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| September 21, 1886 – December 1969 |
William Andrew Fisher was born in 1886 in Norwalk, Ohio. William was the last of the Fisher brothers to join Fisher Body, arriving in 1915. A year later, he built a house at 111 Edison Avenue in Detroit where he lived until the mid 1920's. Architect Richard H. Marr designed his new home at 1791 Wellesley Drive, in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit in 1925. Bryant Fleming was the landscape architect.
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| 111 Edison Avenue, Detroit, Michigan |
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| CAPTION: The well known society florists, Dale Morgan and Norm Silk are selling their famous house and buying another well known home in Palmer Woods, the A. William Fisher house at 1791 Wellesley in Detroit. The neglected William Fisher mansion in Palmer Woods will draw a purchase offer from florists Norm Silk and Dale Morgan, who lived nearby. 1993 Press Photo |
The exterior was red brick and slate with marble inlaid carvings around the windows. The house used many of the same artisans who worked on the Fisher Building. In its heyday, the house boasted Baccart crystal chandeliers and fireplaces with floor-to-ceiling marble, inset with original oil paintings. Even the basement, used as a ballroom, had a marble floor. The grand foyer looked much like the foyer of the Fisher Building, with all kinds of marble and onyx.
Every window was loaded with leaded glass, and every bit of material used in construction was the finest available. Many of the features had been constructed by artisans brought from Europe, or imported intact from Europe. The mansion encompassed 35,000 square feet. The mansion was known as the Clipper House because of its sailing motif.
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| Historical Title Residences; William A. Fisher WSU Virtual Motor City Collection Record ID 3265 |
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| The Fisher Family Estate Photo Album Lot # : 72 |
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| The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| LOGGIA The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| LAURA FISHER The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| FATHER & SON The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| LIVING ROOM The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| DINING ROOM The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| LIBRARY/STUDY The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| SOLARIUM The William Fisher Manor located in the Palmer Woods area of Detroit on 1791 Wellesley. |
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| 1973 aerial showing William's house at the left and his brother Alfred's house center-right. |
The Alfred and William Fisher residential block was bordered by Gloucester, Lucerne, Wellesley, Balmoral, and Lincolnshire. They had a nine-hole golf course in the rear along Lucerne where modern homes currently stand.
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| FIRE RAVAGES WILLIAM FISHER MANSION Firefighters battle the blaze at the historic William Fisher in Palmer Woods. The roof collapsed; the interior was a complete loss. January 4, 1994 |
From 1971 to 1989 it belonged to Louis H. "King" Narcisse. A fire significantly damaged a portion of the 48-room mansion's roof and upper floors during restoration in 1994.
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| NEOCLASSICAL STYLE CARVED MARBLE COLUMNS, EARLY 20TH CENTURY, SET OF FOUR, H 94":Caramel to white in color, leafy capitals on fluted columns with pedestal bases. Provenance, William Fisher mansion, Palmer Woods, Detroit. Lot 32064 |
The homeowner's association declared that vandals were gutting the fire-damaged home and wanted the owner to repair or demolish it. The association charged that marble and other fixtures were being stolen. Soon after the house was demolished. The lot remains vacant today.
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| Architectural rendering for Grayhaven, a proposed residential boating community on the Detroit River. Printed on drawing: "Grayhaven, Edward Gray, owner; foot of Continental Ave., Detroit; tel Hickory 4585; drawing by M.R. Williams." Resource ID: EB02g007 |
Edward Gray was Chief Engineer at Ford Motor Company and bought the land from Henry and developed it. Grayhaven was one of the most exclusive residential developments in the country at that time. Restrictions provide that every home have a drydock in which the owner can keep his yacht safe and clean winter and summer. The Depression ended full deployment.
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| William A. Fisher's Starboard Lagoon Boathouse under construction at Grayhaven Record ID 9937 |
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| The famous Garfield Wood mansion in the foreground, William's finished home and brother Charles are across the canal. |
Follow THIS LINK to view a post on the Grosse Ile summer home of William Andrew Fisher.
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| Bishop's Residence 1880 Wellesley Drive |
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| Few photos exist of all seven of the Fisher brothers together. This one was taken on August 22, 1927 during a rainy groundbreaking ceremony for the Fisher Building in Detroit. From left are: Alfred, Lawrence, Charles, Fred, William, Howard and Edward Fisher. |