Detroit Architects: Tuller & Van Husan

Tuller & Van Husan was an architectural firm that existed during Detroit’s northward residential expansion period from the 1910s through to the 1920s, one of many that popped up after its rise as an industrial great. 

Their designs fit perfectly into historic neighborhoods like Virginia Park, where the city’s rapid economic growth in light of the automotive industry’s rise demanded homes that gave off an aura of prestige, permanence, and cultural refinement.

Known for their revival-era influences, solid brick masonry, and sturdy composition, the Tuller & Van Husan’s body of work helped mold Detroit’s transition into a modern architectural hot spot with distinguished neighborhoods anchored by status, balance, comfortability and aesthetic coherence.

One such Tuller & Van Husan designed property is the Charles Warren Pickell House at 120 Virginia Park in the Virginia Park Historic District.

The home was commissioned by Charles Warren Pickell, a prominent figure within Detroit’s early elite class, who wanted to construct a residence that underlined the hallmarks of the firms architectural sensibility:

• Stunning revival-styling
• Balanced composition
• High-quality craftsmanship
• Lasting durability
• Dignified façades backed by well-scaled proportions
• Comfortable yet formal interior planning

Today, the Pickell House stands as a perfect reflection of Virginia Park’s overall identity as one of Detroit’s most upscale and architecturally rich residential boulevards — a place where refinement and burgeoning automotive-era prosperity seamlessly converged.