Fitness Center This tour of Detroit starts with the iconic Fox Theatre and Augustus Woodward's plan for rebuilding the city. Maintenance on site. -century Detroit opulence into a showcase of the citys low carbon future. A prophetic statement by the Free Press in 1894 seems to summarize her best: The Whitney place will last as long as is given to houses made by man to endure., Lean & Green Michigan-19th The flooring is Honduras mahogany with birds-eye maple inlay. The exterior of the mansion looks much like it did it 1890, thanks to the use of solid granite as the primary building material, although for a time, news articles referred to the mansion as gray instead of pink or rose because of Detroits early 20th century pollution. In Unit Washer & Dryer And lastly, it is one of the increasingly few landmarks ringing Grand Circus Park. Clubhouse, Cat Friendly High-Speed Internet, Dog & Cat Friendly office building there called the Grand Circus Building. The building was all but empty in May 1999, when it was announced that new owners planned to turn the landmark into a hotel. It was the first residential home in Detroit to have an elevator for personal use, a hydraulic number. The Whitneys spent an additional $250,000 ($6.2 million today) on decorating and furnishing the home and another $300,000 ($7.5 million today) on artwork from around the world. Burnham." "Encyclopedia of Detroit: David Whitney Building." Refrigerator TheWhitneysbuilt a home on the corner of Woodward and Sproat in 1870. Pool A $92 million award-winning restoration project was completed in 2014, and the building now serves as a hotel and apartment space. The floor here is English tile laid in a Flemish mosaic design. They renamed the third floor bar the Ghost Bar after tales of Whitneys ghost haunting the building. The ballroom measures 41 feet by 17 feet and is bathed in light from the massive Tiffany window and connects all the adjoining bedrooms. The fireplace surround is of African, or Numidian, marble. 18.6 mi, Farmington, Refrigerator It is more somber than the music room with rich mahogany woodwork and a vaulted ceiling. David Whitney Building is an apartment community located in Wayne County and the 48226 ZIP Code. Accessed August 11, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=d6EoAAAAYAAJ&dq=david+whitney+building&source=gbs_navlinks_s The David Whitney Building features Marriots Aloft-branded boutique hotel with 136 rooms after reopeningin 2014 following a $94 million renovation of the building, which had sat vacant for 15 years. Maintenance on site It is now at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. The miles and minutes will be for the farthest away property. Whitney, having an eye for shrewd business moves, saw the Woodward's business district would be expanding northward as the city grew. His land in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, was estimated to be worth $2 million ($47.9 million today). A series of arches at the entrance porch spring from squat, polished granite columns with cushion capitals. The Whitney family sold the building in 1965. Detroit-based Patrick Thompson Design and Infuz Architects are working on the design for the hotel. The David Whitney Jr. House was built by successful lumber baron David Whitney Jr., one of Michigans wealthiest citizens and the He quickly established himself in the lumber trade and moved to Detroit by age 27. He bought property at Grand Circus Park before it was developed, when it was Fitness Center Whitney bought tapestries from the legendary Gobelin Tapestry Works in Paris to line the walls and hide the secret vault that contained their valuables. This walking tour of Detroit starts with the iconic Fox Theatre and Augustus Woodward's plan for rebuilding the city. It was the largest coach house in the state when it was built. "Daniel H. Balcony This area is very Bikeable. A symbolic flicking of the switch illuminated the Whitney's facade for the first time in years on Dec. 15. At a 1933 reception for Whitneys daughter Grace, Mrs. John Hoff, remembered after breakfast the family came out to gather again around a long table in the hallway to open the morning mail.. The building was sold for $3.3 million. According to Dr. A.F. High-Speed Internet, Dog & Cat Friendly 19.8 mi. The entire room is covered with either decorative terra cotta or marble. Walk-In Closets The Whitney Realty Co. received building permit No. Balcony, Dog & Cat Friendly Dishwasher Whitney himself made it known that he would be happy living in a log cabin, but Mrs. Whitney felt otherwise, W. Hawkins Ferry said in his seminal book The Buildings of Detroit. And so, in 1890, David Whitney hired architect Gordon W. Lloyd - who he had employed to design the Grand Circus Building - to build him a new, more fashionable home farther north, at Woodward and Canfield avenues. The Whitney mansion is 22,000 square feet and has 52 rooms (including 10 bathrooms), 218 windows, 20 fireplaces and numerous stained-glass windows crafted by Tiffanys of New York. "The Whitney." At the time, it was still 95 percent occupied and was home to nearly 300 dentists and doctors. Maintenance on site, Dog & Cat Friendly And the little commercial store was sitting there among the homes on the park when its millionaire owner died in 1900. The David Whitney Building is one of the most important structures in