Grosse Pointe Farms -- Grosse Pointe War Memorial

Object Details

Varying Form: Formerly The Moorings, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Grosse Pointe Garden Center.
General: Undated postcard circa 1930-1950.; "In 1910, Charles Platt designed an Italian Renaissance villa for Russell A. Alger. There are a pair of stone lions at the entrance to the circular courtyard. The courtyard has a reflecting pool with a fountain to offset the architecture of the house. The house is built from stone and stucco with a tile roof that blends into its setting." "The Moorings was popular because of its frontage upon Lake St. Clair. The property was given to the Grosse Pointe community in 1949 by the Alger family. The Grosse Pointe Garden Center was organized for the purpose of providing the community with horticultural and gardening information and education." "The property has two additions: the War Memorial Center and the William H. Fries Auditorium (for housing the dramatic arts). There is an art school and an exhibit area for art displays." Persons and organizations associated with the property include: Mr. and Mrs. Russell A. Alger (former owners); Charles Adams Platt (architect, landscape architect); the Michigan Garden Club; Ellen Shipman (landscape architect); and Vincent DePetris (gardener).

Place: United States of America -- Michigan -- Wayne County -- Grosse Pointe; The Moorings (Grosse Pointe, Michigan); Grosse Pointe War Memorial (Grosse Pointe, Michigan)

Topic: Gardens -- Michigan -- Grosse Pointe; Mansions; Formal gardens; Lawns; Fountains; Shade trees; Driveways, circular; Sculptures

See more items in: Richard Marchand historical postcard collection (35mm slides); Richard Marchand historical postcard collection (35mm slides) / Michigan

Sponsor: A project to describe images in this finding aid in this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Richard Marchand historical postcard collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Bibliography: Garden has been featured in Ralph Adams Cram, American Country Houses of Today. New York: The Architectural Book Publishing Company. 1913.Garden has been featured in 37th Annual Meeting, Garden Club of America. Detroit, Michigan, 1950.Garden has been featured in the Journal of Garden History, An International Quarterly. January-March 1990.Garden has been featured in the Garden Club of America, List of Gardens. 1921.Garden has been featured in Louise Shelton, Beautiful Gardens in America. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1924.

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.