A historic mansion in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that once appeared headed for demolition has taken a remarkable turn over the past four decades.
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that → head → decades
Christopher and Steve White, two builders who had previously renovated historic properties in Ypsilanti, bought the deteriorating Gilbert Mansion for just $1 in 1986 after the city struggled for years to find someone willing to take on the property.
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city → renovate → property
Speaking to Realtor.com, Christopher White recalled that the brothers spent the next 14 months rebuilding the neglected structure and converting it into apartments.
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brothers → speak → apartments
Now, about 40 years after their purchase, the restored 1861 mansion has been transformed into a seven-unit residential property being offered for $1.13 million.
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mansion → restore → million
A mansion that had fallen into disrepair
The Gilbert Mansion, at 227 N. Grove Street, was built in 1861 for John Gilbert and is an example of the Second Empire style.
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Mansion → fall → style
Its design includes two square towers, ornate exterior details and a distinctive mansard roof.
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design → include → towers
But by the 1980s, the grand house had become a very different sight.
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house → become → 1980s
The building had been left vacant and deteriorating, with broken and boarded-up windows, damaged brickwork, rotting sections and a missing original front door.
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building → leave → windows
According to Realtor.com, Ypsilanti officials had spent seven years trying to find a buyer, with demolition becoming an increasingly likely outcome.
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demolition → accord → buyer
The Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation records that the mansion had become increasingly dilapidated after years of changing uses.
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mansion → record → uses
It was eventually closed to the public and remained empty until 1986, when the White brothers took ownership.
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brothers → close → ownership
The brothers saw a different future for the property
When the city sought proposals for the mansion, several ideas were considered.
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ideas → see → mansion
Christopher White told Realtor.com that one proposal involved turning the property into a bed-and-breakfast, while another suggested using it as office space.
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another → tell → space
The White brothers proposed something different: converting the mansion into an apartment building.
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brothers → propose → building
Their previous work on historic properties in Ypsilanti helped make their proposal stand out.
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proposal → make → Ypsilanti
The brothers had already renovated other distressed properties nearby, giving the city reason to believe they could take on the much larger challenge presented by the Gilbert Mansion.
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they → renovate → Mansion
In 1986, they purchased the property for a symbolic $1.
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they → purchase → 1
What followed was 14 months of intensive restoration work.
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followed → follow → work
The brothers stripped the interior down to the studs and rebuilt much of the building.
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brothers → strip → building
The original hardwood floors were preserved, along with a Pewabic tile fireplace that was among the mansion's notable surviving historic features.
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that → preserve → features
The mechanical systems, drywall and interior finishes were otherwise rebuilt.
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systems → rebuild → ?
The restored property is now asking $1.13 million (Image Credit: Christopher White via Realtor.com)
From abandoned mansion to seven apartments
The restoration did not simply return the building to its former residential use.
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restoration → restore → use
The Whites adapted the roughly 8,000-square-foot mansion into seven residential units.
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Whites → adapt → units
The apartments range from about 800 to 1,200 square feet, while the common hallways retain elements of the building's historic configuration.
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hallways → range → configuration
The exterior was also restored to preserve its Second Empire character.
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exterior → restore → character
One part of the mansion that required surprisingly little intervention was its slate roof.
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that → require → intervention
Despite the building's years of neglect, the roof remained in remarkably good condition and has continued to protect the structure decades after the restoration.
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roof → remain → restoration
The transformation is also reflected in the property's history with the Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation.
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transformation → reflect → Foundation
The foundation says the mansion was rehabilitated and divided into seven apartments.
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mansion → say → apartments
It was also selected as the organisation's Outstanding Historic Structure of 1988.
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It → select → 1988
A historic property turned into an income-producing asset
The Gilbert Mansion has since functioned as a residential property rather than simply a preserved historic landmark.
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Mansion → turn → property
According to Realtor.com, seven units were occupied when the property was put on the market, with the apartments rented to working professionals.
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apartments → accord → professionals
The building's location has also helped its appeal.
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location → help → appeal
It sits in Ypsilanti's historic district, about two blocks from Depot Town, an area known for its historic character and local businesses.
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It → sit → character
Current commercial property listings describe the building as an approximately 8,000-square-foot, seven-unit apartment property on about 1.46 acres.
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listings → describe → acres
The White brothers did not simply repair a deteriorating 19th-century house; they found a new use for it that allowed the historic structure to remain part of Ypsilanti's neighbourhood.
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structure → repair → neighbourhood
The result is a property that still retains its original architectural identity while functioning as a seven-unit apartment building.
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that → retain → building
The Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation now describes the mansion as meticulously restored and notes that it remains divided into seven apartments.
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it → describe → apartments
Four decades after Christopher and Steve White paid just $1 for a building that was facing an uncertain future, the Gilbert Mansion has become a fully renovated residential property with an asking price of about $1.13 million.
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Mansion → pay → million
What once faced possible demolition has instead survived as one of Ypsilanti's distinctive historic buildings.
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faced → face → buildings
The Aporia
