The Robert M. and Matilda (Kitch) Grindley House was a private residence located at 123 Parsons Street in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1997, but was subsequently demolished.

Significance

The Robert and Matilda Kitch Grindley House was constructed in 1897 as a single-family dwelling for the Grindley family.Grindley, Robert M. and Matilda Kitch, House
from the state of Michigan The house is significant because of its association with the Grindley family. Three of the Grindleys (Robert McBride, Sarah, and Joseph) made significant contributions to the surrounding community, including participating in various churches and in the social development of local youth. Robert McBride Grindley married Matilda Kitch in 1891.Robert M. and Matilda Grindley House
from the city of Detroit Robert was president of City & Suburban Homes Company, Ltd., and was involved in much of the subdivision of what is now Detroit's western and northwestern sections. The company helped manufacturers locate plant sites, found temporary and permanent homes for their workers, and pioneered and an easy payment plan, enabling hundreds of people to buy their own homes. Robert was also a key influence in the establishment of the Boys Club of Detroit and was a Charter Member of the Detroit Board of Commerce. He died in 1946. Sarah A. Grindley opened several Sunday schools and a camp, and was godmother to many children whose fathers were factory workers. She died in 1945. Joseph Grindley was known as a philanthropist; he founded a camp for under-privileged children and worked with a number of children's clubs. When Joseph died in 1961, the Grindley home was sold out of the family to Harold and Marie Corbett, which they left to their daughter Charlene Corbett in 1986, and was later sold to The Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, in 1997. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall decided to demolish the home to make room for a parking structure in 1998.

Description

The house was a -story brick building, built in a

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archit ...

style with Classical detailing. The large gable on the front façade was covered in slate, and embellished with console brackets, scalloped trim, a carved oculus encircled by a frame and voussoirs, and a large two-part lattice window. The window was originally contained in an ornate surround, with a sill supported by modillions, colonettes, and a lintel with carved swags topped with a shell motif. Side dormers with a central lunette, also faced with slate, crossed the slate roof.

References

{{Metro Detroit Historic Homes Demolished buildings and structures in Detroit Houses in Detroit Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Houses completed in 1897 National Register of Historic Places in Detroit 1897 establishments in Michigan 1998 disestablishments in Michigan Buildings and structures demolished in 1998