The Mayor and the Manoogian Mansion...Now What?

Now that Kwame Kilpatrick will be stepping down as of September 18, he and his family will also be leaving the Manoogian Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of Detroit since 1966.

Ken Cockrel, Jr., who will become the City's 61st mayor, has stated that he will not be moving into the mansion anytime soon. 61st mayor are saying that it is time, especially with the City in desperate financial straits, for Detroit to reject "The Mansion", as it sends the wrong message. I disagree. Many political heads of governments have official mansions; although the only other such "mayoral mansion" is in New York City. As mansions go, however, the Manoogian isn't actually all that big or flashy: it's only 4,000 square feet--my house in Boston-Edison is 3,000 square feet (OK, counting all fours floors including the basement!), although no one near with the opulence of the Manoogian. The Manoogian is also a part of a residential neighborhood, relatively close to the houses next to it; it doesn't have the expanse of lawn and adjacent property of the White House. I am sure that the neighbors of the Manoogian wouldn't want the mansion used for "events", etc.; we may all agree that one "party at the Manoogian" has been enough.

The Mayor can have an official residence without displaying or utilizing all of the gansta-like trappings such as a "posse" that Kwame liked to display. Additionally, since the Manoogian belongs to the City, it is going to have to be maintained anyway. Why pay/reimburse the Mayor for the expenses of the house he has, while at the same time paying for the Manoogian? Once we have an actual (not interim) Mayor, I vote for the Mayor and family to make the Manoogian Mansion their home for at least four productive, forward-thinking, and scandal-free years.

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Detroit Neighborhoods: Historic Berry Subdivision

At this time of mayoral transition in the City of Detroit, it would be good to learn about the neighborhood in which the official residence of the mayor is located: the Historic Berry Subdivision.

The Berry Subdivision, previously called "Park View", is named after Joseph H. Berry, founder of the Berry Varnish Factory. Official platting began in 1914, but the first house was built in 1898 for clothing manufacturer Marvin M. Stanton. This home is known as "The Castle" because of its numerous turrets, towers, and roofs. Joseph Berry's daughters inherited the land and began to develop the subdivision with high-quality single-family homes. Some of the most expensive homes in Detroit are located here.

Many of the homes in the Berry Subdivision are located directly on the Detroit River and have boat slips on their property. There are 118 lots in Berry, but several homeowners took advantage of a building slowdown during and after the Great Depression, and bought and attached many of the undeveloped lots next to their homes, giving the subdivision the appearance of even more spaciousness. Four lots wre made into a dedicated park, named after World War II hero David F. Stockton.

The house on the easternmost edge of the Berry Subdivision is the Manoogian Mansion, the official home of the Detroit mayors since 1966. Alex Manoogian purchased the home in 1939 after the original owner lost the house during the Depression. The founder of Masco Corporation donated the home to the City of Detroit to be used as the official residence. Only New York City has as beautiful a home for its official mayor's residence; but only Detroit's mayoral residence has water frontage. Gracie Mansion in New York City faces a warehouse.

The boundaries of the Berry Subdivision are East Jefferson Avenue, Holcomb Avenue, the Stanton Canal, and the Detroit River.


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Kwame's Staycation...He HAS to Stay in Detroit!

There has been a lot going on in the Mayor's life lately, so Kwame Kilpatrick announced today that he needs a "two-week vacation". But because of the court-ordered travel restrictions placed on him--he must stay in the Wayne-Oakland-Macomb Tri-County area, Mayor Kilpatrick will have plenty of time to stay at home in the Manoogian Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of Detroit since 1966.

Why is the official mayor's residence called "The Manoogian Mansion"? Simple, the palacial home belonged to Alex Manoogian and the Manoogian Family for almost 30 years before they donated it to the City of Detroit in 1966. Alex Manoogian was an Armenian immigrant, businessman, and philanthropist who founded the Masco Corporation, most well-known for the development of the Delta faucet, as well as Merrillat and Kraftmaid Cabinetry. Masco is still located in Taylor, Michigan.

The Manoogian Mansion, which was built in 1928 at a cost of $300,000 and purchased by Alex Manoogian in 1939, certainly is spacious enough and has the beautiful views people love to see on vacation: the Spanish Colonial Revival-style home has over 4,000 square feet, 15 rooms, 2 dining rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, and 2 bedrooms and a bath for servants. There are huge windows on most sides, and of course a view of the Detroit River which is actually part of the home's "back yard". It is located in the Berry Subdivision, one of Detroit's Historic Districts.

It sounds like a beautiful place to have a "staycation", and after all, just like any vacationer, Mr. Kilpatrick is only "visiting" the Manoogian Mansion, as the home belongs to the City of Detroit--all mayors live there only during their tenure. Our next mayor will enjoy it just as much.

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