Entries by Katie Doelle

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – 745 Balfour – a house full of stories

Nestled in the middle of Balfour, is house number 745, and like many homes in Grosse Pointe it has an interesting tale to tell. For behind the attractive, understated exterior is the interior of one of Metro Detroit’s most outstanding homes, and a house full of stories. The Beginning: The story begins with its construction […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Architect – J. Ivan Dise

During the era of substantial growth in Grosse Pointe many of the residences that were constructed were designed by the leading architects of the time, including Albert Kahn, Robert O’Derrick, William B. Stratton, and Marcus Burrowes. Several of these designers remain household names within Metro Detroit. However, what about the architects who were prominent at […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Welcome to Middlesex, the most interesting street in Grosse Pointe?

When it comes to finding the most interesting street in Grosse Pointe there are several that lay claim to the prize. There is the historic district of Beverly Road, the architectural gems on Kenwood and Cloverly with homes designed by some of the most prominent architects to work in Grosse Pointe. The historical homes on […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Architect – Alden B. Dow.

We couldn’t cover the modern homes of Grosse Pointe without featuring the work of Michigan’s most prominent modernist architect Alden B. Dow. He designed more than 70 residences, along with dozens of churches, schools, civic centers, and commercial buildings. His home in Midland made the 2014 list of “The Top 25 Best Historic Homes in […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – the Louis and Anita Rossetti House, 1145 Balfour, Grosse Pointe Park

Grosse Pointe contains only a handful of truly modernist homes. What we lack in volume we more than make up in quality. Most of the surviving homes are jewels created by noted masters. What makes this all the more special is that several of these masters chose to create their personal residence here. One excellent […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – the William Hawkins Ferry House, 874 Lake Shore.

This article includes research from Brian Vosburg, and his excellent architectural blog: grossepointemodernism.blogspot.com The houses of Grosse Pointe offer a wonderfully rich and varied style of architecture. Over the years there have been many changes in architectural style around the communities, but when William Kessler designed the house for William Hawkins Ferry, it was a considerable departure from the […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – 330 Lincoln, aka the Waterman House, and the architect George William Graves

Two very talented men, one beautiful house – welcome to 330 Lincoln, one of Grosse Pointe’s most notable residences, designed by George William Graves and home of Cameron B. Waterman, inventor of the outboard motor. 330 Lincoln was built in 1911, and stands on Lincoln, at the corner of Maumee in the village of Grosse […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – 625 Lakeshore, aka the Harry Mulford Jewett House

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth Century two very different styles of homes began to appear on Lakeshore. The early Indian trail had begun to witness a tug of war between the wealthy Detroit businessmen wanting to build themselves a summer cottage and those wanting to construct a year round residence for their families […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – 22 Lee Gate Lane, aka the Hudson Tannahill House.

Hugh Tallman Keyes was a prolific designer of fine homes in the Grosse Pointes and was arguably one of the most diverse architects to work in the community. His work at 22 Lee Gate Lane was one of his signature projects, and, at the time, was built to contain one of the greatest private art […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Architect – Hugh T. Keyes.

Welcome to the work of Hugh Tallman Keyes, a noted early 20th century architect. Keyes was a prolific designer of fine homes in the Grosse Pointes and was arguably one of the most diverse architects to ply his trade in the community. His work centered on creating grand estates for the industrialists of Metropolitan Detroit […]