In an inspiring tale of dedication and determination, two brothers have spent more than a year restoring a once-dilapidated mansion in Michigan, which they initially acquired for just a dollar.
Christopher and Steve White, driven by their passion for preservation, have transformed the historic Gilbert Mansion in Ypsilanti, now listing it for $1.13 million to potential apartment developers.
Reflecting on their journey, the brothers shared with Realtor their first encounter with the 19th-century structure back in 1986. At that time, the mansion was in severe disrepair: windows were broken and boarded up, the eaves were sagging and rotted, decorative brackets were falling, bricks were crumbling, paint had peeled away, window frames were damaged, and the original front door was missing.
By then, city officials had already spent seven years seeking a buyer for the neglected property, constructed in 1861—the same year President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteer troops at the outbreak of the Civil War.
“The city was reviewing proposals to determine the best use for the community,” said Christopher, who has owned the mansion for four decades.
He added, “There were proposals for a bed-and-breakfast and office space.” The brothers, however, envisioned a new life for the Second Empire Mansard gem as an apartment building, a vision they have diligently pursued.
To their advantage, the Whites had already made a name for themselves in the city for renovating other historic properties, including two nearby homes that they had just finished converting into five-unit and seven-unit apartment buildings.
City officials ultimately approved their proposal, and the brothers bought the property for just one dollar.
Christopher and Steve White purchased the historic Gilbert Mansion in Ypsilanti for just one dollar from city officials
It is now on sale to prospective apartment building owners for $1.13 million
But in order to preserve the beauty of the historic home, the siblings conducted exhaustive research on the Second Empire Mansard style, which dates back to when Napoleon III transformed Paris beginning in 1852.
The style reached its peak popularity between 1855 and 1885, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest United States.
The Gilbert Mansion had been built right in the middle of the craze by John Gilbert Jr, after his father, John Gilbert Sr, left him a large swath of land on North Grove Street, according to the Ann Arbor News.
The senior Gilbert had invested in mills and properties, making his fortune in real estate before losing control of the mills during an economic downturn in 1837.
The lot that the mansion now stands was one of the few pieces of property he had left by 1840, as his son worked to restore the family’s wealth through a series of business and municipal projects – including investing in some of the buildings that still stand today in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town.
With the family’s wealth secured in 1860, Gilbert Jr built the house, which the Ypsilanti Daily Press said ‘had some claim to magnificence, due partly to Mrs Gilbert’s lovely roses and lilies in a bed just south of the lawn.’
‘There was also an artificial lake, which came into being as a result of handy springs and a scooped out section of land, which resulted when the railroad was built,’ the newspaper reported in 1962.
‘A smaller pool was located nearer the house, which had a fine, cool spring at its back door.’
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The house on North Grove Street was built in 1861 by John Gilbert Jr
Gilbert Jr died in 1864, and his wife Harriett died in 1910.
The couple had six children, of whom only two outlived their mother: a son, William, who lived in Grand Rapids, where he died in 1933, and a daughter, Alice, who lived in the family home until 1920 before moving to another house nearby.
She was the last of the Gilberts, and after she moved out of the house, it became the property of Daniel Smith, who made his fortune installing heaters in Detroit’s streetcars.
But the city acquired the mansion during the Great Depression, when Smith failed to pay taxes on the property.
The home was then used as a social center during World War II and a teen canteen in the early 1950s.
The Ypsilanti Boys’ Club moved into the house in 1961 for use as an activity center, but moved out in 1974, at which point the Girls’ Club moved in.
By then, the house had already fallen into disrepair, and the Girls’ Club moved out in 1981.
It had fallen into disrepair by the 1970s, after being used as a social center during World War II, a teen canteen and the activity center for both the Boys’ and Girls’ clubs
Once the White brothers took over years later, they spent 14 months renovating and turning the home into seven luxury residential units
They completely gutted the interior of the house, with the exception of the original hardwood floors and a rare Pewabic tile fireplace
Once the White brothers took over years later, they spent 14 months renovating and turning the home into seven luxury residential units, ranging from 800 to 1,200 square feet each.
To make way for the apartments, the interior of the home was completely gutted, with the exception of the original hardwood floors and a rare Pewabic tile fireplace – an artifact from the renowned Detroit-based company.
The brothers also kept the common halls in its historic configuration, as they added new mechanics, drywalls and finishes throughout the 8,000-square-foot home.
The only element that did not require in-depth restoration was the patterned slate roof, which was still in nearly-perfect condition despite weathering more than a century of Michigan winters.
‘As far as the slate roof goes, it stood the test of time and is in great shape to this day,’ Christopher said.
The apartment building now features high ceilings with large ‘daylit windows,’ according to its listing on LoopNet.
There is also a four-story tower on the backside of the building that overlooks the city, and each apartment comes with a breakfast nook and built-in bookshelves. Some even have porches or private patios.
But the building is currently fully occupied with tenants, with zero vacancy.
