Entries by Katie Doelle

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – George D. Mason Part 3 – 109 Kenwood

From our two previous posts about the extraordinary talents of George D. Mason, we briefly profiled the ten homes he created in the community, 9 of which still exist today, along with providing a detailed description of 33 Oldbrook Lane, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We would like to conclude our series […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – George D. Mason Part 2 – 33 Oldbrook Lane

Having recently profiled the work from the dean of Detroit architects, George D. Mason, we wanted to turn our attention to one of his earliest solo projects in Grosse Pointe – 33 Oldbrook Lake, Grosse Pointe Farms. George D. Mason first appeared in Grosse Pointe in 1882 when the firm Mason & Rice was commissioned […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – George D. Mason – A Master at Work – Part 1.

As renowned Detroit historian Clarence M. Burton once wrote, quite simple George DeWitt Mason was “the dean of Detroit architects”. In a city that boasts the sublime skills of Albert Kahn, and Louis Kamper, Mason takes his place alongside these two great designers as the men responsible for many of Detroit’s iconic buildings. Between them […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – The Varied Portfolio of Charles Howard Crane

With many prominent architects an identifiable architectural style is recognizable thanks to the consistent features that appear throughout their work. An excellent example of this, are the homes designed by Wallace Frost – the majority display a French Nomadic style, featuring stonework and exquisite detailing. However, in the case of Charles Howard Crane, according to […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – A Prized Find – 1013 Cadieux Road

Something of a rarity in Grosse Pointe are examples of modernist homes. They are few and far between. There are however five notable examples of contemporary architecture amongst the wonderful traditional buildings that define the architectural style of this community, there are – Koebel House (Grosse Pointe Farms) the Williams Hawkins Ferry House (Grosse Pointe […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – A lasting impression – architectural firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls

Commercial, Cultural, Educational, Industrial, Residential – Smith, Hinchman and Grylls offered a wonderfully diverse portfolio, designing many iconic buildings in Detroit along with creating several prominent buildings in Grosse Pointe. We recently profiled one of their grandest residential projects in the community 15530 Windmill Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, while touching briefly on the firm’s history, […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Grosse Pointes Grandest Home? – 15530 Windmill Pointe Drive

Take a walk down Windmill Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, and it can feel like you have entered an architectural exhibition, with so many classical works on display it is hard to know where to look first. A prime example is the house located at 15530 Windmill Pointe – possibly Grosse Pointes grandest home? It is […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe –114 Lothrop, The elegant Regency home designed by Hugh T. Keyes.

The prolific work of Hugh T Keyes is well documented throughout Grosse Pointe. Having covered several of his homes – he designed over 20 in the community – we wanted to bring to your attention to yet one more of his wonderful creations, 114 Lothrop, Grosse Pointe Farms. Many of Keyes designs were known for being […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – The French Normandy Architectural Styling’s of Wallace Frost

Having previously delved into the homes Wallace Frost created in Grosse Pointe, we decided to take it one step further and focus on two of his most unique homes in the community – 242 Lewiston and16632 East Jefferson. Built in 1926 these homes were each constructed on nearly an acre of land, feature lovely stonework, […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – From Traditional to Contemporary – The Prized Work of Wallace Frost

When you hear the name Wallace Frost, do you think – prolific architect, colleague of Albert Kahn, and a diverse and richly talented individual – well, Mr. Frost was all of the above. Wallace Frost designed over 40 homes in and around Birmingham Michigan. Despite working predominantly on the west side he also designed at […]