Welcome to a famous Detroit ruin, the Ransom Gillis House that sits in the troubled neighborhood of Brush Park. In the front house kitchen, Nicole merged modern appliances and features with cabinets and furniture consistent with the home's history. The Ransom Gillis House brought the Venetian Gothic style made popular by John Ruskin's book "The Stones of Venice" to Detroit. The house and property passed though the hands of four upper-income families between 1876 and 1919. Chance to see rehabbed Ransom Gillis house draws crowds "I woke up this morning and see interior pics of our latest project splashed on every news outlet. Back in the 1980s, Detroit was knocking down pretty much every house in the Brush Park neighborhood. Detroit, MI, USA May 2018 Kodak Portra 160 Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta B (532/16) Alfred Street Panorama . It was the former grand Victorian ruin called the Ransom Gillis house, built in the 1870s at the corner of Alfred Street and John R in what is now considered Midtown. The new stained glass window is the focal point of the updated space. Detroit Businessman. A custom-turned stair post with a traditional finial sits at the bottom of the new staircase. Given the home's location near Comerica Park and the soon-to-be-built Detroit Red Wings hockey arena, the metro Detroit native told WXYZ-TV that she "finally found a way to make the numbers work." Large white subway tile with dark gray grout complements the smaller hexagon tile on the floor. Built during the 1870s, the Ransom Gillis house is a Detroit landmark that had fallen into disrepair. More custom details on the staircase skirtboard add historic charm. Today, the Gillis House (in vastly worse shape than the one in this post) … Nicole and her crew installed more than 5,000 square feet of new hardwood floors, stained to replicate the look of the original surface. A storefront was added to the front of the Ransom Gillis House in the late 1930s and was operated along with the rooming house until the mid-1960s. Customized stained glass windows mimic the look of those featured in the original 1870s home. Photo By: Lauren Ariel Noess, Lauren Ariel Noess. No detail was left undone: The updated staircase features a period-appropriate geometric detail at the top of each spindle called a cathedral baluster. The home's carriage house was rented by Mary Chase Perry Stratton in 1903, becoming the first home of Pewabic Pottery. Brush Park District Detroit, MI May 2018 Fuji Supria X-tra 400 Nikon N90. Set between the turret bedroom and the mantel bedroom, Nicole Curtis created this luxurious bath full of historic charm. A little more than seven months later, on Nov. 1, a line that stretched for blocks queued up to get a peek inside the restored mansion. See more ideas about Rehab addict, Nicole curtis rehab addict, Nicole curtis. Nicole added vintage clocks — an accessory she places in every home — to add style on the desk surface. Stone and tile mason David Ellsion took scraps of the original fireplace tile and recreated it to restore the home to its former glory. Before the renovation, the staircase railing didn't align with the upstairs railing, and the whole entryway needed to be rebuilt from the floors up. The room's second door leads into the adjacent mantel bedroom. Similar tile work was spread throughout the rest of the structure. A steep, dark slate mansard roof with ornate iron cresting completed the peaks in a traditional detail of the day. The house and property passed though the hands of four different upper-income families between 1876 and 1919. Ransom Gillis is the centerpiece of 8.5 acres of redevelopment in Brush Park, much of it guided by the Quicken Loans team. A vintage desk sits inside turret room's large bay window. Ransom Gillis, at a cost of $12,000 and holds 5,000 square feet of … Custom-made cabinets feature tall, paneled doors and custom brass latches to mimic the look of period kitchens in the neighborhood. Amazingly, the city purchased the wreck and stabilized it. John P. Fiske was a Detroit merchant of china and crockery. She worked with Dan Gilbert's Bedrock team to restore the iconic Ransom Gillis home in 2015 in Detroit's Brush Park neighborhood. A mirror and dresser line the wall in the newly-renovated master suite. Unoccupied since the mid-1960s, attempts were made to restore the structure in the 1970s, 1980s and mid-2000s but none succeeded. ", Ransom Gillis House - Photos post-renovation, Ransom Gillis House - Photos pre-renovation. The centerpiece of the structure was the turret in the front left corner. The turret was supported from below by an ornate stone post. Vintage-style stainless steel features add historic charm to the room. Nicole Curtis recreated what she envisioned the living room looked like at the Ransom Gillis House. A stained glass window and a double door provide a grand first impression. A historic chandelier greets visitors just inside the front door. It's disappointing, to say the least. Born in Washington County, New York, December 20, 1838, Ransom Gillis was one in the family of eight children, whose parents were Alexander and Jane (Wilson) Gillis, who were also natives of Washington County, N.Y. Double