Entries by Katie Doelle

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Beverly Road Historic District, 23 – 45 Beverly Rd, Grosse Pointe Farms.

Nestled on the edge of Grosse Pointe Farms is a small private road. It looks pretty normal from the outside, but venture down the cul-de-sac and you will enter ‘designers row’, a wealth of architectural gems from some of Detroit’s best designers of the early 20th century. Beverly Road is one of the few private […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – William B. Stratton and 411 Country Club Drive

The name William Buck Stratton is synonymous with Stratton House, however he was a multi talented designer and architect responsible for the design of many unique homes. William Stratton was an architect known for his clear-cut forms, strong sense of materials, fondness for fine craftsmanship and importance of texture. He married Mary Chase Perry Stratton […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – The Grosse Pointe Central Library

Located in Grosse Pointe Farms the building design was the brainchild of architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer. Marcel Lajos Breuer was a design genius. Born in Hungary in 1902 he left his hometown at the age of 18 in search of artistic training. He relocated to Germany where he was one of the first […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Harry N. Torrey House, also known as “Clairview”

Lets take a look at another of the great mansions on Lakeshore – The Harry N. Torrey House –part of the collection of beautiful homes that started to promote originality and brought turn-of-the-century elegance to the shores of Lake St. Clair. John Scott, a former business partner of Louise Kamper, designed “Clairview”, 575 Lake Shore […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Stonehurst, also known as the Joseph B. Schlotman House.

One of the first great mansions built on Lake Shore in the early twentieth century was Stonehurst, located at 500 Lake Shore. At the turn of the century, each year, more and more beautiful homes were being built on Lake Shore. Architects were ambitious and each mansion was becoming grander and greater than the one […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – 251 Lincoln Road, also known as “Edgeroad”

Lets take a look at the work of noted Detroit architect Louis Kamper and one of his residential projects – 251 Lincoln Road, also known as “Edgeroad” or the Murray W. Sales House. Louis Kamper was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1861. He emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1880 and upon his […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Grosse Pointe Farms and the Roaring 20’s – Part 2: Popular Architectural Styles.

The 1920’s in Grosse Pointe Farms (GPF) were a time of change, prosperity, and architectural transformation. It was a golden era for the area in terms of the prominent architects who were being asked to commission homes in the community. Their work was becoming just as important as the families who were hiring them and […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Grosse Pointe Farms and the Roaring 20’s – Part 1: the architects.

The roaring 20’s..boom time for many cities in America and a Golden Era of Architectural significance in Grosse Pointe Farms. During the first two decades of the 20th century and during the period after WW1 Grosse Pointe Farms had transformed itself from a rural, recreational community to an exclusive suburb in Southeast Michigan. The area, […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – 22 Webber Place, aka “Oscar Webber Mansion”.

This work of art still stands today at 22 Webber Place and was the home to Oscar Webber until 1946. The Webber Mansion was the largest residential commission of architect Leonard B. Willeke’s distinguished career. Having moved from Cincinnati to Detroit in 1914, Willeke maintained a prestigious practice in Detroit.  He was a skilled designer […]

Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – David C. Whitney house, aka “Ridgemont”.

At the beginning of the twentieth the architects who were commissioned to create the great homes in Grosse Pointe were becoming just as important as the men who were hiring them. The ‘era of the mansions’ had brought some of the nations most noted architects to the community – Albert Kahn, Charles A Platt, Robert […]