Herman Strasburg, born in Detroit in 1860, attended the city’s
schools, graduating from high school in 1876. His father, also Herman Strasburg,
ran
a dancing school. The younger Strasburg entered the family business and eventually
managed it.
The building you see is one of the foremost examples of English Tudor architecture in Detroit. Note the extensive and attractive use of bricks at the lower level, along with the characteristic half-timber trim that architect Burrowes used extensively on the second level. I do not know if Herman Strasburg and his wife, Ida Pinet, built this structure for their residence, their dance school, or both. Apparently, they taught dance here for a number of years at the time when many of Detroit’s elite resided in impressive homes in this neighborhood. Fortunately, a few—but only a few—of those homes survive.
Architect: Marcus R. Burrowes
Architectural Style: English Tudor
Date of construction: 1915
City of Detroit Local Historic District:
State of Michigan Registry of Historic Sites:
National Register of Historic Places: #86001036 Listed April 29, 1986
Use in 2005: This building now serves as Wayne State’s Music Annex
Photograph: Ren Farley, September, 2005
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