Detroit Architects: Wallace Frost (October 27, 1892–June 24, 1962)

Wallace Frost (1892–1962) was a domestic architect during Detroit’s post-World War I boom period.

Utilizing the engineering background he gained while serving with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he quickly established himself as a key player when it came to securing stunning residential commissions.

Upon returning home, he took a job at the influential architectural firm Albert Kahn Associates in Detroit, and by the 1920s he had established his own practice, going on to become one of Detroit’s most respected residential architects thanks to his high-quality domestic designs.

Best known for his use of scale and his unique style, which blended European romanticism, Italian, and English precedents, and modern innovation, Frost’s work often featured materials such as stucco, brick, limestone, woodwork, and iron, offering a sense of elegance without pretension.

Unlike the work of many of his contemporaries, this was architecture intended to be lived in, not just admired.

For living proof of this, see Frost’s Indian Village commissions, “the J. Brooks Jackson House” at 2450 Burns and “the Theodore Hodges House” at 2210 Burns, two residences defined by their grounded façades, revival-era detailing, and comfortable interiors.

Beyond Detroit, Frost helped the city of Birmingham shape its architectural identity in the interwar period between World War I and World War II, a time that saw him design over forty homes in the area in his classic Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance, and French Provincial styles.