Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Welcome to Beverly Road – Part 3
Posted by Darby Moran on Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 at 8:30am.
Last week, in part 2, we explored residences on the east side of Beverly Road – the even numbered homes: 24 through 44 – the first lots to be sold and developed.
This week, in the final part of our series on Beverly Road, we head to the residences on the west side of the street – the odd numbered homes: 23 through 45 – built between 1920 and 1936. The modern photo’s below are courtesy of: Katie Doelle.
23 Beverly Road – completed in 1925
Renowned local architect Robert O. Derrick designed this substantial asymmetrical Neo-Georgian residence. The distinctive dormers in the roof dominate the front elevation of this 5,830 sq ft home. The property was constructed for Edwin Barbour Henry and his wife, Barbara Wick, of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Henry supervised his family investments and was a director of the Detroit Stove Works. It appears the family resided at the property until 1938, at which point is was leased, for the summer of 1939, to Edward A. Skae, whose wife was Jean Derrick, daughter of the homes architect, Robert O. Derrick. Source: Grosse Pointe Historical Society.
Robert O. Derrick is credited with creating at least with 200 residences in the Detroit area including the homes of many prestigious Grosse Pointers. Derrick lived with his family at 407 Lincoln Road Grosse Pointe, and was a well-known figure in the community. Born 1890, in Buffalo, NY he trained at Yale and Columbia Universities, graduating in 1917, with a degree in architecture. He moved to Detroit in 1921, to become a partner of the firm Brown, Preston and Derrick. The firm then became Brown and Derrick, before he established an architectural practice of his own. It appears one of his earlier projects in Grosse Pointe was the Grosse Pointe Club, also known as the ‘Little Club’, completed in 1923. The majority of Derrick’s ‘formal’ residential work in Grosse Pointe was created between 1923 through to 1931, in an array of architectural styles. During this period he also completed his most prestigious project, the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. Derrick’s work has superb attention to detail, and variety. The majority of his commissions were large formal residences for prominent clientele who were looking for ‘something spectacular’.
27 Beverly Road – completed in 1925
Robert O. Derrick is also responsible for the design of this striking 4,682 sq ft symmetrical Arts and Crafts inspired home. The gambrel roof with the three dormer windows is particularly distinctive, along with the two-story bow windows on the front elevation. The house was created for Miss Clara Hodges (Robert O. Derricks future wife) and Miss Virginia Hodges, daughters of Henry Clay Hodges of Hodges Brothers, Insurance. It is reported the house was sold in 1960, to Gilbert Hudson, the head of the Hudson Webber Foundation.
29 Beverly Road – completed in 1920
29 Beverly is a 2,554 sq ft Colonial Revival style home that features full-width clapboard on the second story. It is not clear who the architect is, but we can confirm the house was built for William Hedenberg Herbert, manager of Michigan Steel Products Company and director of Clinton Woolen Manufacturing Company. His wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Herbert, was the daughter of William P. Hamilton, who resided at 28 Beverly Road. Mrs. Herbert remained at 29 Beverly until her death in 1972; at which point her daughter and her husband became the owners.
31 Beverly Road – completed in 1929
Harry F. Stanton, of Crombie and Stanton, completed 31 Beverly for Edward Arthur Barnes, an attorney with the firm of Barnes and Race. The 5,320 sq ft formal brick residence was designed in the Neo-Georgian style. Henry Stanton, a graduate of Cornell University, had a stellar reputation for creating elegant, beautifully detailed brickwork, and impactful entranceways. In conjunction with the fellow designers he partnered with during his career (Charles Kotting, Charles Crombie, and James Hillier) he created many significant homes in Grosse Pointe. You can read his full story by clicking here.
37 Beverly Road – completed in 1920
The firm of L. Francis Murphy, Engineers and Architects created 37 Beverly Road, a 5,162 sq ft residence, for Edwin Stroh, son of Brewery magnet Berhard Stroh. Having worked for the family brewery since 1908, Edwin left to organize the Stroh Casting Company in 1914. In 1918, he married Katherine Remick, daughter of Jerome Remick, the music publisher who resided at 257 Ridge Road (designed by Albert Kahn). During his career L. Francis Murphy worked with H. H. Esselstyn for a number of years. Arguably one of their most prominent projects together was 487 Rivard, the superb clapboard colonial style home, completed in 1919, for Edwin’s brother, Bernhard Stroh Jr., former president of the Stroh Brewery Company – you can read the full story by clicking here.
39 Beverly Road – completed in 1927
39 Beverly is a distinctive Cottage style home completed in stucco with stone. The asymmetric 3,511 sq ft residence features a slate covered steeply pitched gable roof and a unique band of tiny rectangular leaded windows on the second floor. Raymond Carey designed the house for attorney William H. Wells. Raymond Carey was a prominent designer in Grosse Pointe Farms. He was born in England, and grew up in Bath, where some of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in England can be found. He created some exceptional Georgian homes in Grosse Pointe, along with Cottage Hospital Nurse’s House on Ridge Road, and several prestigious homes on Provencal – you can read the full story by clicking here. It appears Mr. and Mrs. Wells resided at the property for just two years. At which point it was leased to Lee Anderson, president of Advertisers, Inc., and a former sports writer for the Detroit News (from 1903-09).
41 Beverly Road – completed in 1926
This unique brick built 3,737 sq ft house was built by prolific builder H. H. Micou from the plans of an architect, believed to by Clarence Mack, from Cleveland. During a career that spanned three decades Micou built many prestigious homes in Grosse Pointe, in conjunction with some of Detroit’s most recognized architects. Frederick W. Campbell, the manager of Bonbright & Company, an investment house, and president of Campbell, McCarty & Company, commissioned 41 Beverly.
45 Beverly Road – completed in 1936
45 Beverly was the last of the historic homes to be constructed on the street. Located on the corner of Grosse Pointe Blvd, the clapboard Neo-Georgian style 3,284 sq ft home was another of Robert O. Derrick’s creations. The original owner was Mrs. Charles Bartlett Davis, whose husband was president and treasurer of Crawford Laundry Company.
Beverly Road is the only road in the Grosse Pointe communities that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And based on the residences we have explored over the past couple of weeks it is easy to see why this prestigious street is so significant.
*Photos courtesy of the Higbie Maxon Agney archives unless stated.
Written by Katie Doelle
Copyright © 2020 Higbie Maxon Agney & Katie Doelle