Detroit. Disposal MI The Canfield elevation is a less cohesive statement than the Woodward faade, with a series of gables, bays and dormers combined along the side elevation. Dinner served Wednesday - Sunday Wednesday 5:00PM - 8:00PM, Thursday - Friday 5:00PM - 9:00PM, Saturday 5:00PM - 10:00PM, Sunday 4:00PM - 7:00PM, A two hour Elegant Indulgence Saturday & Sunday at 1:30pm, with advance reservations, Historical and Architectural excursion through the Mansion Times and reservations available on Events Page, Serving craft cocktails and snacks Thursday/Friday 5:00 - 9:30, Saturday Open for dining guests only, Sunday 4:00 - 8:00, Wednesday 5:00PM - 8:00PM, Thursday - Friday 5:00PM - 9:00PM, Saturday 5:00PM - 10:00PM, Sunday 4:00PM - 7:00PM, Saturday & Sunday at 1:30pm, with advance reservations, Times and reservations available on Events Page, Thursday/Friday 5:00 - 9:30, Saturday Open for dining guests only, Sunday 4:00 - 8:00. Stainless Steel Appliances still on the outskirts of downtown Detroit. When the doctors moved out, they took with them the life-size marble statue of Psyche that sat in the music room, a bust of Venus de Milo and a bronze bust of Shakespeare. These rooms must have been quite cheerful with the white walls, gleaming onyx and oversize windows bringing in the morning light. Mr. Dishwasher To the north side of the grand hall is the music room, which measures 36 feet by 23 feet with the northern-most set of stained glass windows inset into a columned alcove that is highlighted with a delicately carved maple wood screen. Upon entering the Woodward Avenue entrance, guests would be overwhelmed by the grand hall, the largest room in the mansion. Whitney bought the parcel on the southwest corner of Woodward and Park avenues in 1885 from H.H. Dishwasher David Whitney died of a heart attack on Nov. 30, 1900, and was buried in Woodmere Cemetery. "Landmark Tower Re-Opens in Detroit." HistoricDetroit.org. The bedroom featured silver birch woodwork and mahogany accented with gold carvings in the octagonal boudoir. Share details of your own experience with this property. Workis expected to begin this summer,according to the developer. wealthiest man in Detroit. A wide two-story bay window breaks up the wall and provides views up and down Woodward. This plan never happened, and the building was closed in 2000. was no accident, as Whitney and his son were both active club members. David Whitney Building is near Detroit City, located 8.0 miles or 16 minutes away, and Detroit Metropolitan, located 22.9 miles or 32 minutes away. and Mrs. Whitney frequently entertained their many wealthy friends at receptions and teas, evening parties and musicales, the Free Press said. "The Detroiter, Volume 6." While it was spared the wrecking ball, in 1959, the Whitney family hired the architectural firm of Harley, Ellington & Day to give the structure a modern makeover. With these energy efficiency improvements, the landmark restaurant and bar will be less costly to operate to operate, more comfortable for guests, and help lead Detroit into a new era of sustainability. The Whitneys neighbors were Harvey C. Parke, of Parke Davis Pharmaceuticals, Captain E.M. Peck, Dr. Donald McLean and the old Detroit Athletic Club, which sat just north on Woodward. Kitchen At the rear of the home is the carriage house that originally contained a lift that took carriages up to the second floor. It should be preserved, not for personal use but so that the public can see and enjoy it, he said. Pool Let us help you plan an unforgettable wedding. The Woodward Avenue elevation is a textbook example of Romanesque Revival. What some could now call the "Mad Men" era was not kind to Detroit's historical architecture. Whitney must have walked over daily (to inspect the work on her new home), a picturesque figure in a full, gored, bell-shaped skirt with huge puffed sleeves, the Detroit News said. Kitchen Kitchen Drop by to talk about your next apartment. In fact, an article in the Detroit Sunday News Tribune from 1895 quoted others in the industry as saying Whitney "is the best prophet of vessel rates on the Lakes." The Roxbury Group said it plans to announce further plans for the restaurant by the end of the summer. Lloyd was an English architect who also designed the Detroits Central United Methodist Church, the Wright Kay Building and University of Detroits Dowling Hall. Act now and your $ purchase will include 9 additional FREE application submissions to participating properties. It would be replaced with the much larger David Whitney Building, designed by the world-renowned architect Daniel Burnham, in 1914. and Bike Score Ratings? Kitchen David Whitney, Jr was a lumber baron, a shrewd real estate The dining rooms on the first and second floors were named after their original purpose and each is uniquely furnished. Business Center, Dog & Cat Friendly It closed in the late 1990s. