Skip to content
Rebuild Detroit

Popular in Metro Detroit

Call (888) 471-3135

Historic Detroit

The historic homes of the Palmer Woods Historic District

Every house the Ledger has written up in the Palmer Woods Historic District, with its architect, its year and its own story.

By Victoria JacksonEditor In Chief Published 1 min read
Detroit, The Detroit skyline as it appeared from Windsor, Ontario on a sunny Labor Day 2025, known as the “Motor City,” Detroit...
Detroit. Photo: TheWxResearcher, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.

Address

  1. The I. H. Nie House 1530 Wellesley Drive

    Richard H. Marr, 1911

  2. The Harvey S. Durand House 19221 Strathcona Drive

    Richard H. Marr, 1916

  3. The William A. Fisher Mansion 1791 Wellesley Drive

    Richard H. Marr, 1916

  4. The Dr. Alexander Sydney Ramage House 1405 Balmoral Drive

    Aaron H. Gould & Son, 1921

  5. The Charles Van Dusen House 1830 Balmoral Drive

    Alvin E. Harley, 1922

  6. The John S. Van Alstyne House 19480 Lowell Drive

    R. Arthur Bailey, 1925

  7. The Meyer L. Prentis House 1905 Balmoral Drive

    Richard H. Marr, 1925

  8. The 19395 Cumberland Way 19395 Cumberland Way

    W. C. Morris, 1926

  9. The Daniel & Mabel Fisher House 19386 Cumberland Way

    Richard H. Marr, 1927

  10. The Clyde P. Craine House 19511 Lowell Drive

    Lewis C. Miller, 1928

  11. The Fred C. Thompson House 19201 Strathcona Drive

    Richard H. Marr, 1929

  12. The Mitchell Demery House 1525 Wellesley Drive

    1932

Each bar is drawn to scale from zero against the highest figure, 19511 Lowell Drive for The Clyde P. Craine House. Figures from Detroit Ledger house stories, Palmer Woods Historic District and Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board.

Your next step

Walk the neighborhoods these buildings call home.

Detroit neighborhood guides

Detroit's past is still standing, brick by brick. The Detroit Ledger has documented 20 historic homes in the Palmer Woods Historic District.

The earliest year in those stories is 1911 and the latest is 1958.

The architects behind the district

The architects who appear most often are Richard H. Marr (6 houses), Aaron H. Gould & Son (1 house), and Alvin E. Harley (1 house).

A walk past the houses

The I. H. Nie House stands at 1530 Wellesley Drive, designed by Richard H. Marr (1911). The Harvey S. Durand House stands at 19221 Strathcona Drive, designed by Richard H. Marr (1916).

The William A. Fisher Mansion stands at 1791 Wellesley Drive, designed by Richard H. Marr (1916). The Dr. Alexander Sydney Ramage House stands at 1405 Balmoral Drive, designed by Aaron H. Gould & Son (1921).

The Charles Van Dusen House stands at 1830 Balmoral Drive, designed by Alvin E. Harley (1922). The John S. Van Alstyne House stands at 19480 Lowell Drive, designed by R. Arthur Bailey (1925).

The Meyer L. Prentis House stands at 1905 Balmoral Drive, designed by Richard H. Marr (1925). The 19395 Cumberland Way stands at 19395 Cumberland Way, designed by W. C. Morris (1926).

Final word

This guide grows every time the Ledger documents another house in the district. Keep this page handy.

Sources

Victoria Jackson

Victoria Jackson

Editor In Chief, Detroit Ledger

Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends.

Keep reading