16 beautiful Victorian homes & mansions in old Detroit from the early 1900s

Categories:1900s, 1910s, Featured stories, Old cities and places, ,

By The Click Americana Team
Added or last updatedMay 26, 2020

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Whether you think of it as Motor City or Motown, there’s no denying that the city of Detroit has a long and illustrious history.

The Detroit Historical Society notes that the area was very important to the Anishinabeg and other Native American groups — including the Wyandot, Iroquois, Fox, Miami and Sauk — as it’s proximity to rivers and lakes made it easy to reach, and thus, a natural meeting place. In 1701, Detroit was settled by a French explorer, who also admired its location.

After years of growth through shipping, shipbuilding and various manufacturing businesses, Detroit became a major transportation hub. In fact, it was the active carriage trade that inspired a young man named Henry Ford to build a little something known as an “automobile” in 1896.

Around this same time, many “Gilded Age” mansions from the late Victorian era were built to the east and west of what is now downtown — some of which you can see below in what once was the delightful, and most debonair, city of Detroit.

John B Ford house

Located at the time at 8192 East Jefferson Avenue

1. The Whitney House in Detroit

This mansion built between 1890 and 1894 by the lumber baron David Whitney Jr, was restored in 1986, and is now home to The Whitney Restaurant. When it was built, the home reportedly offered 21,000 square feet of luxurious living in its 52 rooms (including 10 bathrooms).

2. Residence of L.H. Jones, Detroit, Mich

3. David Whitney Jr. House

From 1905, the David Whitney Jr. House at left; Detroit Athletic Club (largely obscured) at right

4. Home of Dr TA McGraw, Detroit, Michigan

5. George Gough Booth residence

Photographed on a snowy day in Detroit

6. Home of A. Buhl, Iroquois Avenue from the northwest (c1910)

7. Elizabeth Buhl residence

Located at 7850 East Jefferson Avenue (building has since been demolished — see what’s there now.)

8. Henry Russel’s ivy-covered Victorian mansion (c1900)

Vintage Homes Adult Coloring Book #3: Beautiful Victorian Houses

9. Victorian residence of Mr. Dwight Cutler, Detroit, Michigan (c1910)

10. Mr. Swift’s residence, Detroit (c1905)

11. House of W.C. McMillan (c1905)

12. Victorian mansion of L.H. Jones (c1900)

13. House of Mrs. McGraw, 1085 Woodward Avenue, Detroit (c1910)

See what’s here now! (Spoiler: it’s not this house.)

14. Home of Mrs. H.C. Parke (c1900)

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15. Home of Mr. Fair, 40 Putnam Avenue, Detroit, Michigan (c1910)

16. Frost House in Brush Park, Detroit

MORE MANSION LIVING

See NYC’s stunning historical Fifth Avenue mansions (1890s)
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Armsmear, Col. Samuel Colt’s over-the-top Victorian mansion in Connecticut

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Comments on this story

3 Responses

Does anyone have a photo of 724 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit, home of Sophie Campau Dubois?
Reply
CAN YOU HELP ME GET PICTURES OF THE HOUSE AT 957 LAWRENCE DETROIT MI 48202 IVE JUST PURCHASED IT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL IT WAS SINCE ITS IN A CONDITION WHERE NOW I CANT REALLY CAPTURE ITS FULL BEAUTY AND POTENTIAL IT WAS BUILT IN 1912
Reply
In its heyday, Detroit teemed with majestic architectural delights. As a result of falling on bad economic times, Detroit lost so many priceless edifices. What a colossal pity. So much more should have been done to save this extraordinary city and its significant collection of mesmerising buildings. Perhaps Detroit could have become a major destination for architectural enthusiasts and tourists seeking charm? A Dutchman, I have also witnessed the destruction of too many beautiful buildings in the Netherlands. Nonetheless, I suspect that Europeans value their past and architectural history more than Americans do (or did).
Reply

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