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Category: Harry S. Angell

The Howard B. Holden House – 314 E Ferry St, Detroit, MI 48202

Posted on by Expert

Commissioned by prominent early 20th century architect Harry S. Angell for a resident named Howard B. Holden, the Howard B. Holden House at 314 E Ferry St, Detroit, MI 48202 is a cherished landmark residence within the East Ferry Avenue Historic District.

One of Detroit’s most architecturally rich and historically preserved streets, East Ferry Avenue was once known as a showcase neighborhood for residents like the first owner of 314 East Ferry Avenue, Howard B. Holden – working professionals who belonged to a class of successful early elite.

Howard occupied the home during a time when East Ferry Avenue was slowly transforming into one of Detroit’s most desirable residential enclaves, further reinforcing the East Ferry District’s longstanding association with architectural individuality and quality craftsmanship.

As for the Holden House’s designer, Harry S. Angell was well known for his refined residential work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing a thoughtful approach to Detroit’s architectural landscape during its most rapid period of growth.

His design catalog spans everything from Queen Anne to Romanesque Revival to Colonial Revival and early Arts and Crafts influences, harmonizing well with the many other architect-commissioned homes on East Ferry Avenue through careful attention to proportion, elegant massing, and subtle ornamentation.

Today, the Howard B. Holden House at 314 East Ferry Avenue remains a key contributor to the East Ferry District’s historic reputation, its esteemed pedigree, prime location, and close connection to beloved architect Harry S. Angell all playing into its ongoing importance. 

Detroit Architects: Harry S. Angell (May 14, 1887–October 15, 1949)

Posted on by Expert

Harry S. Angell (1887–1949) was a 20th-century Detroit architect born in Howell, Michigan to Edwin G. and Carrie A. Sexton Angell – a master craftsman who helped transform historic neighborhoods like Indian Village into enclaves of prosperity, architectural taste, and prestige. 

Angell’s residential work aligned with the tastes of the era’s early elite: sturdy brick construction, balance and scale, and refined revival-style influences designed to project high status and longevity. 

He married Bessie E. Gibbings in Detroit in April 1912, and the couple lived at 221 E. Philadelphia St for a while before relocating to suburban Berkley.

From that point onward, Angell was hired to design a number of homes, commercial buildings, major landmarks, and mid-rise buildings in Detroit, including the since-demolished Newcomb-Endicott Department Store and U.S. Mortgage Bond Building at 607 Shelby St and the following Indian Village commissions: 

  • The Henry T. Ewald House at 3456 Burns
  • The George W. Sieberling House at 2253 Iroquois
  • The Pearson Wells House at 2410 Burns

Each home showcases Angell’s natural ability to deliver distinguished domestic designs featuring broad façades, eye-catching rooflines, and charming masonry work, all of which would go on to define some of Detroit’s most prestigious residential corridors.

While many of his contemporaries of the age became known for downtown landmarks, Harry S. Angell helped define the luxurious everyday architecture of Detroit’s successful class – a legacy preserved beautifully in districts like Indian Village.

He died at the age of 61 on October 15, 1948, in Berkley, Michigan, and was buried in his native Howell at Lake View Cemetery.