If You Could Own Any House in the City

[East Side OP]

izziindetroit, you pose an interesting question about the size of the house originally used by the Catholic cardinal. Actually, a cardinal serves as the host for many international and national gatherings of people gathered for church business. Some of these international visitors, such as members of the hierarchy on various missions from Rome might typically have also needed some work space available to them [[office space) as well as for one or two staff memebrs who might have been accompanying them. As one of only 7 or 8 American cardinals the Detroit archbishop's residence would quite frequently have been the location for various kinds of meetings, fund-raising events to help support the endless chain of charities operated by the Catholic Church and so on. So in a way, part of the purpose of a cardinal's residence is to function as a temporary kind of "company headquarters on the road" so adequate space is needed. Also, a cardinal rarely lives alone. There would have always been at least one or two if not a few more priests living there as well [[e.g. the priest who was the cardinal's executive secretary) and as unrelated adults, it would have been typical for each permanent resident of the house to have a modest suite of two or three rooms rather than just his own bedroom. That is the same model, by the way, used for all diocesan rectories in parishes. So a large residence for a cardinal is not intended to accommodate any kind of ostentatious lifestyle; the size has more to do with the dictates of the function of the facility.

[Wheels]

izziindetroit, you pose an interesting question about the size of the house originally used by the Catholic cardinal. Actually, a cardinal serves as the host for many international and national gatherings of people gathered for church business. Some of these international visitors, such as members of the hierarchy on various missions from Rome might typically have also needed some work space available to them [[office space) as well as for one or two staff memebrs who might have been accompanying them. As one of only 7 or 8 American cardinals the Detroit archbishop's residence would quite frequently have been the location for various kinds of meetings, fund-raising events to help support the endless chain of charities operated by the Catholic Church and so on. So in a way, part of the purpose of a cardinal's residence is to function as a temporary kind of "company headquarters on the road" so adequate space is needed. Also, a cardinal rarely lives alone. There would have always been at least one or two if not a few more priests living there as well [[e.g. the priest who was the cardinal's executive secretary) and as unrelated adults, it would have been typical for each permanent resident of the house to have a modest suite of two or three rooms rather than just his own bedroom. That is the same model, by the way, used for all diocesan rectories in parishes. So a large residence for a cardinal is not intended to accommodate any kind of ostentatious lifestyle; the size has more to do with the dictates of the function of the facility.

You left out the endless parade of young boys!

[michiganhotrod1]

Hello;
I just found this post and picture of 961 Burns [[#157, it is page 7 of this thread). Where did you find it? I own 971 Burns shown to the right in this photo; it is under construction so this photo was taken in late fall of 1900. 971 is a Stratton and Baldwin designed house.
Attached is a photo of 971 in 1970, when IV was petitioning to be a Historic District.



And a current photo.

[southofbloor]

Hello;
I just found this post and picture of 961 Burns [[#157, it is page 7 of this thread). Where did you find it? I own 971 Burns shown to the right in this photo; it is under construction so this photo was taken in late fall of 1900. 971 is a Stratton and Baldwin designed house.
Attached is a photo of 971 in 1970, when IV was petitioning to be a Historic District.


And a current photo.

Hello MHR - I should have referenced that photo properly. The Burton Collection at the Detroit Public Library has a great range of images of Mason's work. This one is MR0045 and is referenced as being 1900.

Beautiful house you have and very well kept. Good work!

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/d/dpa1ic/x...rbes+Robertson

[ABetterDetroit]

I have lurked here at Detroit Yes for years but have only recently decided to sign up. This thread has just been a shining example of how well Internet can share people's passions/interest with others. I want to sincerely thank all of the contributors that have posted on this thread. It has always been incredible and has motivated many road trips around the city for my wife and myself to see some of these houses for ourselves. Thanks again.

[southofbloor]

97 Trowbridge is not a mansion but has great lines and is beautifully designed. There are a number of these deeply eaved Swiss Cottage houses in the city, some by E. N. Hunter. Someone recently boarded this up securely which hopefully indicates that it is cared about. Love it.

[southofbloor]

Note the braided detail in the eave

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I love when this thread re-surfaces. And I like the "non-mansion" houses such as this one on Trowbridge. I think that's because its easier to picture actually living in an interesting house that's not massive. I hope this place gets some fixin'.

[southofbloor]

Yeah me too.

205 Alger is by W. E. N. Hunter - great composition. Another example of Detroit producing fantastic reasonably sized houses. But every time i check on it, I'm a little surprised that it is still standing.

[southofbloor]

Then there are the cobblestone bungalows in Highland Park [[Colorado and John R, and Massachusetts St east of John R). Drool. I met the owner of the second one after I took this pic a few years ago. He invited me in and we had a chat about cobblestone repair and railing details. The interior was just as good as the outside. That stretch of Highland Park is one beautiful neighbourhood.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Then there are the cobblestone bungalows in Highland Park [[Colorado and John R, and Massachusetts St east of John R). Drool. I met the owner of the second one after I took this pic a few years ago. He invited me in and we had a chat about cobblestone repair and railing details. The interior was just as good as the outside. That stretch of Highland Park is one beautiful neighbourhood.

