In 1914, as Mr. Ford's vehicle sales propelled Detroit to the front ranks of American cities, Joseph Berry sought to develop this small,but especially appealing location. It has the great advantage of adjoining the Detroit River; indeed the homes on Dwight may have their own slips, accessible to downtown, close to prosperous Indian Village and to Belle Isle. A number of spacious homes were built in the 1920s but the Depression intervened and thwarted Mr. Berry's plans. About 44 lots remained empty as Detroit entered the building hiatus that lasted from 1929 to 1948. A dozen or so new homes were constructed after World War II but many prosperous residents purchased neighboring lots to give this area spaciousness seldom found in even the most prosperous suburbs.
Census 2000 reported this neighborhood had the city's most expensive homes in the city of Detroit—a median cost of more than $300,000. Two homes merit your attention when you visit this neighborhood—one that you can easily and always safely stroll about. Prior to Mr. Berry's arrival, a Detroit clothing manufacturer, Marvin Stanton, had a castle built for himself at 112 Parkview. This is one of three homes in Detroit that resemble a castle, the others being the much more appealing Whitney and Hecker residences on Woodward. Apparently, Mr. Stanton was not known for his architectural taste and the architect, Louis Kamper, may not have been pleased with this design, but he satisfied his client. After his death, one of Mr. Stanton's heirs had the home rebuilt or redesigned, further detracting from its allure. And, in 1911 or so, an eclectic castle-like carriage house was added in the back of the property but in a prominent location. Mr. Stanton's home presents a cacaphany of roofs, crenellations, turrets and towers. This home was unoccupied for some years in the recent past and then was used as a bed and breakfast or a restaurant. The Castle, but not the carriage house, was for sale in 2004.
The five westernmost homes on Dwight along the river were constructed for various member of the Weber family. The huge eastern-most home on Dwight was built in 1928 for General Charles W. Harrah. Similar to many Detroiters, he lost his home in the Depression and it was sold, at auction, to Alex Manoogian in 1939. Mr. Manoogian came to Detroit from Armenia and prospered manufacturing faucets. While rich enough to purchase this 4,000 square foot home in the Depression, for him the best was yet to come. In 1952, a
California man suggested that Manoogian design a single faucet that might readily give users whatever mix of hot and cold water they wished. He worked on that challenge for several years and then designed the washer-less single handed faucets that are sold by his firm, Masco Corporation, around the world. In 1965, Alex Manoogian presented his home as a gift to the city for use as the mayor's residence. Among this nation's largest cities only New York City with its East River Gracie Mansion and Detroit have extraordinarily beautiful and large riverfront homes to serve as homes for their chief executive. And in this competition, Detroit's mayor wins since his home faces beautiful Belle Isle, the Detroit River and Canada while Gracie Mansion faces a warehouse and manufacturing district in Queens.
This may be the safest neighborhood in Detroit. More than one police or security vehicle is posted near the corner of Dwight and Parkview at all times. When the city's solons or foreign satrapies visit the city's leader, even more officers and agents spend time in the Berry Subdivision.
City of Detroit Local Historic District: Confirmed June 13,
1978
State of Michigan Registry of Historic Buildings: Not listed
National Register of Historic Sites: Not Listed
Use in 2004: Very upscale residential neighborhood
Photo: Andrew Chandler; December, 2004