Detroit Architects: William F. Goodrich (August 6, 1886 – October 1946)

William F. Goodrich (1886-1946) was a 20^th-century Detroit architect whose career had a major impact on the city’s early transformative period. 

Although not as widely known as some of his contemporaries, Goodrich’s body of work reveals a consistent, gifted designer who was loved by the era’s early influential families, builders, and developers.

As for his early years, Goodrich’s name first surfaced in 1914 in a proposal for a massive 800-room summer hotel located in Grosse Pointe Shores – a project so extensive it required its very own power plant.

Unfortunately, it never ended up coming to fruition, yet it still underscored the scale of work entrusted to Goodrich as well as the era’s belief in Grosse Pointe’s emerging significance, which by the late 1910s saw Goodrich working as one of the core residential architects in Grosse Pointe Farms.

From there, he was tasked with the commission of 87 and 115 Lewiston for the Alexander Lewis Realty Company: two sophisticated Regency-style homes that were simple, artistic, and conceived with an efficient, modern layout in mind. 

Then, that same year, Goodrich completed work on what is often considered his most prestigious Grosse Pointe commission: the Sunnycroft residence for Mrs. William K. Anderson located at 70 Moran. 

Published in Michigan Architect and Engineer, the property featured intricately handcrafted interior details and sprawling formal gardens perfect for entertaining.

The house was partially torn down in 1946 and fully razed in 1957, yet what remains of its documentation is evidence of Goodrich’s quality workmanship and extensive artistic range.

His other commissions include:

• 515 University Place in the Farms, a classic Colonial with balanced symmetry, huge windows, and gorgeous wood interiors
• The stately Mrs. Catherine Barnard House at 1458 Burns in Indian Village
• 1325 Bedford in the Park, a perfect example of his willingness to explore varied stylistic expressions
• 875 Pemberton, which showcases his mastery of refined, balanced Colonial revival designs

In short, William F. Goodrich had a major impact on Detroit’s architectural fabric through dependable craftsmanship, stylistic adaptability, and a sensitivity to the aspirations of the early automotive era.