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| SUMMER RESIDENCE OF MR. WILLIAM A. FISHER RICHARD H. MARR - ARCHITECT |
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| THE WEST ENTRANCE FRONT OF THE HOUSE FROM THE DRIVEWAY |
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| LOOKING EAST ACROSS THE FLOWER GARDEN PAST THE SOUTHERN END OF THE HOUSE |
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| THE HOUSE FROM THE BOAT LANDING |
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| THE HALL |
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| THE DINING ROOM |
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| THE SWIMMING POOL BUILDING. AT THE FAR END OF IT IS THE GARAGE AND THE SERVICE COTTAGE GROUP |
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| Additions to pool building were done in 1960. |
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| THE SWIMMING POOL IS IN A SEPARATE BUILDING WITH DRESSING ROOMS AT THE NEAR END |
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| Opening has been cut through the original closed wall and into the then Staff Quarters. |
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| Pewabic tile ornamentation, newer mural. |
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| Original Dressing Room portal, now used as a Dining Room. |
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| Original Art Deco Dressing Room with atmospheric vaulted ceiling. |
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| Now a dining room. |
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| Pool House Dining Room with vaulted ceiling and light fixture. |
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| Vaulted Lounge. |
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| Pewabic tiled fireplace. |
The Prechter estate was listed for $11.2 million in 2004. Tom Gores, owner of the Detroit Pistons, purchased property for $5.4 million around 2011. Forbes has him ranked as the 190th wealthiest person in the country, worth around $3.2 billion.
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| 1964 aerial |
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| Charles Thomas Fisher residence??? 18603 Parke Ln, Grosse Ile, MI |
Several of Detroit's automotive pioneers had summer homes on Grosse Ile in the early 20th century.
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| “Elbamar” Grosse Ile’s largest house |
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| HARRY BENNETT'S PAGODA HOUSE |
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| 1960's LOGO |
My grandfather worked for both Edward Gray, Henry Ford's Chief Engineer (and founder of Grayhaven) and Gar Wood later so your site was interesting to see. Also, in 1967 I had Thanksgiving dinner at the Marshall Fields Estate as a 'friend of a friend' was the state trooper who lived in one of the stable jockey's homes during that time as he patrolled the estate. He took us on a tour of the property later. That was amazing! That was one of our stops on a progressive dinner that evening.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather worked for both Edward Gray, Henry Ford's Chief Engineer (and founder of Grayhaven) and Gar Wood later so your site was interesting to see. Also, in 1967 I had Thanksgiving dinner at the Marshall Fields Estate as a 'friend of a friend' was the state trooper who lived in one of the stable jockey's homes during that time as he patrolled the estate. He took us on a tour of the property later. That was amazing! That was one of our stops on a progressive dinner that evening.
ReplyDeletehttp://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot.com/2015/08/summer-residence-of-mr-william-fisher.html
ReplyDeleteIn regard to this house. In the 1950's, it was owned by Dr. and Mrs. Allen Zieger. Dr. Zieger and my father were childhood friends. I remember being in the mansion when I was about 4. Dr. Zieger tore down the mansion in the early 1960's, I believe. He kept the pool house and renovated the boat house, which sat right
off the long dock (longest in Michigan). He and Mrs. Zieger lived in the renovated boat house. It had windows all around the living room, which gave a beautiful view of the Detroit River. Eventually, he sold the pool house and the rest of the property, I think to Heinz Prechter. My brother spent more time at this house with Dr. & Mrs. Zieger than I did, so he may have more info. Just as a side, there was a large circle in the driveway by the house, that had a large Z in the middle for Zieger.
Very nice! Thanks for filling in some of the gaps.Do you or your brother know why Dr Zieger tore the house down? Poor condition, to big? Any knowledge of Mr. Fisher's brother house that might have been next door? From wikipedia - Grosse Ile Township, Michigan - "Charles and William Fisher, co-founders of the Fisher Body Company that later became a division of General Motors, built large summer homes at the north end of Parke Lane (one remains today)."
DeleteI believe the house became too big and difficult to maintain.
DeleteBTW, Dr. Zieger owned and operated both Zieger Osteopathic Hospital on Livernois in Detroit, and Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills.
ReplyDeleteThere were some major renovations to the main house, and an addition to the North side of the Pool house, done to the estate by Heinz Percher in the late'80s. The addition to the pool house was actually built as a executive showroom for ASC modifications. We did all of the stonework, on the addition, in the gardens, built, and restored a few fountains, and built the large bluestone patio on the south side of the pool house as well.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather Clarence DeForest Platt was the landscape designer. We have a large framed color plot of the plans. I can post a pic of it if anyone is interested
ReplyDeletePlease! You could send a copy to my email address so that I can update the post. Thanks 12pud12sce@gmail.com
DeleteAll of Don Paul Young's work on this property is now gone. The house he designed is gone and replaced by a rather nondescript giant brick house, and current satellite imagery shows the entire pool house has also recently been scraped from the property.
ReplyDeleteSpent a summer there (c.1954), as my parents were friends of the Zieger's. There was a grand piano in the front ante room, played by a professional during dinner parties Allen & Aileen gave. I was tasked by the Chinese cook (Lee?) to row out from the boat house into the Detroit River (it was directly across from River Rouge steel plant, as I recall) to net small anchovy-like fish to bring back for him to use. Sometimes had to hustle to get out of the path of oncoming freighters and the like. There are (were) indeed underground passageways leading from the basement to the field across the road. Couple of horses used to hang out there, next to the small house in the field. Fascinating place and experience for a young man.
ReplyDeleteYears later, driving westbound across the US following return from overseas residence, I took my wife and son to Grosse Isle to see the house. We parked the car in front, got out and I was explaining some of the (my) history, when an older, rather nasty woman came out the front door and told us to "get out." I explained that we were on public property and she should calm down. She continued her cursing, to which I responded in kind. And then we entered our car and drove off. This would have been c.1988.
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ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any historical photos of the Charles William Fisher house? I'd love to see pictures of it from when it was built.
ReplyDeleteLived on Grosse Ile from 1970-1987, as an adolescent. My father recounted, many times, a story where he hit a dog while driving in front of the Ziegler house. He stopped, went to the door, and was apologetic and then invited in and said something to the effect of sitting with the property owner in something like a conference room, large conference table with pitcher of water and glasses as if ready for some type of swanky meeting; said it evoked images of some kind of Mafioso scenario. Not sure the date of this interaction, possibly lates 60's to very early 70's.
ReplyDelete