Thomas A. Parker House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thomas A. Parker House
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| Location | 975 East Jefferson Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1868 |
| Architect | Gordon W. Lloyd |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000552 |
| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1982 |
The Thomas A. Parker House is a historic building in Detroit, Michigan. It was built a long time ago, in 1868, as a home for a wealthy man named Thomas A. Parker. Today, it's used as law offices. This special house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important part of history.
Who Was Thomas Parker?
Thomas Augustus Parker was born in New York. He moved to Detroit with his brother in 1845. Together, they started a very successful business. They sold groceries in large amounts to other stores. Because their business did so well, Thomas Parker became very rich. After he stopped working, he invested most of his money in buying land and buildings. By 1895, he was said to be worth a lot of money.
History of the Parker House
Thomas Parker bought the land for his house in 1867. In 1868, he hired an architect named Gordon W. Lloyd to build his home. This house is a rare example of a style called Gothic Revival in Detroit. Parker lived in the house until he passed away in 1901.
Later, in the 1920s, Parker's daughter rented the house to a company. In 1928, the house was sold. Over the years, the building was used for many different things. It was an artist's studio, offices, and even an apartment building. In 1957, it was sold again. It continued to be used as offices, a reading room, and more apartments. Today, it is the law offices of Macuga, Liddle & Dubin, P.C.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Thomas A. Parker House is built from a type of gray stone called Kelly Island limestone. It also has trim made from sandstone from Amherst. The front of the house is not perfectly even or balanced. It has three main sections.
The middle section has a double-door entrance with an arch shape. Above these doors, there are double French doors that open onto a balcony. The sections on the sides have pointed roofs called gables. The section on the east side has a bay window on the first floor.