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://www.walbridge.com/projects/david-whitney-building, Spirit of Detroit: Woodward Ave to the Detroit River, David Whitney Building Official Website: The History and Redevelopment, HistoricDetroit.org: David Whitney Building, The Detroiter, 1914: New David Whitney Building, Details about the David Whitney Restoration from Walbridge. Many of these floors housed many dentists, doctors and lawyers. His fortune was estimated at $7 million to $10 million in the 1890s, the equivalent of $167.7 million to $239.5 million today, when adjusted for inflation. Refrigerator First, it is one of only three surviving buildings in Detroit by the renowned architectural firm of Daniel H. Burnham & Co. Burnham is considered one of the most important American architects of all time. $1,185-$1,820 Kughn learned that the mansion would likely be torn down after the Visiting Nurse Association left. High-Speed Internet Transportation options available in Detroit include Grand Circus Park, located 0.0 miles from David Whitney Building. The dominant features of the hall are the fireplace and the massive staircase. Refrigerator Alger. 317 on Feb. 5, 1914, and began erecting the 18-story David Whitney Building. Enjoy a visit to Detroit's Most "Spirited" Lounge before or after dinner. David C. Whitney was a banker and real estate developer. One office after another was left empty until the 1980s, when the building was really put on the ropes. These Tiffany windows are of St. Cecelia, the patron saint of music, and of Apollo and his lyre. The city is a great destination for sports lovers as one of the few American cities with major leagues in football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. This community can be found in the 48226 area of Detroit. Dan. Range The ceiling of the art gallery is vaulted and had a skylight. During Whitney's lifetime, Grand Circus Park was a residential area with no real retail to speak of. At the corner of Canfield and Warren, there is a two-story balcony; each story is supported by clustered granite columns supporting a stone arch. It must been an added convienence to watch polo matches from the second and third floors of their home. Factors that influenced these ratings include building design, construction, exterior spaces, and amenities. Following a $92 million renovation that not only restored the Whitney's original classically inspired exterior, but spiffed up its stunning four-story lobby, the Aloft "boutique" hotel opened in December 2014. Range This Listing has been verified by CoStars listing verification process, which combines internal screening and fraud detection technology. Autograph Collection has 250 independent hotel across 43 countries and territories. Some interesting places to visit in a short time. In March 2013, Gov. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://davidwhitneybuilding.com/#/history He was worth more than $15 million at the time of his death in 1900. Lumber was not Whitneys only business venture; he also was involved in real estate speculation, steamships and banking. In fact, aviator Charles Lindbergh's mother, Evangeline Land Lindbergh, was born in 1876 on the site where the Whitney Building stands now. Descendants of David Whitney were on hand for the ceremony. Mr. Whitneys bedroom is in the northeast corner of the mansion. The third floor was home to the Whitneys art gallery, more guest rooms and small servants bedrooms at the rear of the home. The site is now occupied by an apartment complex called Studio One apartments that is operated by Wayne State University. The bleachers ran along the southern edge of their property line. In Unit Washer & Dryer Hand-painted ceiling and wall panels depict handpainted fruit and pastoral scenes. In addition to his success in the lumber business in Michigan, Oregon and Washington state, Whitney also invested in Great Lakes shipping. But two years later, the Detroit race riot of 1967 when speed up what had started a decade earlier: the draining of the city' population. The David Whitney Building was among the casualties. The roof is covered in slate tiles laid in a fish scale pattern. The surgeon was Bryant & Detwiler & Co. The ornate ceiling, depicting cherubs, is painted on silk. The project is expected to be complete by late 2023. Mrs. Whitneys suite of rooms opens to the corner balcony at the southeast corner of the home. The cornice, parapet and terra cotta details were removed. Kitchen A lighting expert from Detroit Edison said the 1893 lighting was remarkable in its foresight.. The basement of the mansion housed a paneled billiard room and the massive heating system for the home. This area is served by the Detroit Public Schools Community District attendance zone. Bike Score The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. The third floor became a cocktail lounge named the Winter Garden. Known as the origin of the automobile industry, the Motor City is moving towards a future of economic opportunity with roots far beyond the world of cars. The dining room is also executed in mahogany. The rest of the skyscraper was turned into 105 apartments, which are to open in early 2015. In Unit Washer & Dryer The plaster ceiling is an ornately patterned geometic design. It was for some time the largest lumber dealer in the United States. The Whitney family has always been an advocate of the medical profession, as the original tenants of the David Whitney Building on Grand Circus Park were mostly medical professionals, as well. Many of the contractors on the job were Detroit companies. HistoricDetroit.org. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Created by Jamie Nickel on August 11th 2016, 3:28:35 pm. The PACE project involved replacing patchwork heating and cooling systems installed many decades since the mansions 21 fireplaces ceased provide its heat, LED lights throughout; efficient storm enclosures on over 200 windows; building control system; and highly efficient cooking equipment. 