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The David Whitney House is located at 4421 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan; it is open to the public as The Whitney Restaurant.
[edit] History and Construction[2]
The David Whitney House was built from 1890-1894 for lumber baron David Whitney Jr., one of Michigan's wealthiest citizens.[3] The home cost $400,000, and was described in one contemporaneous newspaper account as "the most elaborate and substantial residence in this part of the country." The house is constructed from rosy-pink South Dakota Jasper stone. The house is 21,000 square foot and has 52 rooms (including 10 bathrooms), 218 windows, 20 fireplaces, a secret vault in the dining room, an elevator, and Tiffany glass windows[3].
Whitney died in 1900, but his family continued to live in the home into the 1920s. The building was sold to the Wayne County Medical Society, and later to the Visiting Nurses Association. In 1980, the building was again sold, with the intention of opening it as a retaurant; The Whitney opened its doors in 1986. The restaurant was sold in 2007, and is still open to the public.
A State of Michigan historical marker now marks this building.[4]
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[edit] External Links
United States
