Found 7 blog entries tagged as Charles A. Platt.


Last week we presented the story of the lost garden at 241 Lake Shore, the former grand estate of Mrs. Henry Stephens (wife of lumber baron Henry Stephens Jr. who passed in 1910). The magnificent property was designed by Charles A. Platt in 1913. It was demolished in 1988.

This week we stay with 241 Lake Shore as we delve into the final part of the story – beginning in the late 1940’s, when it became known as the “Kanzler Mansion”, through to the properties dramatic conclusion in 1987.

After the original owner Mrs. Stephens passed on May 12, 1944, it appears 241 Lake Shore was purchased by Ernest C. Kanzler, a prominent figure in Detroit who had “full responsibility for converting the auto industry for World War II.” Source: Detroit Free Press…

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Last week we presented one of the lost homes of Grosse Pointe, 15500 Windmill Pointe which was recently demolished in the spring of 2024. Completed in 1928, it was designed by the architectural firm of Benjamin and Straight for Colonel Jesse G. Vincent.

This week we present the story of the lost garden at 241 Lake Shore, the former grand estate of Mrs. Henry Stephens, designed by Charles A. Platt in 1913. The property was demolished in 1988.

As most of you are aware, over the years Grosse Pointe has lost many fine estates. It is not just the magnificent homes that have gone but also countless gardens that were designed by some of the nation’s most noteworthy architects. This includes the superb gardens at 241 Lake Shore, created by William…

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Last week we continued with the collaborative work of Charles Platt and Ellen Biddle Shipman as we explored 99 Lothrop. The Georgian Colonial property was designed for Allen Fulton Edwards in 1928, Ellen Biddle Shipman, designed the garden.

This week we take a final look at the collective efforts of this talented duo as we explore 242 Provencal. The lost mansion was completed in 1934, for Mrs. Marion Jarvis Alger, the widow of Russel A. Alger Jr.

The affiliation of Charles Platt and Ellen Biddle Shipman began around 1910. By 1912, Shipman was collaborating with Platt on gardens across the United States, including one of their first joint projects in Grosse Pointe - 32 Lake Shore “the Moorings” (now the War Memorial) in 1910/11, created for…

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Last week we explored one of the finest homes in the City of Grosse Pointe, 17315 E Jefferson, designed by nationally renowned artist Charles A. Platt for Mrs. Arthur McGraw in 1927.

This week we continue with the work of Charles Platt as we visit 99 Lothrop. Designed for Allen Fulton Edwards in 1928, the project concluded a long association between Mr. Edwards and the fine architects he hired to create homes for himself and his wife Christine, in Metro Detroit.

The project at 99 Lothrop not only created a grand home but also re-united Charles Platt with landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman, who would design the garden at the property. The talented duo enjoyed a long affiliation that began around 1910, when Shipman was living in New…

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Last week we concluded our exploration of the work by Ruth Bramley Dean as we explored 290 Provencal, one of three gardens she created in Grosse Pointe that resulted in her becoming the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Architectural League of New York’s Gold Medal.

This week we feature one of the finest homes in the City of Grosse Pointe, 17315 E Jefferson, designed by nationally renowned artist Charles Platt. We have previously covered some of Platts work, including a recent feature of his collaborative project with landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman at the War Memorial (32 Lake Shore).

Charles A. Platt was considered one of America’s more influential landscape designers. He was also a respected artist and self-taught architect.…

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Last week we presented one of the largest homes constructed in Grosse Pointe City, 355 Lincoln, designed by noted New York firm Alfred Hopkins & Associates for Theodore McGraw, Jr. 

This week we stay in the City of Grosse Pointe, and explore one of the finest homes in the community, 17315 E. Jefferson. The classically designed Georgian style house was completed in 1927 for Mrs. Arthur McGraw (Grace I. Butler), the widow of the Detroit merchant, who was also associated with chemists, Parke, Davis and Company. Nationally acclaimed architect Charles A. Platt  of New York designed the house, along with the garden, which contained formal architectural elements. 

The 7,113 sq ft residence is constructed of Flemish Brick, with a slate roof. The…

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Each week we ask for suggestions of homes, buildings and streets you would like us to profile. This week we focus on one of our recent requests – the grand estate of Mrs. Henry Stephens – 241 Lake Shore.

At the beginning of the Twentieth Century Grosse Pointe Farms was in the midst of a substantial transformation from a summer colony to a year-round residential community. The growing desire for many of Detroit’s wealthy residents to move out of the city to the suburbs was well underway. The area evolved quickly, the ribbon farms and summer cottages were replaced with grand estates and formal landscaped gardens – most visibly on Lake Shore.

One of the more notable arrivals was the estate for Mrs. Henry Stephens (wife of lumber baron Henry Stephens…

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