Indian Village Manse, Once Ford In-Law's Asks $749.5K Owners' Grandson Tells of Family's Long Stewardship

This 1917 Indian Village home was designed by Leonard B Willeke for Josephine Clay, Eleanor Ford's sister. Willeke liked keeping it in the family, having also designed Eleanor's first home with husband Edsel. The garden was designed by Jens Jensen also the designer of Henry Ford's home, Fairlane. The house has a beautiful kitchen that uses exquisite modern materials (stone, wood) and the house's original cupboards, shelving and window casings. The amazing amenities include a full master dressing room, spa bath, wine cellar, commercial laundry and—wow—even a pet shower. And the Iroquois Street 6-bedroom, 4-bath mansion has all the delicious period fixtures you expect for near $750K. We asked the owners' grandson, Aaron Foley, to tell us about the historic home his family has owned for 30 years.

Aaron Foley:

My granddad grew up in Black Bottom, and my great-grandmother used to take him and my two aunts through the better neighborhoods around Christmastime to look at how people decorated their houses. He always said he'd buy a home just like one in those neighborhoods – and he did exactly that. It's been a part of our family for almost 30 years, and of course, it has its own place in Detroit history having first belonged to in-laws of Henry Ford himself. I've watched how my grandparents have maintained the home over the years, bringing the house into the modern age while still maintaining its original integrity.

But more importantly, it was our family's gathering place for non-organic, non-vegan holiday dinners full of antibiotics and hormones, a refuge for relatives in trying times, a wonderful place for entertaining several of their business clients and a "fur-ever" home for the many dogs my grandparents kept over the years. It was big enough for all of us to share our dreams, laughs and tears during all this time, but never too big for any of us to not call it home. Of course we hope the next owners love it as much as we did, but I don't think anyone ever will.

·Live in Edsel and Eleanor's Starter House for just $644.9K [Curbed Detroit]
·2501 Iroquois [Real Estate and Homes]
· [JJens Jensen Legacy Project]