Bonnah & Chaffee was a Detroit-based architectural practice owned and operated by the talented design duo Harrie W. Bonnah and Walter C. Chaffee – a practice that went on to make major waves in the Motor City during its early rise as an industrial giant.  Best known for their revival-style influence and landmark institutional commissions, […]

Bernard C. Wetzel (1876-1952) was an early 20th-century Detroit architect whose work played a significant role in defining the city’s charming residential landscape during its industrial boom period, a time which saw Wetzel putting in work at various architectural firms before establishing his own in 1907 (the B. C. Wetzel Company).  One of many architects who […]

Beckett & Akitt was a respected Detroit residential architecture firm that was active from the 1910s through to the 1920s, one of many whose work defined the city’s most prestigious and dignified neighborhoods.  Their work featured balanced façades, stately masonry, and heavy revival influences—features that perfectly suited historic districts like Indian Village, where you’ll find […]

C. F. J. Barnes (1876) was a talented architect whose catalog of high-quality residential architecture played a major role in Detroit’s prolific early 20th-century expansion – a time that saw rapid growth in distinguished historic neighborhoods like Indian Village. Best known for his stately revival design scheme and quality workmanship, Barnes’ work quickly garnered him […]

Alpheus William Chittenden (1869 – 1958) was a prolific early-20th-century architect and Detroit native born in a house at 70 Fort St. in Detroit that is now the site of the Theodore J. Levin U.S. Courthouse.  Born into a family of status, Alpheus (“Alf” as he was known in his youth) was the grandson of […]

Alphonso Van Deusen (1886-1978) was an architect in the city of Detroit at the peak of its residential expansion period in the early 1900s, a time that saw affluent residents settling down in historic neighborhoods like Indian Village. These were esteemed industry giants and their families, many of whom were drawn in by the elegant […]

Williams Brothers was an architectural firm led by designer Albert E. Williams that was active in Detroit in the early 1900s during the city’s rise as a major industrial powerhouse. With Albert E. Williams steering the ship, the firm went on to design stately homes that quickly attracted the attention of Detroit’s upper class – […]

Spier & Gehrke was a 20th-century Detroit architectural partnership led by architects Frederick H. Spier and Hans Gehrke, which would later become Spier, (William C.) Rohns & Gehrke, a firm best remembered for their intricately designed churches and railroad stations that often featured Richardson Romanesque and neoclassical design elements. As far as their residential catalog […]

Samuel K. Colton was a respected Chicago-based architect whose work found its way to Detroit during the city’s rise as an industrial giant and the extreme prosperity that followed.  His designs are both stylish and substantial in scale, with private residences being the bulk of his catalog – many of which he commissioned for the […]

Roland C. Gies (1874) was a Detroit-born and raised architect who worked during the city’s economic growth period in the early 20th century, briefly partnering with Maxwell Grylls to form the firm of Grylls and Gies in 1904. Together, Maxwell and Roland designed several eye-catching brick Georgian homes, including the Indian Village properties 1072 Seminole […]

Rupert W. Koch was a talented Detroit architect who got his start in the early 20th century during the city’s rapid expansion and rise as an automotive giant.  He specialized in residential construction and was best known for his stunning revival styles, which appealed to Detroit’s early elite and the city’s wealthiest families. For an […]

Smith, Hinchman & Grylls was an early 20th century architectural firm that played a key role in shaping Detroit’s iconic skyline, designing sophisticated residential properties and major commercial landmarks that are still heralded to this day. For proof of the way they managed to balance traditional design with balanced innovation, look no further than the […]

William E. N. Hunter (1868–1947) was a skilled Canadian architect who found his way to Detroit during the city’s rapid growth in the late 19th and early 20th century.  Heralded for his stunning ecclesiastical designs that can be seen all across the state of Michigan and even Ontario, the impact Hunter had on Detroit’s most […]

Robert Finn was a Detroit architect who was active during the 20th century, a time when the city’s rapid development led to a boom in high-quality homes being constructed alonf its most exclusive residential boulevards.  Finn’s work combined classic and revival styles with high-quality detailing, which quickly caught the attention of Detroit’s rising class of […]

Richard H. Marr (1886-1946) – also known as the “Architect of Midwest Millionaires”- was a 20th-century Detroit architect known for his quality residential designs that combined ornate detailing with high-level craftsmanship, quickly garnering him the attention of the city’s well-to-do families looking to put down lasting roots in homes that conveyed culture, comfort, and abundance […]