light fixtures outfitted with Edison bulbs cast warm light throughout the space. The home's upstairs rooms and hallways were stripped down to the studs and restored from scratch. The largest partner in the project is Bedrock Real Estate Services, part of Dan Gilbert's empire. The Gillis house, like most of Brush Park, was ravaged over time, and the house became the most famous ruin in Detroit. Mason would go on to become one of Detroit's most prolific architects. Detroit is a city full of pride, on the come-back trail, reinventing itself along the way. The company crafted a commemorative plaque to sit just inside the doorway of the front house. Dark ornately carved wooden columns enclosed the porch at the entrance to the house. Photo by Joe Grove of Brush Park Preservation Society for HistoricDetroit.org. The Ransom Gillis house brought to Detroit the Venetian Gothic architectural style. It was designed by Henry T. Brush and … The house, located within the Woodward East Historic District, was designated a Michigan State Historic Site on August 18, 1988. Rehab Addict Reno: Tour the Ransom Gillis House, 'Rehab Addict' Reno: 1913 Tudor, Transformed. Nicole left clues along the walls in the event that some day the owner wants to return it back to a single family home. Built during the 1870s, the Ransom Gillis house is a Detroit landmark that had fallen into disrepair. A glass shower surround allows the eye to flow to the room's back wall, making this spacious bath appear even larger. The construction crew rebuilt the property literally brick by brick to restore the original look and feel. Restored to its former glory, the living room sits just off the home's grand entry. Looking forward to seeing what she does. An American flag greets neighbors, as in all of Nicole's Rehab Addict restorations. The glass surround on this stand-up shower lets the eye flow to the back wall, making the room seem larger. Nicole Curtis adds photos of her family in every home she renovates; here, a photo of Nicole with her son, Ethan, sits sinkside. This luxe space is ready for its first occupant! Pewabic Pottery, founded in the carriage house of Ransom Gillis in 1903, is still made locally in detroit and is well-known for its signature irridescent glaze. A vintage-style chrome faucet adds a dramatic touch to the tub. By 2:30 p.m., the Detroit News reported, "the line to get in the house snaked from the steps of its porch to the sidewalk on Alfred Street to Brush and then down Edmund Place, up the other side and back to Brush, stopping just before Watson Street. The base of the turret was decorated with stone carvings of quadruplets of flower blossoms, similar but all slightly different. See how Rehab Addict restored the historic property down to … Though Nicole considered replacing or restoring the fireplace surround, she eventually decided to clean up the surround and embrace the piece's history and imperfections. The Ransom Gillis House was built in 1876 at a cost of $12,000 for Ransom Gillis, a wholesale dry goods merchant. The centerpiece of the structure was the turret front left corner the circumference of which was accented by five rows of tiles of simple geometric designs in hues of bright blue, red, yellow and brown. The Ransom Gillis house in Brush Park is being rehabbed by a team led by Nicole Curtis of HGTV’s Rehab Addict show, and Dan Gilbert’s Quicken Loans & Bedrock Real Estate Services. New shingles and a copper finial shine atop the restored turret. A large front porch greets visitors to the newly-restored Ransom Gillis house. Finally, it changed direction, and purchased many remaining grand old house and mothballed them, like with the Ransom Gillis House. Tour the Mushroom House in Pittsford, N.Y. Tour the American Horror Story House in L.A. © 2021 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. City officials said the Brush Park Development Co. started work to stabilize the Ransom-Gillis mansion — which will be renovated into a duplex — without pulling proper permits. It's all in the details: Plants and linens add a homey touch to this space. It was designed by Henry T. Brush and his assistant, a young George D. Mason. Nicole Curtis just announced her intent to do a project around this house for "Rehab Addict." The restaurant operated until the 1960's and was torn down in 2005 or 2006 as part of the city's "mothballing" work on the property. A stained glass window emblasoned with "RG" for Ransom Gillis House sits atop the double front door. Spectacular Spaces From HGTV's 'Rehab Addict Rescue' 26 Photos. Various attempts were made to restore the main structure in the 1970s, 1980s and mid-2000s, none of which succeeded. A stainless steel stove and vent hood add modern function to this historic space. A large, white apron-front sink features brass vintage-style hardware, nodding to the home's original fixtures. A snowflake pattern in black hexagon tiles adds interest underfoot. Though smaller than the dining room in the original house, this formal dining room is still large enough to seat a large family for a holiday meal. Nicole Curtis begins renovations on the Ransom Gillis House, a historic home in Detroit's Brush Park neighborhood.