If You Could Own Any House in the City

[southofbloor]

4235 Avery is probably my most favorite in the city. Designed by Almon Varney and built in 1902.

Beautiful house - I don't know much about Avery. Need to spend more time over there. This one reminds me of 56 Longfellow which would also be a contender for me... but then maybe its just the green shingles?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southof...57623397742713

[p69rrh51]

Beautiful house - I don't know much about Avery. Need to spend more time over there. This one reminds me of 56 Longfellow which would also be a contender for me... but then maybe its just the green shingles?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southof...57623397742713

Woodbridge has an excellent and very diverse range of architecture, I think sometimes its treated like the ugly step sister compared to other better known areas of the city. 56 is a very cool home as you can tell I am a shingle style fanatic.

[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

[p69rrh51]

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.

[p69rrh51]

vandusen is for sale: http://www.realestateone.com/homes/2...troit-MI-48203

On its 3rd or 4th mark down!

[Gistok]

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.

[rb336]

I absolutely love Freer House. But for a house I'd want, I would pick any of the Victorians on Canfield

[mtburb]

On Thursday, just before the storms, a friend of mine visited the Motown Museum. After he went there, he decided to head up Wildemere Street because he saw a skyscraper up that street. Sure enough, at the intersection of Gladstone and Wildemere, there it was--a pleasant 38-story house once owned by suit manufacturer Diamond Jim Braden. If you don't know what he was, Diamond Jim was born nearby. He lived here until 1913, where he moved to the small community of Possum Lake, Ontario, where he ended a depression there that started earlier that year when Humphrey's Buggy Whip Co. ceased operations due to a downturn in sales because their name on their sign was misspelled! It was in their former factory that Diamond Jim invented pants with zippers. In 1914, he sold it to his employees after his company couldn't ever make money and moved back to Detroit. In 1928, he bought a piece of land here and built the world's tallest home. His son still owns it today. For more in-depth detail on the history of his company, watch the Red Green Show. Now, back on topic. In the front yard were two plastic statues. The house had about 100 baths and 150 beds! He parked and went in the house and talked to the owner to see if he could buy it so he could use the facade for a new downtown skyscraper. He said "no." He said that the house was an important part of the family since 1929 and would ever get rid of it if he [[insert something he would do here). Fortunately he was able to take a photo of the house, below.

[southofbloor]

The Freer is a really good call - I agree that its setting has been degraded but its a fantastic building. Detroit did shingle style well - I think that the St. Clair Fishing and Shooting Club might be one of the best but never see it listed anywhere. http://www.flickr.com/photos/southofbloor/4453243872/

At the risk of choosing a second that is maybe too similar to my first I'd put forward 141 West Boston Blvd - another great stucco house with tile roof. Someone really knew what they were doing with stucco...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southof...57622539222867

[p69rrh51]

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.

[Coplin]

[Patrick]

Living in DC gives me the chance to visit the Freer Gallery often and admire the Peacock Room and imagine what it looked like in Detroit. Wilson Eyre had some Lutyens influence, no doubt.

[Gistok]

One of my favorite mansions is probably one of the quirkiest in Detroit as well... the 22,000 sq. ft. Lawrence Fisher Mansion... AKA Hare Krishna Center. Ironically for such a large house, it had only 2 bedrooms.

It was designed by my favorite Detroit Architect C. Howard Crane [[for obvious reasons). And like Crane's downtown movie palaces, it has an exotic mix of architecture, and would be right at home in a Florida setting.

Here's a video clip I just found on how the new owners [[Ford, Reuther) helped restore not only one of Detroit's great homes, but also helped revive a neighborhood.... although I'm not sure how the older residential areas around it are doing today...
http://youtu.be/ab39SrarSB8

[Neilr]

This house was designed for Edward Fisher by Richard Marr. Wallace Newton was their interior decorator. By the 1980's the original carpeting had worn out and the then current owners engaged Mr. Newton to replace it. His design studio, one of Detroit's finest, was located on Woodward a few blocks north of West Grand Blvd.

