Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe

Last week we stopped by 61 Moross a rather handsome English Cottage style home, completed in 1925, most likely for the legendary baseball player Ty Cobb.

This week we look at the work of one of the lesser-known architectural/building firms, Bailey & Middleditch, who designed and/or built several homes in Grosse Pointe during the late 1920’s, including at least three sublime homes on University Place.

Rufus Arthur Bailey & Leigh Middleditch was a prominent design and construction firm in Detroit. It is understood R. A. Bailey was born in Lansing on 6 May 1867. He began his architectural career by working in the office of his brother, who was a leading architect in Lansing, where he spent four years. At the age of 21 he moved to Detroit where he was employed by E.E. Meyer and then in the office of the prestigious firm of Mason & Rice, where it was said he was under the guidance of George Masson and Albert Kahn. He then spent a year as a designer for the J. E. Bolles Company, before returning to Lansing where worked on his own until 1893, at which point he had established himself as an architect in Detroit. Source: usmodernist.org (1948).

It appears R. A. Bailey spent the rest of his career working in Detroit, primarily on residential projects (during the 1920’s) in affluent neighborhoods including Palmer Woods, Indian Village, and Grosse Pointe. He had a reputation for designing high-end, detailed Tudor Revival and traditional homes with his work often featuring red brick, limestone accents, leaded glass, and elaborate woodwork. His designs were highly regarded for their craftsmanship. R. A. Bailey passed on 21 October 1948.

Here in Grosse Pointe, some of the homes Bailey and Middleditch designed include

582 Rivard Boulevard built 1927-1928 (designed and built)

The 2,996 sq ft home is a superb example of clapboard colonial home and is in keeping with the style of the larger Colonial homes found on Rivard during this era. From our files it appears the house was crated for Mr. Baileys son, who would then list it for sale in August 1931. During the 1930’s the property came under control of the First National Bank. In 1938, 582 Rivard was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Courtenay D. Allington, who had previously resided at the magnificent 380 Provencal, a home that was designed for them by the talented Raymond Carey in 1929. At some point during the 1940s, 582 Rivard was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Hal H. Smith, Jr. They then sold the home in October 1951 and moved to 380 Provencal.

473 University Place – 1927 (designed and built)

This English cottage style home was designed for Leigh Middleditch himself. It was the first of the three homes Bailey and Middleditch would design and build on University Place.

544 University Place – 1927 (designed and built)

448 Lincoln – 1928

448 Lincoln is a handsome Tudor style home, in keeping with R. A. Bailey’s reputation for designing high-end, detailed Tudor Revival homes.

467 University Place – 1929 (designed and built)

467 University is a stunning 4,199 sq ft Tudor style home, designed and built by the firm, most likely for Ben Noble. It is a quintessential Tudor style home, and as with many homes designed in this approach it is asymmetrical with a steeply pitched dynamic roofline, wide gables, and leaded-glass windows in different sizes. A common element of most Tudor style homes built in this era is the ornamental wood and stucco half-timbering located on the upper stories around the windows. The deep, inky color of the wood provides a perfect accent to the exterior finish of red brick, white/cream colored stucco, and the slate roof. Much of half timbering on Tudor stye homes is decorative, configured in straight vertical lines. However, there some wonderful examples of more decorative and complex approaches, this includes 467 University and the design on 805 Three Mile Drive that is arguably one of the finer examples of more complex half-timbering found in Grosse Pointe. The property was listed for sale in July in 1941 for $18,000 (around $400,000 today). It was sold to R. L McKinney in June 1947, and was quickly followed by the sale of the property to Charles LaFonde in October 1949. It appears the property has only been sold once since then.

The work of Bailey & Middleditch resulted in many fine homes in Metro Detroit. It is clear their skills at designing fine Tudor style homes were second to none.

* Photos courtesy of the Higbie Maxon Agney archives unless stated.

** Research, information, and data sources are deemed reliable, but accuracy cannot be fully guaranteed.