown.

**p69rrh51** · July-02-17, 09:53 PM

Designed by Albert Kahn. Sigma Gamma association Convalescent Home for Crippled Children, 26755 Ballard built 1924-1925 Harrison Charter Township, MI. Includes an article featuring the building from a 1925 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

Current status: awaiting conversion to an assisted living facility.
Sigma Gamma raised $175,000 to build the home.
The group has several members who are descendants of board overseeing the construction of the building.

**p69rrh51** · July-02-17, 09:56 PM

Designed by Ralph S. Gerganoff for Louise Lathrup. Apartment-in-a-Garden, 27805 California Northwest built in 1932 Lathrup Village Historic District, Lathrup Village, MI. Includes an advertisement for the house from the archives of the Lathrup Village Historical Society, date unknown.

**p69rrh51** · July-02-17, 10:00 PM

Detroit Free Press Plan House #138, 14205 Longacre built in 1931 Grandmont, Detroit, MI. Includes an article featuring the house from a 1932 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

Built from plans available through the Better Homes Bureau of the Detroit Free Press.

**p69rrh51** · July-02-17, 10:13 PM

Designed by Bennett & Straight. Ecorse Public Library, 4148 West Jefferson built in 1948 Ecorse, MI.

**archfan** · July-03-17, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

Detroit Free Press Plan House #138, 14205 Longacre built in 1931 Grandmont, Detroit, MI. Includes an article featuring the house from a 1932 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

Built from plans available through the Better Homes Bureau of the Detroit Free Press.

p69rrh51, I always enjoy the photos you post of stately and significant homes. But I have to say, this is one seriously ugly house, and from what I can tell from the original article, has been from the beginning. Multiple types of cladding, unaligned windows, and the short gable all contribute. I thought I was being super critical, but then my wife looked over and went "Blech!".

**p69rrh51** · July-03-17, 08:07 AM

With the architecture of Detroit, one has to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly! While the house may not be to your taste, the historical significance of the Free Press Plan Houses is why I posted the house.

**Richard** · July-03-17, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by archfan

p69rrh51, I always enjoy the photos you post of stately and significant homes. But I have to say, this is one seriously ugly house, and from what I can tell from the original article, has been from the beginning. Multiple types of cladding, unaligned windows, and the short gable all contribute. I thought I was being super critical, but then my wife looked over and went "Blech!".

1932 - 33 was the worst two years of the depression,if you read the description it puts it into context,mimics 1800s styles,the early Levittown bungalows after the war used the same style with the 1/2 brick and half lap but in a single story.

It would be interesting to see with the original 6 over 6 windows and shutters,the roof also lost dimension when it was reshingled.

It tells a story of the times,even more so of who the first owner was and how did they buy the house in a time of a collapsed banking system and a architect and builder who had to have a few sleepless nights.

**archfan** · July-05-17, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

With the architecture of Detroit, one has to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly! While the house may not be to your taste, the historical significance of the Free Press Plan Houses is why I posted the house.

Agreed, I applaud adding to the historical record. Viewing the Free Press Plan Houses can tell you the story of the times. As Richard points out, not many people could afford a new house in 1932. Detroit was coming off a boom time, when big houses were more common. Having those many style cues may have appealed to the folks who could still afford a house, just not the big ones of a few years back.

But still, blech!

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · July-05-17, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Richard

It would be interesting to see with the original 6 over 6 windows and shutters,the roof also lost dimension when it was reshingled.
.

Agreed. The vinyl replacement windows are ugly and the original wooden shutters would have added a nice touch. The vinyl siding in a color that does not compliment the facade is also a problem, as is the hideous black and dark red trim. I'm sure the house as built was much more attractive; it would be interesting to see what impact a skillful redo of the exterior would have.

**p69rrh51** · July-09-17, 09:33 PM

Designed and built by the Frazer-Couzens Building Company. 1700 Balmoral built in 1924 Palmer Woods Historic District, Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · July-09-17, 09:35 PM

Designed by Frank H. & Lloyd H. Wright for Francis M. Slater. 1347 Audubon built in 1940 Grosse Pointe Park, MI.

