If You Could Own Any House in the City

**p69rrh51** · March-19-12, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Funny thing about great houses... some are palatial and show themselves nicely, and others are just OK. One very famous Detroit house the just isn't that spectacular on the outside or inside is the Charles Lang Freer House on Ferry st. [[next to the Chateauesque Hecker-Smiley Mansion on Woodward). While it is a nice house... it just doesn't wow you like the one next door. Even the inside, while elegant... is rather simple and understated. Only the great gallery room that connects the main house to the carriage wing in back has any real warmth to it [[the famous Peacock Room, now in Freer Gallery in D.C. was in the Carriage wing).

Maybe when it was filled with Freer's famous collection of Asian art it was more inviting. But today it is just a shell as far as I can tell. But then again, I've never warmed up to the shingle style as much as I have Queen Anne, Chateauesque, Victorian "gingerbread", Tudor, and others...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ch...reer_House.jpg

You are correct about the dwelling not being palatial but then it is one of the best examples of shingle style homes it the country every time the top 5 are listed the Freer home is always there. You have to remember the building has been altered some since Freer owned it. Also being craftsman oriented the interior should be understated as the craftman period was a revolt against the excesses of the victorian period. Wilson Eyre nailed it when he designed the home.

**Gistok** · March-19-12, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

You are correct about the dwelling not being palatial but then it is one of the best examples of shingle style homes it the country every time the top 5 are listed the Freer home is always there. You have to remember the building has been altered some since Freer owned it. Also being craftsman oriented the interior should be understated as the craftman period was a revolt against the excesses of the victorian period. Wilson Eyre nailed it when he designed the home.

Yes, I'm not a big fan of the Shingle style... even in English homes. even William Morris's [[Arts & Crafts) house. I like a fancy Tudor any day. But that's just my personal taste.

I like the sides and back of the Freer house better than the front [[less shingle, more stone). I wonder if they were later additions, like the gallery appears to have been. It's difficult to tell inside what has changed from the original house however [[besides the missing artwork). It's too bad Merrill-Palmer destroyed the 2 neighboring houses to the Freer House to put up their institute. Now with all the infill on E. Ferry St. it looks slightly out of place... although not ugly.

**p69rrh51** · March-19-12, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Yes, I'm not a big fan of the Shingle style... even in English homes. even William Morris's [[Arts & Crafts) house. I like a fancy Tudor any day. But that's just my personal taste.

I like the sides and back of the Freer house better than the front [[less shingle, more stone). I wonder if they were later additions, like the gallery appears to have been. It's difficult to tell inside what has changed from the original house however [[besides the missing artwork). It's too bad Merrill-Palmer destroyed the 2 neighboring houses to the Freer House to put up their institute. Now with all the infill on E. Ferry St. it looks slightly out of place... although not ugly.

From what I have been told most of the artwork was on display in the rear portion of the building. The institute is ok for a modern commercial structure but definately out of place.
Here is a pic from around the time the home was built. As for tudors plenty in your backyard on the eastside although most are not in Detroit.