Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Chalfonte Ave.
Last week we stopped by 1001 Cadieux, the former carriage house of 16761 E. Jefferson – a grand estate designed by one of Detroit’s finest architects, Louis Kamper. The estate was built between 1916-17, for Christian Henry Haberkorn, Jr., a prominent banker in Detroit. Today 1001 Cadieux is its own charming residence.
This week we head to Chalfonte Avenue in Grosse Pointe Farms. We recently featured a stunning Mid-Century Ranch, 452 Chalfonte, so we thought we would look at a few more properties on this part of the street where the rear of the homes overlook the golf course at the prestigious Country Club of Detroit. Image courtesy of GoogleEarth.
The majority of the homes that run along this part of Chalfonte are single-story ranches, built around 1950. The are situated on the Country Club Park Subdivision No. 3, part of which runs from Moross heading North, beginning with house number 358 and concluding with number 473. Some wonderful examples of homes on the stretch of Chalfonte include
372 Chalfonte
This fine Mid-Century Modern Ranch was completed in 1948 for Hugh Gorey. It was designed by Arthur O. A. Schmidt, a Detroit-based architect who was known for designing notable homes in the Metro Detroit area during the mid-20th century. The house was featured in Michigan Society of Architects magazine (April 1957) – see image below.
Hugh Gorey was owner of the Gorey Buick Company, served as chairman of the Detroit Auto Show in 1955, and was president of the Buick Dealers in the Detroit Area.
382 Chalfonte
This spacious custom-built Ranch was designed by Detroit based architect Charles F. Graulich in 1950 and built by Strucker Construction. When the house was listed for sale in 2019, the description stated, “the view from the back of the home makes you feel like you have your own personal park with spectacular four seasons views.”
440 Chalfonte
440 Chalfonte was completed in 1948. The Semi-Ranch was designed by Gustav J. Hanniken, an architect who worked in the Detroit area during the first half of the twentieth century. It appears several of his projects are in Birmingham and Bloomfield Township. It was built by the respected architect/builder Hilary H. Micou – a prolific builder of homes in Grosse Pointe. During a career that spanned three decades Micou built many prestigious homes in the community in conjunction with some of Detroit’s most recognized architects, including Gustav Hanniken.
The property sits on ¾ acre – one of the largest lots on Chalfonte. With panoramic views of the golf course, it was described in a listing in 1957 as a “very customized house.”. At the time it was owned by A. B. Ameel, however it is not clear if he was the original owner.
452 Chalfonte
The eye-catching single-story 2,160 sq ft Ranch style home completed in 1952, was created by a group of very talented artists – architect Omer C. Bouschor, builder James Monahan, landscape architect Eleanor Roache, and the renowned firm of Meathe & Kessler, who designed the original patio. The property has stunning vistas of the 5th fairway from the living room, library, and the master bedroom.
464 Chalfonte
One of the largest homes on this stretch of Chalfonte, this is a 3,763 sq ft traditional brick built Georgian style home, very different to the other homes in the neighborhood. Completed in 1948, it was designed by Edmund Primeau for Howard M. Bingham. Image courtesy of GoogleEarth.
Edmund Primeau (born in Ontario) was a versatile designer creating numerous homes in Grosse Pointe in varying architectural styles. During the 1950’s he created several residences including: 211 Country Club Drive (1951), 77 Sunningdale (1955), 21 Lochmoor Boulevard (1955), 40 Sunningdale (1957), and 381 Lake Shore (1957).
Prior to commissioning Primeau to design his new home on Chalfonte, Howard Bingham had resided in a beautiful Georgian Colonial style home at 168 Vendome which was completed for him in 1928, by the well-respected local architect Robert O. Derrick.
473 Chalfonte
Completed in 1949, this is one of the smallest Ranch homes on Chalfonte. At 1,305 sq ft it is beautifully formed.
The homes on this stretch of Chalfonte Avenue are a superb collection of properties built during the middle of the twentieth century. The respected Detroit based architects who designed and/or built them not only did a superb job in making the most of the stunning views of the golf course but provided Grosse Pointe with some excellent Ranch style homes.
* Photos courtesy of the Higbie Maxon Agney archives unless stated.
** Research, information, and data sources are deemed reliable, but accuracy cannot be fully guaranteed.
Written by Katie Doelle
Copyright © 2025 Higbie Maxon Agney & Katie Doelle
