Detroit Architects: Almon Clother Varney (March 28, 1849 – January 8, 1930)

Almon Clother Varney (March 28, 1849 – January 8, 1930) was a Detroit-based architect who specialized in Queen Anne, Victorian, and Romanesque styles, a hybrid architect who worked independently and through his firm A. C. Varney & Winter in the late 19th – early 20th century.

Best known for commissioning Detroit’s very first apartment building (the Varney Apartments), Varney also designed a wide variety of factories, offices, hotels, and private residences across the state of Michigan, including the El Moore building and numerous distinguished properties in West Canfield, one of Detroit’s earliest living historic neighborhoods. 

Author of the book “Our Homes and Their Adornments” in 1883 (a guide for building and decorating homes), the vast majority of his work emerged at a time when professionals like lawyers, merchants, and industrial pioneers were defining the city’s upper class and seeking homes that conveyed abundance and artistry.

Varney’s design hallmarks include:

• Queen Anne massing
• A variety of different roof forms
• Stately brick and stone ornamentation
• Spacious porches
• Intricate window detailing

Utilizing these techniques, he managed to capture the style and optimism sweeping across Detroit in its early days – the aesthetic of a city on the verge of becoming the world’s foremost automotive giant. 

This is clearly documented within his West Canfield Historic District commissions, which include:

• The Harry B. Parker House at 669 W. Canfield St.
• The George Prentiss House at 662 W. Canfield St.

And the Armon J. Fair House at 650 W. Canfield St – one of the best living examples reflecting Varney’s picture-perfect proportions, rich architectural detail, and balanced façades.

Built for lumberman Armon J. Fair, the home quickly became part of Detroit’s social fabric, later occupied by real estate and business leaders including John M. Gage, James Nall, Thomas Murphy, and Duncan Stewart.