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Historic home, Brush Park, since 1883

William A. Butler House

Still standing, photographed 2022

Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Built
1883
Style
Second Empire
Standing
143 years

Designed by William Scott & Co.

The William A. Butler House at 291 Edmund Place, built in 1883. The family, the architect, the block it belongs to and what stands there today.

On the map

Then and now

Photographed 2022

Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, from the street

William A. Butler House from the street today Photo: Street View, 2026

What is there now

Standing

We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 25, 2026. Nothing new at this address in the last two years.

The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

The house at 291 Edmund Place went up in 1883, in Detroit's Gilded Age, when stove works, shipyards and railroads made the city's first fortunes.

It carries the name of William A. Butler.

The plans came from William Scott & Co., working in the Second Empire style.

It belongs to Brush Park, where the city protects the look of every house on the street.

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

Timeline

  1. 1883 Built Designed by William Scott & Co.
  2. 1980 Protected by the city Brush Park
  3. 2026 Today 143 years and still standing

Where it is

291 Edmund Place

On this map

  1. William A. Butler House This place
  2. Thomas Ladue House 130 ft
  3. Woodward East Historic District 160 ft
  4. Alfred F. Wilcox House 180 ft
  5. Henry Glover House 310 ft
  6. George S. Chandler House 470 ft
  7. James V. Campbell House 480 ft
  8. Isaac L'Hommedieu House 500 ft
  9. Charles Erdman House 0.1 mi

Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors

Who made it

St. Boniface Catholic Church, by William Scott & Co. St. Boniface Catholic Church, by William Scott & Co.. Photo: This file is from the Mechanical Curator collection, a set of over 1 million images scanned from out-of-copyright books and released to Flic, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Architect

William Scott & Co.

Architecture firm. Designed St. Boniface Catholic Church (1883) and 5 more in Metro Detroit

Also by William Scott & Co.

More from Detroit in the 1880s

Around the block

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

Photo credits

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

  1. Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  5. Built in 1882, this Second Empire-style house was designed by William Scott and Company, 2022 Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  6. William A. Butler 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.