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Hunter House (Detroit, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
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. 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
.
in 1974.
The home is currently 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.
style with a red brick and rusticated stone exterior. The influences of Queen Ann 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 sq ft (603.9 m²). The sides of the house differe in their appearance. Incised brick and colored sandstone add ornamentation to the facade. 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.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974. 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
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
.
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 PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974.
The home is currently operated as the Woodbridge Star, a seven-room bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
. 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 ChateauesqueChâteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
style with a red brick and rusticated stone exterior. The influences of Queen Ann 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 sq ft (603.9 m²). The sides of the house differe in their appearance. Incised brick and colored sandstone add ornamentation to the facade. 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.