[Wheels]

Not sure who the architect was on this Boston beauty, but they seem to have taken some ques from Frank Lloyd Wright.

Attachment 12352

[southofbloor]

Almon Varney

And hadn't heard of Varney until now - am now intrigued. Appears that he put a book out called "Our homes and their adornments" in 1883. Digitized book is here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=sZLm...page&q&f=false

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I want to [[and intend to in the next few years) buy and renovate the house my greatgrandfather built on Muirland. It's gorgeous, but in need of work. And, although it has five BRs, it has only one bath.

[p69rrh51]

And hadn't heard of Varney until now - am now intrigued. Appears that he put a book out called "Our homes and their adornments" in 1883. Digitized book is here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=sZLm...page&q&f=false

A convert I like it! Some of his other commissions I have been able to find. Unfortunately many of his designs have been long lost. His book is also available at the Main Library on Woodward in the Burton Collection.

325 South Old Woodward built in 1878 Birmingham, MI.
71 West Hancock built in 1888 Detroit, MI.
3914 Trumbull built in 1890 Woodbridge Historic District Detroit, MI.
650 West Hancock built in 1891 Warren-Prentis Historic District Detroit, MI.
3975 Cass Avenue built in 1891 Culteral Center Detroit, MI.
445 West Forest built in 1892 Warren-Prentis Historic District Detroit, MI.
4614 Cass Avenue built in 1895 Cultural Center, Detroit, MI.
4852-4856 Commonwealth built in 1902 Woodbridge Historic District Detroit, MI.
Jerome H. Remick & Company Building 1250 Library Street built in 1907 Detroit, MI.
1517 Iroquios built in 1912 Indian Village Historic District Detroit, MI.
1744 Seminole built in 1914 Indian Village Historic District Detroit, MI.
2911 Iroquios built in 1915 Indian Village Historic District Detroit, MI.

[p69rrh51]

One of my favorite mansions is probably one of the quirkiest in Detroit as well... the 22,000 sq. ft. Lawrence Fisher Mansion... AKA Hare Krishna Center. Ironically for such a large house, it had only 2 bedrooms.

It was designed by my favorite Detroit Architect C. Howard Crane [[for obvious reasons). And like Crane's downtown movie palaces, it has an exotic mix of architecture, and would be right at home in a Florida setting.

Here's a video clip I just found on how the new owners [[Ford, Reuther) helped restore not only one of Detroit's great homes, but also helped revive a neighborhood.... although I'm not sure how the older residential areas around it are doing today...
http://youtu.be/ab39SrarSB8

Three Crane designs that I have never seen posted here. Let's see if you know where they are?

[Patrick]

I recall a thread years ago I started on the older DYes regarding Crane's residential designs. I mean, he had to have done a fair amount of non-theater designs. I only know of a few Crane residential designs. The Kunsky home in Palmer Woods is amazing as well...

[Neilr]

I recall a thread years ago I started on the older DYes regarding Crane's residential designs. I mean, he had to have done a fair amount of non-theater designs. I only know of a few Crane residential designs. The Kunsky home in Palmer Woods is amazing as well...

Here's the house he designed for himself. It's on Boston Blvd., north side, two doors east of the Lodge X-way. It's still there, still looks the pretty much the same except that the side porch has been given up for a driveway.

[laphoque]

I'd like to rehab this cute little place tucked in amongst giants that is currently, I heard, a recording studio. I would chill on the mini balcony and watch the Park Bar go by. http://g.co/maps/b657d

[KJ5]

It's too bad Slumpy's gone...gotta think on this one.

[p69rrh51]

Here's the house he designed for himself. It's on Boston Blvd., north side, two doors east of the Lodge X-way. It's still there, still looks the pretty much the same except that the side porch has been given up for a driveway.

The Kunsky and Crane homes as well as 1709 Iroquois, 1731 Seminole and 3001 Seminole.

[black gold man]

And if you own one of these gems and need plaster repair or drywall
please get in touch with me. Not cheap but good work.
I do all my work myself. BGM