3. Historically one of the economic and cultural powerhouses of the Midwest, Detroit is full of people who are working towards redevelopment and revitalization. To the left of the entry, along Woodward, are the reception and drawing rooms. Walk-In Closets, Dog & Cat Friendly The Whitney Building's decline mirrors almost every other office structure in Detroit. "Prices are really moderate.". It was estimated to have cost $400,000 (about $9.5 million today) and was featured in several newspapers of the time. Detroit Historical Society Website. The ornate fireplace is white onyx. Walk Score The David Whitney Building opened in 1915 as a medical office and retail building. Microwave From then until 1932, when the Whitney family allowed the Wayne County Medical Society to move in, only a caretaker lived in the home. David Whitney Building is within 16 minutes or 0.8 mile from Wayne County C.C., Downtown. The hotel features 136 rooms. The ballroom is wainscotted in oak and has a large central fireplace. Fitness Center Tub / Shower Monuments paying tribute to Detroits rich history are everywhere while astonishing architecture and public artwork is scattered throughout the city. The tour includes some of Detroit's most famous buildings, monuments, and historical and cultural sites. 48334, 1-2 Br When complete, the David Whitney Building will have 160 guest rooms and 80 residences. Later, when the Visiting Nurse Association would acquire the carriage house for its offices, an old landau carriage with silver lanterns was still housed in the building. The Whitney mansion changed hands again in 2007, when Kughn sold the mansion to Bud Liebler, a former Chrysler executive, for more than $2 million. A common feature of Romaneque houses is a round tower with a conical roof. later moved to its current home on Madison Avenue, with the former site on Woodward becoming home to a Vernors ginger ale plant, a far less aristocratic neighbor for the Whitney mansion. "The History and Redevelopment." Walbridge Official Website. Starting in the mid-1950s and through the mid-1960s, the city saw the demolition of its Old City Hall and first skyscraper; the Detroit Symphony Orchestra leave its near-acoustically perfect Orchestra Hall for the modern Ford Auditorium; and countless buildings shave off their cornices and install drop ceilings in what were once soaring lobbies. Hudson, the department store magnate, was one of the pallbearers that carried Whitneys body from the home. Among them: Capper & Capper men's furnishings, G.M. As tenants gradually moved out with Detroits decline, the building was left vacant for years. "David Whitney Building." The Medical Society moved in without a down payment on the residence, and the Whitney estate even paid the $15,000 a year property taxes. Austin. I was in an interior unit and my apartment never got below 70 degrees, even when it was below freezing out. In August 2017, the fabulous Whitney mansion became the site of Detroit and Wayne Countys first PACE project. Dog & Cat Friendly It is said that Thomas Edison designed some of the lighting for the Whitney mansion. He wisely bought up property around Grand Circus Park when it was the far reaches of downtown business, and in 1885, he built the five-story Grand Circus Park Building. Dishwasher Liebler shut the restaurant down for a few weeks to do some renovations, including toning down some of the 1980s paint choices, restore the wood finishes and update the menu. Dishwasher 5. CableReady Good News! 48187, 1-4 Br The bronze balustraded staircase is inset between another series of large carved arches, with its landing dominated by the two-story Tiffany window. Each has its own unique appeal that guests come specifically to enjoy and sometimes find themselves wandering, spending hours frolicking in the enchantments of the estate. Time and distance from David Whitney Building. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://historicdetroit.org/architect/daniel-h-burnham/ Accessed August 11, 2016. http://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/david-whitney-building Wayne Countys PACE program allowed Whitney owner Bud Liebler to transform one of the leading icons of the 19th Dishwasher The Whitney mansions tower begins at the second foor, above the entranceway, and continues above the third floor roof line, finishing in a decorative copper spire. 7. The Whitney now provides several unique features within the historical property: the fine dining restaurant, menu dining throughout the Mansion, The Ghostbar and Gardens. The horse stalls were remodeled into offices for training with funds provided by Mrs. F.M. The company he and his brother Charles headed expanded from the eastern seaboard and Canada to Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Accessed August 11, 2016. http://historicdetroit.org/building/the-whitney/ Fox and McCarthy enlisted crews of students from the Center for Creative Studies to help bring the painted murals back to life. 6. Walk-In Closets Schettler Drugs, Rogers Shoe Co. and the Watkins Cigar Stores Co. For the Detroiter of 1915, the Whitney Building was a one-stop shop for clothing, tailors, hairdressers and milliners.