Detroit Architects: F. Gordon Pickell (February 3, 1881-March 27, 1949)

F. Gordon Pickell (1881-1949) was a late 19^th century/early 20^th century architect born in Jackson, Mississippi, who studied in New York, Philadelphia, and London before commencing his career in Philadelphia and later relocating to Detroit in 1909. 

Widely respected for his intricately crafted, revival-inspired residential work that helped shape historic districts like Indian Village and Grosse Pointe, Pickell became the first president of Michigan’s American Institute of Architects and served a brief two-year term before taking a step away from architecture to run the Hotel Gordon, which he did up until his death on March 27, 1949.

As far as his architectural catalog is concerned, Pickell’s claim to fame was his sophisticated restraint and ability to balance out elegance and scale in equal measure, qualities you’ll find in his best-known commission: the Ormund F. Hunt House at 1517 Burns, a model of stately composition, quality craftsmanship, and the quiet prestige that defines Burns Avenue as a whole.

Though less prolific than some of his contemporaries, Pickell’s small Detroit portfolio is proof of his contribution to the city’s enduring architectural legacy.

In Grosse Pointe, Pickell designed several eye-catching residences: 

• 246 Lakeland (“Twin Gables,” 1913), an English-style estate for Frederick C. Shipman
• 345 University Place (1913) – a huge six-bedroom English Manor-style home for Ernest Mead Baker and Lorraine Stroh
• 354 University Place (1914) – a Colonial Revival for Charles Bagley DuCharme, which was later rebuilt after a 1927 fire ravaged it – a property that would later be occupied by Howard Bonbright and Frank Palm’s Book (heir to the Book Building legacy)

In short, Pickell’s work remains a study in refined old-world artistry and architectural grace, bridging Detroit’s urban aesthetic with the early suburban grandeur found in districts like Grosse Pointe and Indian Village.