Hunter, Mulford T., House

The house at 77 West Hancock is a fine example of a Queen Anne-styled townhouse, something very rare in the city of Detroit. The building was erected in 1894 by Mulford T. Hunter, a retired steamboat captain, to house his daughter, his son-in-law, his granddaughter, and himself. According to an oral history left by Carolyn Schuyler McGraw, the grandchild born to Hunter's daughter, it was her anticipated birth that prompted Hunter to erect the building. If this was the case, then Hunter moved more slowly than he should have. Ms. McGraw was born on September 4, 1893, but the building permit wasn't taken out until June 23, 1894. The permit was issued to William P. Langley, a Detroit builder. Ms. McGraw maintained in the interview that the house was designed by the noted Detroit architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman, and Grylls. However, this information cannot be corroborated by other sources. The history of 77 West Hancock Avenue is inextricably linked to its neighboring property, the house at 71 West Hancock, which was built in 1888-89 for George W. Loomer, a Detroit lumber dealer. In July, 1891 Hunter purchased the house at 77 West Hancock as a residence for himself, his daughter, Caroline, and her husband, Fred McGraw. At the time, Hunter also acquired title to the empty lot immediately west of the home. It was upon this lot that Hunter built the residence at 77 West Hancock in 1894. Once the family moved into their new home, they leased the older home as a rental property. The buildings at 71 and 77 West Hancock Avenue (originally numbered 33 and 37 West Hancock) are the only dwellings that remain on the block from the turn of the century, when the area was regarded as one of Detroit's most fashionable residential neighborhoods and boasted such nearby structures as J. L. Faxon's First Congregational Church (1891), Malcomson and Higginbotham's Central High School (1896). and Ralph Adam Cram's St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral (1911). all of which survive. According to the indexes to the Detroit building permits, 77 West Hancock was one of the earliest brick dwellings erected on the street and had an original insured value of $8,000--a respectable sum for the period. Hunter, a native of New York State, emigrated to Detroit in 1861. Fred McGraw, his son-in-law, was a member of one of Detroit's older prominent families. He was educated in Detroit and began his business career in the dry goods firm of Charles Root & Company. He eventually established the Detroit Umbrella Company, which he served as president for many years. McGraw sold his interest in the business in 1896 and died the following year at the age of forty-two. William P. Langley, the builder of 77 West Hancock Avenue, served a term as an alderman from Detroit's Third Ward and also served for a time as the president of the Columbian Granulithic Stone Company of Detroit. The ownership of both buildings passed from Captain Hunter through his daughter to Carolyn S. McGraw, who lived at 77 West Hancock until she sold it and the building at 71 West Hancock to Phila J. Draper in 1951. Ms. Draper transformed both buildings into multi-unit apartment buildings. They continue to be operated in this manner under their present owner, Edward Black.

The two story brick building at 77 West Hancock Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, is a detached urban dwelling built in 1894 in a Queen Anne style. Originally a single family residence, it now houses several apartments. Its exterior appearance, however, has been little changed over the years. The building occupies its original site and is proximal to many buildings in the Wayne State University Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1978. There are no outbuildings associated with the property. The dwelling has a simple, rectangular ground plan laid out on a north-south axis. The northernmost section of the home, nearest the street. features a two story, side-gabled shape. The rear portion of the building is two stories high and has a flat roof. A chimney is found on the eastern side of the building. The entrance facade has an asymmetrical design: a rounded two story bay appears to the left and a smooth-walled section with a one story wooden porch is found to the right. Two pedimented dormers complete the facade. The porch has a projecting soffit; dentils appear in the cornice. The porch is supported by ionic columns atop pedestals that are raised at the level of the porch railings. Turned balusters appear in the railings. The door to the house has an elliptical fanlight that is framed by a Syrian arch. Directly above the porch is an oval window, framed with decorative masonry. The second story bay windows are similarly treated. Masonry is used to create keystone forms above the first story bay windows and above the oval window. The entablature of the entrance facade combines modillions and dentils in a rich design. Leading appears in the dormer windows and the fantail of the entrance door, otherwise the windows are of a simple double sash design. The foundation of the building is composed of brick and cut stone. The original slate roof is still intact. The interior is trimmed throughout in white oak. The main staircase is intact, as are a few other original appurtenances. The iron fence in front of the building and the landscaping surrounding it are quite attractive but are not original to the property. These were added by the present owner, Edward Black, in the early 1980s.