Wow What a striking yellow brick house this is. This is the Frederick Linsell House. It stands proudly on the Wayne State University campus. Built in 1904 it’s a survivor. It’s one of the few remaining homes from a wealthier era in Detroit. Before the automobile industry exploded changing the city’s landscape forever.
Frederick Linsell a secretary-treasurer for a furniture decorating firm commissioned this beauty. Architect John C Stahl designed it. Stahl clearly paid attention to detail. Notice the lovely yellow brick and the stonework above each window. He even used a special type of window. It’s called a Serliana window or a Palladian window. It’s a design created centuries ago by Andrea Palladio. A very influential Italian architect.
The house originally stood on the corner of Second and Putnam. The Frederick Linsell House has quite a history. The Linsells lived there for a decade. Then other families made it their home. In the 1930s the Detroit Board of Education acquired it. It became a women’s study building. Amazingly it survived when many other buildings were torn down. This was during Wayne State University’s campus expansion in the mid-1900s. It’s now the Dean’s Office for the College of Fine Performing and Communication Arts.
Can you imagine the stories these walls could tell? From elegant parties to academic discussions. This thirteen-room house with its original oak woodwork and expansive staircase. It’s a testament to Detroit’s rich past. A beautiful example of 20th-century Colonial architecture. The Frederick Linsell House has been thoughtfully incorporated into the university’s campus. Today you can see it here peacefully sitting amidst the hustle and bustle of university life. A tangible link to Detroit’s architectural heritage. A place where history and education meet. A wonderful reminder of the city’s past.