Hunter House (Detroit, Michigan)

Hunter House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Michigan State Historic Site
Location:	Detroit, Michigan  United States
Coordinates:	42°20′43.55″N 83°4′30.44″W / 42.3454306°N 83.0751222°W / 42.3454306; -83.0751222Coordinates: 42°20′43.55″N 83°4′30.44″W / 42.3454306°N 83.0751222°W / 42.3454306; -83.0751222
Built:	1890
Architect:	George F. Depew
Architectural style:	French Renaissance, Other
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	74001002[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	December 31, 1974
Designated MSHS:	July 26, 1974[2]

The Hunter House is located at 3985 Trumbull Avenue in the Woodbridge Neighborhood Historic District of Detroit, Michigan. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974.^[1][2] It is also known as the William Northwood House or the Northwood - Hunter House. It is currently operated as the Woodbridge Star, a bed and breakfast.

History

In 1890, William Northwood, the co-founder of the Howard-Northwood Malt Manufacturing Company, commissioned architect George F. Depew to design this home.^[2] The structure was completed in 1891 at a cost of $13,500.^[2] In 1903, James J. Sullivan, founder of Sullivan Beef, purchased the home. The family lived in the house until 1957.^[2] Both Howard-Northwood Malt Manufacturing and Sullivan Beef were major commercial ventures in Detroit, and this home reflects the prosperity of the owners.^[2] In the 1960s, the house was converted into a church,^[3] and in 1966, a side porch and conservatory were demolished.^[2] In the early 1970s, the home was purchased by the Hunter family,^[2] who converted it back to a private residence.^[3] The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The home is currently operated as the Woodbridge Star, a seven-room bed and breakfast.^[3] Very few exterior alterations have been made to the home, and the interior remains highly original.^[2]

Architecture

George F. Depew designed the elaborate three-story house in French Renaissance Chateauesque style with a red brick and rusticated stone exterior.^[2] The influences of Queen Ann and Second Empire styles can also be seen on the home.^[4][5] Round and square towers project from the main section of the house, each with a different roof style. The house has 6,500 sq ft (600 m²). The sides of the house differe in their appearance.^[4] Incised brick and colored sandstone add ornamentation to the facade.^[2] The roof has red slate shingles with metal cresting; shingle-covered gables facing the front of the home extend from the roof.^[2] The transom windows are filled with stained and leaded glass, and the house boasts polished jasper collonettes.

External links

• The Woodbridge Star

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Northwood House from the state of Michigan
3. ^ ^{a b c} About the Woodbridge Star
4. ^ ^{a b} 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. ISBN 0814331203.