Hunter House (Detroit)

History

In 1890, William Northwood, the co-founder of the Howard–Northwood Malt Manufacturing Company, commissioned architect George F. Depew to design this home. The structure was completed in 1891 at a cost of $13,500. In 1903, James J. Sullivan, founder of Sullivan Beef, purchased the home. The family lived in the house until 1957. Both Howard–Northwood Malt Manufacturing and Sullivan Beef were major commercial ventures in Detroit, and this home reflects the prosperity of the owners. In the 1960s, the house was converted into a church, and in 1966, a side porch and conservatory were demolished. In the early 1970s, the home was purchased by the Hunter family, who converted it back to a private residence. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The house was sold at a later date in 2009 to an unknown buyer.

The home was recently operated as the Woodbridge Star, a seven-room bed and breakfast. Very few exterior alterations have been made to the home, and the interior remains highly original.

Architecture

George F. Depew designed the elaborate three-story house in French Renaissance Châteauesque style with a red brick and rusticated stone exterior. The influences of Queen Anne and Second Empire styles can also be seen on the home. Round and square towers project from the main section of the house, each with a different roof style. The house has 6500 sqft. The sides of the house differ in their appearance. Incised brick and colored sandstone add ornamentation to the façade. The roof has red slate shingles with metal cresting; shingle-covered gables facing the front of the home extend from the roof. The transom windows are filled with stained and leaded glass, and the house boasts polished jasper collonettes.

References

References

1. {{NRISref. 2008a
2. [http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/15973.htm Northwood House] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-06-06 from the state of Michigan)
3. [http://www.woodbridgestar.com/about.htm About the Woodbridge Star]
4. [http://detroit1701.org/Northwood%20Home.html William Northwood Home] from Detroit1701.org
5. Hill, Eric J., and John Gallagher. (2002). "AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture". Wayne State University Press.