The David Whitney House is a historic mansion located at 4421 Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. The building was constructed during the 1890s as a private residence. It was restored in 1986 and is now a restaurant. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The house was built between 1890 and 1894 by a prominent lumber baron, David Whitney Jr., who was considered not only one of Detroit's wealthiest personalities, but also one of Michigan's wealthiest citizens. The house is estimated to have cost US$400,000 (equal to $11,964,615 today), and it was featured in several newspapers of that time.
The exterior is constructed using pink jasper from South Dakota. It is measured to be 21,000 square feet (2,000 m2) and has 52 rooms (including 10 bathrooms), 218 windows, 20 fireplaces, a secret vault in the dining room, an elevator, and numerous Tiffany glass windows.
The Tiffany glass windows have been estimated to be worth more than the house itself. The window designs often feature themes oriented around the purpose of the rooms they are located in. For example, the music room's windows are themed towards elements of music as well as images of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The grand staircase features a massive stained glass window portraying a knight, paying homage to the various members of the Whitney family who were knighted, as well as their relationship to the royal blood line in England. The house was the first residence in Detroit to have a functioning elevator for personal use.
The Whitney is a fine-dinning restaurant that was converted from the home of wealthy lumber baron David Whitney, Jr., who built the mansion in 1894. The home became Wayne County Medical Society headquarters after 1920, serving as a tuberculosis ward before evening becoming a restaurant in 1986. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive Detroit)
No comments:
Post a Comment