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Clarence E. Day (1886-1965) was the architect hired by automobile producer Milton L. Briggs, Vice President of Briggs Manufacturing Co., to construct his Palmer Woods home, the “Milton L. Briggs House,” at 701 Balmoral Drive, which sadly suffered severe fire damage on October 9, 2024, while under renovation.
One of a handful of early 20th-century Detroit-based architects who commissioned homes for professionals and executives with close ties to the city’s auto industry, Day helped bring to life a number of luxury residences that would later be inhabited by prominent area families.
His properties features stately revival-era design hallmarks, such as:
- Sophisticated revival styling
- Refined masonry
- Quality craftsmanship
- Sprawling lot sizes
- Dignified, memorable curbside appeal
Among his most iconic commissions is the residence of Kaufman Thuma Keller (1885–1966), a self-made industrial powerhouse (VP of Manufacturing at Chevrolet, President of the Dodge Division, and President of Chrysler Corp) whose career tracks right alongside the rise of the American automobile.
The property stands as a physical emblem of Keller’s journey – from a Pennsylvania boy who curried horses to one of Detroit’s most powerful automotive executives.
