Featuring the Bishop’s Mansion,
the first home built in Palmer Woods and four others!
Take a great holiday journey through the past century at the Palmer Woods Home Tour and Soirée. Six magnificent homes, including the 35,000-sq.-ft Bishop’s Mansion, will open their doors, and display distinctive architecture, history, art and holiday decor.
On Saturday, December 5, from 6-9 pm, motor coaches will provide door-to-door service to the homes, where docents will guide visitors through five very diverse homes built between 1915 and the 1960s. All will be aglow for the holiday season.
At 8 pm, the Bishop’s Mansion will open, where jazzy from Gwen and Charles Scales will fill the halls and holiday fare and beverages will be served.
“Not only is the Soiree’ being held at THE most magnificent home in Detroit,” expresses Palmer Woods Association President Craig Vanderburg, “but arrangements for the event are being handled by one of southeastern Michigan’s premier event planners, Blossoms owners, Palmer Woods neighbors Dale Morgan and Norm Silk.”
Guides will lead tours through the home and provide insights into the architecture, sculpture, design and history of the Mansion. Once the regal residence of Bishop Gallagher, it has been the residence for Cardinals (Mooney and Dearden) and basketball star John Salley. Since 1995, it has been owned by a Detroit-area church. This is a very rare opportunity to view this Mansion.
The oldest home in Palmer Woods, built 100 years ago by architect Richard Marr for the neighborhood’s first developer Charles Burton, will be on the tour for the first time, as well as other beauties: a Tudor, a Mediterranean-style villa, an English Manor Style, a California Contemporary, and the Bishop’s Mansion.
In 1915, when the Palmer Park area was still mostly farmland and woodland, Burton purchased land from the Palmer Estate. His mission was to develop a residential subdivision honoring Palmer’s wishes to build first-class homes and respect and maintain the beauty of the natural elements. Palmer Woods has grown to a beloved and elegant neighborhood of charming, winding streets, canopies of trees and approximately 290 homes, hidden gems tucked within a garden-like enclave just north of Seven Mile and west of Woodward Avenue.
Tickets, $85, can be purchased online at www.palmerwoods.org, at Blossoms Birlmingham, 33866 Woodward Ave. in Birmingham, or by calling 313-891-2514. All tickets must be purchased in advance. Ticketholders begin the tour by parking at the 12 Precinct Detroit Police Station and boarding motor coaches, which will drive to each home on the tour.
Since 1990, the Palmer Woods Home Tour has been a holiday tradition to showcase history and architectural splendors in our neighborhood, and elegant examples of beauty, warmth and historic preservation. Docents will guide you through art and antique collections, fabulous furnishings and outstanding design, as you explore each home’s charm and decor. We pay tribute to the homeowners who lovingly care for, protect, renovate, and add personal touches to their homes. We thank them for graciously opening their doors to you this evening.
Over the years, Palmer Woods has featured numerous homes, some designed by nationally and globally-renowned architects. Two of this year’s homes were designed by architect Richard Marr, who designed the first home in Palmer Woods in 1915 for the neighborhood’s developer, Charles Burton. Marr designed some 14 homes in Palmer Woods, each elegant and highly distinctive.
The Palmer Woods Association (PWA), with the help of numerous supporters and volunteers, presents this tour to strengthen our neighborhood and Detroit’s image, and showcase Palmer Woods as a wonderful place to live and visit. Our ultimate desire is to further enrich the quality of life in the community and culture in our city. Each year, a portion of the proceeds from our home tour is donated to a local charity that serves the needs of our larger Detroit community, especially those in need of food and shelter.
Palmer Woods Home Tour~Soirée and Palmer Woods Music in Homes is presented by the Palmer Woods Association with support from Barefield DesignWorks and Blossoms Birmingham.
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