Before Michigan became the automobile capitol of the world, creating wealthy men like Henry Ford and the Dodge Brothers, timber brought vast wealth to many lumber barons. Among them, David Whitney Jr. was one of the most affluent. Already successful in the lumbering business in Massachusetts, he moved to Detroit in 1857 when he was 27 years old. He expanded his operations throughout the Midwest and was popular among the social elite in Detroit. Whitney enjoyed spending time at the Detroit Athletic Club on Woodward Avenue.
In 1890, he began construction of an extravagant home near the club. He had pink jasper stone shipped from South Dakota to accent the exterior. The fifty two rooms inside were trimmed with the finest wood and hand crafted with exquisite detail. The stained glass windows were made by Tiffany’s and are priceless today. The home also contains the first elevator in a private residence in Detroit. After four years of construction, David Whitney Jr. and his wife moved into their new mansion. Six years later at the turn of the century, Mr. Whitney died. His widow, Sara, lived in the home until her death in 1917.
The Whitney family remained owners of the grand house but allowed the Wayne County Medical Society to use the home and the Visiting Nurses Association remodeled the carriage house. The home worked well as a medical center since Wayne State University was nearby which worked with doctors and nurses in training. In 1941, the Whitney family donated the house to the medical society which used it until they built a new facility in 1956. The Visiting Nurses Association used the home for their offices until 1979. Upon learning the home could possibly face demolition, entrepreneur Richard Kughn purchased the historic home.
He spent three million dollars renovating the home, and converted it into a restaurant called The Whitney. Patrons and staff at the restaurant began to witness strange occurrences. One of the most common is the elevator mysteriously moving on its own. Others have said that they have seen a well dressed man looking out the window before suddenly vanishing. Some believe the mysterious man is the spirit of David Whitney Jr. who still resides in the magnificent home. The third floor bar has been given the moniker of Ghost Bar, because of the unusual phenomena witnessed.
Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.
