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Category: Gardiner C. Vose

The Maurice A. Enggass House – 19365 Cumberland Way, Detroit, MI 48203

Posted on by Expert

Designed in 1937 by Detroit architect Gardiner C. Vose for Maurice A. Enggass, Vice President and Treasurer of the Enggass Jewelry Company (once Detroit’s oldest and largest jeweler), the Maurice A. Enggass House at 19365 Cumberland Way, Detroit, MI 48203 is a beautifully preserved landmark located within the Palmer Woods Historic District.

Completed in 1938, the home reflects the early architectural tastes of the late 1930s while maintaining the Palmer Woods District’s hallmark standards of elegance, sophistication, and quality craftsmanship.

That’s thanks in large part to the fact that Vose designed the Enggass House at 19365 Cumberland Way with a strong emphasis on balanced proportions, refined simplicity, elaborate display, subtle ornamentation, and high-quality materials, producing a residence that harmonizes seamlessly with the surrounding Tudor, Colonial, and Revival-style homes along Cumberland Way. 

As for its first occupant, Maurice A. Enggass was part of an upwardly mobile family whose name was synonymous with artistry via the Enggass Jewelry Company, which provided generations of Detroiters with luxury jewelry that mirrored the quality craftsmanship found in Vose’s architectural work.

Today, the Enggass House remains a core residence shaping the Palmer Woods Historic District’s reputation for architectural variety and distinctive, individually designed estates – an enduring part of its historic character that perfectly embodies the late-Depression-era residential design and the enduring legacy of one of Detroit’s most storied families.

Detroit Architects: Gardiner C. Vose (December 28, 1902 – February 3, 1991)

Posted on by Expert

Gardiner C. Vose (1902-1991) was a 20th-century University of Michigan-trained Detroit architect best known for designing the residence of Maurice A. Enggass, Vice President and Treasurer of the Enggass Jewelry Company (Detroit’s oldest and largest jeweler) in 1937, located at 19365 Cumberland Way in Palmer Woods.

Considered a Palmer Woods cultural landmark, the Enggass residence reflects Detroit’s enduring prestige even as the Great Depression brought the entire nation to its knees. 

It symbolizes a city determined to hold on to its beauty, quality craftsmanship, and abundance even in the darkest times.

As for his early years, Vose made his first appearance in the city directory in 1928 as a draftsman, and by 1930 he had started his own firm before briefly joining forces with fellow architect Martin L. Hussey in 1935, a short-lived partnership that came to an abrupt end when Hussey passed away in 1936.

From there, he took a position at the Ex-Cell-O Corporation just before WWII, and in the 1950s he became vice president of Moynahan Bronze Corporation.

A master at his craft, Vose’s commissions feature classical refinement touches fused with modern comfort and subdued extravagance, which went a long way in attracting Detroit’s early elite.

For proof of this, look no further than the architectural hallmarks of the Enggass House, including: 

  • Tasteful revival styling
  • Balanced, elegant massing
  • Flawless brickwork featuring refined ornamentation
  • Expertly composed interior flow for both family life and entertaining