Croul-Palms House

The Croul-Palms House, built in 1881, is significant as the most outstanding Queen Anne-style house remaining on East Jefferson Avenue, a major boulevard of grand residences in the late nineteenth century. Its irregular massing, contrasting surface materials and picturesque rooflines, all characteristic of the Queen Anne style, were handled with polish and fluency by Detroit architect William Scott. The house is also significant as the home of two prominent Detroiters, Jerome Croul and Francis F. Palms. The house was built for Jerome Croul, owner of the Croul Brothers Leather Company, and became the home of Detroit real estate developer Francis F. Palms in 1889 and remained in the possession of the Palms Realty Company until 1945.

The Croul-Palms House is located one-half mile east of the center of Detroit on Jefferson Avenue, one of Detroit's grand residential boulevards in the late nineteenth century. This two-and-one-half story Queen Anne style house was built in 1881 according to designs of Detroit architect William Scott. The house is constructed of red brick with stone banding and stone window hoods. It rests on a high rock-faced stone foundation and is topped with a multi-planed roof with projecting gables, dormers and decorated chimney caps. The exterior remains unaltered except for the loss of a front and side porch, loss of a small third-floor balconet, and the loss of a slate roof and iron roof cresting. The building boasts elaborately detailed interiors which are being restored while adapted for office use. The front (north) facade of the house is divided vertically into three bays. The western bay, rising three stories, contains a three-sided bay window topped with a projecting gable roof with decorative vergeboards and decorative detailing on the gable end. The central bay consists of an elaborate recessed entryway with ornate double doors. The front porch base remains intact, while the porch superstructure has been removed. A small gabled dormer with Eastlake-style pilasters and decorative vergeboards and gable end is centered above the entrance. The east section of the front facade is a three-story square corner bay set at an angle to the front facade plane and topped with a projecting gable roof with decorative vergeboards. The windows are elongated double-hung sash with one-over-one lights and stone window caps and sills. Window placement on the second floor is directly above that of the first floor. The windows are tied together horizontally with a stone band course at lintel height. The first-floor windows have window openings with segmental-arch tops with carved wood infill panels above the flat-top window sash. The interior of the Croul-Palms House, with the exception of the front hall and grand staircase, the rear hall and staircase, and two first floor rooms, was largely obscured by 1955 alterations by architect Cornelius L. T. Gables. These alterations have been carefully removed to reveal the original character of the interior. The entire first and second floors demonstrate room by room an extraordinary range of plaster details, millwork finishes, and hardwood inlaid floors. Some original mantlepieces are gone. The first-floor front hall is interconnected with heavy panelled sliding doors to the front and side parlors (west) and the sitting room (southeast). The staircase is the focal point of the front hall, along with a heavily beamed ceiling and ornate door and window casements, all in cherry. The grand staircase rises three flights. The handrails are massive with bulky square newel posts with carved caps. The rear hallway and stairs have an oak wainscoat, ceiling details and stained glass doors. The rear staircase has a continuous handrail and winders to the third floor, where a skylight provides natural light to the center of the house. The dining room is probably the most remarkable room in the house, with a complicated plaster ceiling, marble mantelpiece, and wainscoting with matching wood cabinetry of English Gothic design. An adjacent smaller room is similarly decorated and has connecting doors permitting the dining room to be extended. The building is currently being restored to its original condition with minor alterations to accommodate the functions of a contemporary law office.