**p69rrh51** · July-09-17, 09:42 PM

Designed by Bennett & Straight. 14015 Abbington built in 1934 Gramdmont, Detroit,, MI.

Builder: Loeffler & Johnson

**p69rrh51** · July-09-17, 09:47 PM

Designed by Hugh T. Keyes. Trenton Municipal Building 2872 West Jefferson built in 1928 Trenton, MI. Includes an article/rendering of the building from a 1928 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

Builder: A. W. Kutsche
Extensive alterations
If I remember Keyes grew up in Trenton.

**swingline** · July-09-17, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

Designed by Bennett & Straight. 14015 Abbington built in 1934 Gramdmont, Detroit,, MI.

Builder: Loeffler & Johnson

Grandmont is a cool neighborhood. Sadly this handsome residence is another example of a home defaced with awful replacement windows. The nine over ones are decent but the dormer and the large first floor window on the left drastically alter the home by injecting modern "picture window" glazing onto Revival style architecture. Those Wallside Window salespeople can be persuasive and the picture windows are often less expensive than divided light products. Hopefully the homeowner obtained some energy cost savings.

**canuck** · July-10-17, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by swingline

Grandmont is a cool neighborhood. Sadly this handsome residence is another example of a home defaced with awful replacement windows. The nine over ones are decent but the dormer and the large first floor window on the left drastically alter the home by injecting modern "picture window" glazing onto Revival style architecture. Those Wallside Window salespeople can be persuasive and the picture windows are often less expensive than divided light products. Hopefully the homeowner obtained some energy cost savings.

Personally, I think that house was defaced the moment it left the drafting table. But I like the prison bars fronting the main entrance. It matches the faint Old English touches just at the point where the Salem Witch experiment resumed.

**p69rrh51** · July-16-17, 09:43 AM

Designed by Bernard C. Wetzel. Hamtramck High School, 11410 Charest built 1930-1931 Hamtramck, MI. Includes a rendering of the building from 1931 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

**p69rrh51** · July-16-17, 09:44 AM

Designed and built by John P. Frazer for John P. Frazer. 331 Lodge built in 1920 Berry Subdivision Historic District, Detroit, MI.

**p69rrh51** · July-16-17, 09:46 AM

Designed by C. Howard Crane for The Surf Improvement Company. Commercial Block of 5 stores, 21 Kercheval built in 1939 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.

Extensive Alterations

**p69rrh51** · July-16-17, 09:48 AM

Designed by Albert Kahn. Canadian Bridge Company Offices located at St. Luke and Seminole built in 1907 Walkerville, Windsor, Ont.

Demolished: Date unknown to me
Image from the Facebook group Windsor Ontario Then, date unknown.

**knwb** · July-17-17, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by Neilr

From Beyond the Gilded Age:

Attachment 31336

Attachment 31337

Photos from Architecture, 1912

The Howard Earle Coffin residence designed by Albert Kahn c. 1910 in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Coffin, an engineer, was a co-founder of the Hudson Motor Car Company. It is unknown if the house is extant.

Look at images 122 and 123 - this is the Frank L Klingensmith house, accessed off Goodhue Rd in Bloomfield Hills - I read somewhere that Kahn was never a fan of residential design, but was he ever known for duplicating designs?

https://books.google.com/books?id=Vo...20kahn&f=false

**p69rrh51** · July-25-17, 06:29 AM

Designed by Albert Kahn Associated Architects & Engineers. Detroit City Airport Terminal 11499 Conner built 1964-1965 City Airport Neighborhood, Detroit, MI. Includes an article featuring the buildings from a 1964 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

Currently Coleman A Young International Airport.

**p69rrh51** · July-25-17, 06:33 AM

For almost 40 years I have been driving by this gem. I was delighted to find the builder of the of house but very disappointed the eminent Flemish architect was not listed in the ad. One of my favorite houses in the city.
Built by Ben G. Vander Ecken. 13266 East Outer Drive built in 1936 Morningside, Detroit, MI. Includes an image of the house from an advertisement for Gar Wood Industries from a 1936 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

I hope the owners of the house still have the blueprints.