Last week we visited Kenwood Road, Grosse Pointe Farms, to explore a fine selection of beautifully crafted houses that were created by some of the leading architects of the early 20th century.
Two of the homes we featured were designed by D. Allen Wright. So, this week we are going to look at another of Wright’s creations, 20 Village Lane (formerly 16910 Village Lane) in Grosse Pointe. Completed in 1927, it was designed for Harold B. Tyree, vice president of Detroit Edison.
20 Village Lane was featured in Architectural Forum magazine (October 1935) and the Book of Small Houses (1936). It is a uniquely styled English Cotswold home. At just over 2,000 sq ft the asymmetrical house is bigger than it looks and is perfectly formed. The article in the Book of Small Houses explains “this pleasant little house might have been transplanted from one of the southern counties of England. With walls of red brick and a wood shingled roof, the treatment unmistakably belongs to the picturesque cottage school.”
The house has a well-organized floor plan, with hardwood floors throughout along with cork insulation. Every room had ample storage. The living room had a fireplace, as did the master suite. Given the original owner, Harold B. Tyree, was vice president of Detroit Edison, it was acknowledged the house had top wiring with many outlets.
Original owner, Harold Burdick Tyree, was born on 11 June 1894, in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia. He was a captain in the army in Europe during World War I and head of the Tank and Automotive Section for the Detroit Ordinance District in World War II. Following his marriage to Lucile Greene on 8 June 1921, in Spokane, Washington, the couple moved to Grosse Pointe. Following World War II Mr. Tyree served as defense director for Detroit Edison for six years before his retirement in 1959. He passed on April 02, 1961.
It appears Mr. Tyree first listed 20 Village Lane for sale in November 1935, for $13,500 (around $319,000 today). In September 1945, the house was still on the market while he waited for a suitable offer. By this point Mr. Tyree had purchased 28 Provencal. 20 Village Lane was sold in October that year to Charles Gorey, an executive at Chrysler in charge of special products. It was then sold to Peter Thurber, a prominent member of the community – he was a lawyer with Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, and throughout his life maintained a lifelong commitment to helping others through multiple organizations such as the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, and the American Red Cross. His parents were Cleveland and Marie Thurber who had commissioned 90 Kenwood to be built in 1929. In May 1969, 20 Village Lane was sold for $45,000 (around $400,000 today), it was purchased by Fred M. Deutsch. Images courtesy of: GoogleEarth
It is not clear when the address of the property was changed from 16910 Village Lane to 20 Village Lane. You can read a more in-depth story about this street by clicking here.
The architect, D. Allen Wright, was a noted Detroit based designer. It appears he created over 20 residences in Grosse Pointe. Between 1926 and 1930, many of his creations were large French inspired homes, typically in the Normandy and Provencal style - his work provides many fine examples of this architectural approach. Two of Wright’s larger and more prominent projects are 114 Lewiston (completed in 1929) and 166 Ridge Road (completed in 1927).
Post 1930, Wright’s style began to evolve considerably. Many of his designs displayed characteristics of modern architecture that was gaining in popularity throughout Europe and America, thanks to the growing influence of the Bauhaus in Germany. Two fine projects completed by Wright during this era in Grosse Pointe were 905 Lakepointe - Grosse Pointe Park, and 846 Grand Marais (both completed in 1937).
20 Village Lane is an exquisite home, uniquely styled, and full of charm. Next week we delve deeper into the work of D. Allen Wright with a two-part presentation featuring many of the homes he designed in Grosse Pointe.
* 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 © 2026 Higbie Maxon Agney & Katie Doelle
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