Looks like someone is selling a copy of that book "Woodbridge Historical Sketches" on Amazon. Definitely need to scan some of those pages! Also, planning to hopefully visit this weekend to visit you guys, do some research at the library, and check out the house and the neighborhood.
I have read alot about this house and the plight of Detroit on the abandoned forums I belong to. We have had alot of members wishing that we could save all the beautiful homes there. The city is rich with history and architecture that we will never have in current homes and buildings. Its great to hear that one at least will be saved. Is it okay if I post and update about your home as you restore it? It would be a really great feature story. :-)
It looks like the Sullivans also had a live-in servant named Burt Agnes at the time of the 1900 census. Daniel's mother and both of Catherine's parents were of Irish descent.
This continues to be a great read. Thanks again for sharing the story as it evolves. I can't stop reading! It's fantastic to have the history on the house. You've truly chosen a gem. Beyond what you're doing for yourselves, what you're doing for Detroit is even more admirable. The house will live on because of you guys.
http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/detroit/ If you go to this website you will be able to read the story behind the renumbering of all the streets in Detroit in 1921.
I used an inflation calculator to determine the house would've cost about $65,000 and the carriage house $10,000 in 2010 dollars. The insurance company was estimating more like $350,000 for replacing it today. Yikes.
That just doesn't seem accurate at all. There's no way you could have built that house for $65K in 2010.
Of course not, because no one builds houses like that anymore and the materials and skills are scarce. Inflation doesn't account for all the other variables involved.
I just happened to be looking at old Detroit photos online around Thanksgiving last year and could not believe my eyes when I ran across your blog on the Sullivan house. It was kismet. Daniel Sullivan is my great-grandfather! I shared your website with my siblings most of whom still live in Metro Detroit. They were equally astonished. We would love to visit you and see the house. I'm trying to get the brothers to cough up some money for a descendants rock or something and would like to know...could we arrange a visit??? I live out of state and held off on contacting you until I knew I'd be visiting which I am this week and later in the summer as well. It is gratifying to see new stakeholders in Detroit willing to undertake the enormous challenge of renovating a grand old house. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Kelly! That's so awesome to find you guys and thank you so much for reaching out. Yes, absolutely, we would love to have you guys visit. I'll email you!
Comments
If you go to this website you will be able to read the story behind the renumbering of all the streets in Detroit in 1921.