Now fully restored, this century-old Palmer Woods castle-style house is hitting the market

Two years ago, a Detroit mansion was in foreclosure, disrepair and reeked of cat urine. Now it’s going on the market early next week for nearly $1.9 million.

The century-old home in Detroit’s Palmer Woods neighborhood west of Woodward Avenue and between Seven and Eight Mile roads measures 8,000 square feet. It was purchased in 2023 for $518,000 by Ryan McCarthy after years of hunting for a fixer-upper project, as Crain’s previously reported.

Since then, McCarthy has undertaken a full and extensive renovation — one that far exceeded his budget expectations — and is ready to part ways with the seven-bed, seven-bath property.

“After doing this project — I would say in a positive light — it was a character builder,” McCarthy told Crain’s of his work on the home. “I learned a ton, both self-taught and learned from the tradesman I had in here. How to do really historical home renovation-specific projects and tasks. There’s an art to a lot of this stuff. It’s hard to find people who know how or are willing to do some of this stuff, so a lot of it you have to do the heavy lifting yourself.”

McCarthy purchased the Tudor Revival castle-style home out of bank foreclosure. A previous owner had lived there for years with several cats and the home “was probably not too far off from really, really serious damage,” McCarthy said of the condition when he purchased it.

Now renovated, save for an unfinished basement, the house is being listed by Birmingham-based Realtor Kathy Broock with Max Broock Realtors, who noted the “full circle” nature of the listing for her, with her grandfather having developed several homes in the neighborhood. The work done by McCarthy and nearly 20 subcontractors to return the Palmer Woods home to livability and beyond is impressive, she said.

“He dismantled that house and put it back together with the utmost care,” Broock said of McCarthy’s work. “This is not a flip. This is a passion project.”

Indeed, McCarthy’s work on the house has been extensive, with a handful of modern upgrades in some rooms, but largely focused on returning the home to what it was when built in 1925. The guiding principle, he said, was more on renovation versus remodel.

“This exquisite property has been meticulously restored, with every detail thoughtfully preserved to retain its original character,” the listing copy reads. “Upon entering, the home exudes a sense of old-world grandeur while integrating modern enhancements. The homeowner has painstakingly restored every square inch of the home, including the unprecedented amount of German silver, which has been expertly revitalized.”

The house was designed by architect Leonard Willeke, who worked on several Indian Village homes, as well as the Capitol Park building downtown, according to Historic Detroit, where restaurant Prime + Proper now occupies the ground floor.

A roughly 1,000-square-foot great room with an elevated wooden walkway makes for a centerpiece of the home.

In total, McCarthy said he spent nearly $1 million on renovations, on top of the $518,000 purchase price. Renovations came in roughly double what he expected to spend.

Much of the added expense simply came from costly and time-consuming woodmill work, McCarthy said. Some materials, such as tile from the era, are difficult to come by.

McCarthy’s renovation work includes a mix of modern amenities — second-floor laundry, updated appliances and a new master bath suite — as well as restored touches, such as an old ice chest that functions as a working refrigerator.

McCarthy said he considered keeping the house upon completion, but ultimately decided it was time to move on.

“It was overwhelming for two years, so I’m ready to let someone else love it,” he said.

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