Last week we turned our attention to a significant period of transformation, the 1950s, introducing you to 40 Sunningdale and its high profile residents which has included a retired air force general, Henry Ford’s grandson, and a baseball superstar. 

This week we step back to 1907 and explore one of E. Jefferson’s grand old ladies, 16004 E. Jefferson. 

Built in 1907, 16004 E. Jefferson was designed by the Detroit based firm of Mildner & Eisen for Dr. Herman Kreit. The land on which the property is located dates back to 1811 when French settler, Joseph Tremble was granted the land by President James Madison. Paul Trombley later owned the site. In 1889 William Voigt purchased the plot for a reported $1,850 (around $50,000 today). Source: Traveling…

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Last week we explored one of the stunning homes on Ridge Road, number 166, designed by D. Allen Wright in 1927 for Charles F. Lambert. It was built in an era of significant architectural transformation, during a period when the Farms had established itself as an extremely affluent community, home to many prominent residents.

This week we turn our attention to another significant period of transformation, the 1950s. As the large mansions on Lake Shore were razed and the plots subdivided new developments and streets were rapidly appearing.

One such street was Sunningdale. Like so many of the “newer” streets in the community, Sunningdale is one without a definitive architectural style. There is the collection of homes built prior to 1940, a…

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Last week we reviewed the fascinating street of Grosse Pointe Blvd and previewed four homes, built between 1922 and 1940, that crossed several architectural periods and styles.

This week we stay in Grosse Pointe Farms and head to one of the stunning homes on Ridge Road, number 166. 

Running through the heart of the Farms Ridge Road is one of the communities more distinctive streets. Based on research by the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, we understand, in 1885, most of the land between Ridge and Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Farms, was a heavily wooded swamp that extended several miles north and south. The nuns at the Grosse Pointe Academy (known as the Sacred Heart Academy in that era)owned the land that ran from the convent, via Kenwood, all…

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