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Historic home, Midtown, since 1885

Harry B. Parker House

Standing and open

A drawing of Harry B. Parker House from its recorded size and style. No photo we may share has turned up yet.
Built
1885
Standing
141 years

Designed by Almon C. Varney

The Harry B. Parker House at 669 W. Canfield St, built in 1885. The family, the architect, the block it belongs to and what stands there today.

On the map

The house today, from the street

Today, from the street

Harry B. Parker House from the street today Photo: Street View, 2026

What is there now

Under renovation

  • Change Of Occupancy/use permit Per HDC2025-00752, Change of Occupancy/Use to Multi-Family Dwelling (4 Units) & exterior & interior alterations to Code , estimated at $80,000 Source: City and county building permits
  • Lived in by its owner Homestead exemption on file Source: County parcel records
  • Standing Source: Historic Detroit

We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 25, 2026.

The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

The house at 669 W. Canfield St went up in 1885, in Detroit's Gilded Age, when stove works, shipyards and railroads made the city's first fortunes.

It carries the name of Harry B. Parker.

The plans came from Almon C. Varney.

It belongs to West Canfield, where the city protects the look of every house on the street.

On the city map it falls in Midtown.

Most homes like it are lived in, so enjoy it from the sidewalk.

Timeline

  1. 1885 Built Designed by Almon C. Varney
  2. 1970 Protected by the city West Canfield
  3. 2026 Change Of Occupancy/use permit May 22, 2026
  4. 2026 Today Under renovation

Where it is

669 W. Canfield St.

On this map

  1. Harry B. Parker House This place
  2. G.H. Whitaker House 50 ft
  3. West Canfield Condos 60 ft
  4. 691 W. Canfield St. 100 ft
  5. West Canfield Historic District 100 ft
  6. William H. Kessler House 100 ft
  7. Walter Watton House 140 ft
  8. John Ward House 150 ft
  9. Armon J. Fair House 200 ft

Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors

Who made it

Jerome H. Remick and Company Building, by Almon C. Varney Jerome H. Remick and Company Building, by Almon C. Varney. Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Architect

Almon C. Varney

American architect, 1849 to 1930. Designed the Jerome H. Remick and Company Building and 8 more in Metro Detroit

Also by Almon C. Varney

More from Detroit in the 1880s

Around the block

It is in Midtown. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.

In the Detroit Ledger

Photo credits

Every photo on this page is used under its license, named here with its author and a link to the original.

  1. Harry B. Parker House from the street today Photo: Street View, 2026

Sources

Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.