Cobblestone twins! Fascinating.

[southofbloor]

End view. The world needs more cobblestone.

[rb336]

97 Trowbridge is not a mansion but has great lines and is beautifully designed. There are a number of these deeply eaved Swiss Cottage houses in the city, some by E. N. Hunter. Someone recently boarded this up securely which hopefully indicates that it is cared about. Love it.

OK, I want that one

[southofbloor]

I know, right? It's perfecto.

[Lowell]

Then there are the cobblestone bungalows in Highland Park [[Colorado and John R, and Massachusetts St east of John R). Drool. I met the owner of the second one after I took this pic a few years ago. He invited me in and we had a chat about cobblestone repair and railing details. The interior was just as good as the outside. That stretch of Highland Park is one beautiful neighbourhood.

I lived a half block from the Colorado cobblestone for three decades, but we referred to it as fieldstone. I believe that the Massachusetts version may have been notorious HP Mayor Bob Blackwell's house. If not it was the one next door to it.

The Colorado house was deeded to the Historic District group when that area was placed on the National Historic Homes roster in the late 80's. However the builder hired to restore it skipped off with the money having done little and it was never restored nor has it been occupied.

This Historic District group either dissolved or faded away and it has sat there untouched since. It is a testament to the quality of these houses that it has endured abandonment so well. A beautiful detached garage, also fieldstone and seen in southofbloor's shot, wasn't as lucky and is now gone.

The surrounding neighborhood is remarkably solid. More about that here >>

[southofbloor]

Fieldstone is likely more correct - in Windsor we called it cobblestone but that doesn't seem accurate now that I think about it. Wonder who owns it now. Interesting thread on HP - streets like Colorado, McLean and then further north Moss and Eason feel pretty comfortable. My unscientific measure of a block's safety rating is in the tidiness of their front yards - McLean looks like people care about it and are willing to invest time in their neighbourhood and community. I think in Detroit that that tends to overlap with the locations of the various Historic Districts in many cases.

[southofbloor]

Another weirdly beautiful house on a great street in Highland Park. The kids growing up down the street apparently called it "The old lady with the hat". Moss Street, in the Medbury's-Grove Lawn Subdivision Historic District.

[Mary Jane Doerr]

Who designed the house for the original owner John M. Hall in 1902 at 351 East Boston Boulevard? I tried to upload a picture the website wouldn't accept it. Sorry.

[southofbloor]

Benjamin Gravel traced it to architect Samuel K. Colton from Chicago - hopefully this link works.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

[WonderCouncil]

I absolutely love field stone homes. Always wondered what those two HP houses looked like on the inside. I'm sure the woodwork is gorgeous. As long as it hasn't been painted.


Here are a couple homes I really like, pretty sure a couple might have been posted before.

727 Edison St.


14719 Riverside Blvd.


704 Seyburn


Really like the location of the Riverside home, can't make out too much of how it looks though. Supposedly from 1905 which is around the time period I generally like. The garage/boathouse looks really cool too.

The Edison St. home really intrigues me. Sticks out quite a bit on that street. For what ever reason, maybe the roof line it has a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to it, to me at least.

And the Seyburn house i just plain love. The shingles, field stone and deep set front door. Can't for the life of me figure out what's going on with that side porch though. Looks like it's only big enough to go out for a smoke. Unless it had steps up to it that were taken out at some point. Cute garage too.

There's another down the street on Seyburn that looks similar/same style to the 704 house, but it's red. I'd take that one as well. Particularly love the porch on it.

[archfan]

The Edison St. house has two Wright-inspired features: broad, overhanging eaves that create a sense of shelter, and banks of several windows in a row to bring in light.

[WonderCouncil]

The Edison St. house has two Wright-inspired features: broad, overhanging eaves that create a sense of shelter, and banks of several windows in a row to bring in light.

That's precisely what I was thinking, at least with the roof. Good point with the windows. I always picture higher set, smaller windows, when I think of Wright but I guess that was more his prairie style.

[Lombaowski]

19373 Renfrew is pretty cool looking. tIt is too bad that it's in such bad condition and would take many thousands to retore.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...1_M46699-87008

Nice choice here.

[Mary Jane Doerr]

I can't thank you enough for this information about the house at 350 East Boston Boulevard. Since the owner Hall was a personal friend of W.E.N. Hunter I had thought Hunter may have designed the house.

Where can I find more information on Hunter? Mary Jane Doerr

[southofbloor]

I can't thank you enough for this information about the house at 350 East Boston Boulevard. Since the owner Hall was a personal friend of W.E.N. Hunter I had thought Hunter may have designed the house.

Where can I find more information on Hunter? Mary Jane Doerr

You're welcome - Ben has a page documenting the buildings that he has traced to Hunter. https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.gr...6515382&type=3