The John S. Van Alstyne House – 19480 Lowell Drive, Detroit, MI 48203

The John S. Van Alstyne House located at 19480 Lowell Drive, Detroit, MI 48203 within the historic Palmer Woods District (one of the city’s most aesthetically pleasing and prestigious suburbs), is a sophisticated old Detroit residence designed by architect R. Arthur Bailey in 1925 for its first occupant, John S. Van Alstyne, Jr., the President of the graphic arts and printing company, the John S. Van Alstyne Company.

The property stands as a model of the unique character that defined the Palmer Woods neighborhood’s development in the early 1920s.

With his printing firm headquartered in the acclaimed Detroit News Building, John S. Van Alstyne played a pivotal role in the city’s early publishing landscape – which is why his choice to settle down within Palmer Woods speaks to its appeal among Detroit’s first professional and cultural elite.

These were individuals with very specific tastes, who sought out spacious lots, gorgeous scenery, and architect-commissioned residences within a carefully curated suburban environment.

As for the 19480 Lowell Drive property’s architect, R. Arthur Bailey brought a thoughtful sense of scale, proportion, and quality craftsmanship to all the work he commissioned, design hallmarks that would go on to define his catalog as a whole and harmonize well with Palmer Woods’ quality masonry, elegant detailing, and balanced architectural composition. 

Today, the John S. Van Alstyne House remains an important piece of early Detroit’s historic fabric.

Its 1925 construction, connection to a leading figure in Detroit’s publishing industry, and association with R. Arthur Bailey all reinforce its significance as a well-preserved example of the neighborhood’s early twentieth-century architectural excellence.