A three-story French Second Empire mansion at 79 Alfred St. in Detroit's Brush Park neighborhood, once home to department store pioneer J.L. Hudson, has hit the market with an asking price of $1,999,000. The 8,969-square-foot property sits on a 0.38-acre lot and includes 11 bedrooms, six original fireplaces, and a detached carriage house that was converted from former horse-stall space into a pub.
The listing, reported by the Detroit Free Press, is held by @properties Christie's International Real Estate, according to Zillow. The home still carries plenty of its original character, including detailed woodwork, hardwood floors, a curved-woodwork main staircase, and bedrooms with wash basins. A Detroit Jewel stove still works inside the house, according to Michael Vanoverbeke, as noted in the Free Press account.
A Gilded Age Pedigree
The house was built between 1872 and 1874; Philo E. Wright and his wife, Fannie, were its first occupants, according to Historic Detroit. Lumber tycoon David Whitney Jr. later purchased the residence in 1881 as a wedding gift for his daughter, Grace Whitney, and her husband, grocer John E. Evans — the union that gave the home half of its current name, per the same account.
J.L. Hudson, the retailer who would go on to build Detroit's downtown shopping empire, rented and lived in the house for a full decade, from 1894 to 1904, Historic Detroit notes. The mansard roof, detailed brickwork, and French Second Empire design have endured through all three eras of ownership, along with a three-season porch overlooking the landscaped grounds, a formal dining room, and a dining area with built-in shelving.
Preservation Rules And Modern Reuse
The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The building served as law offices for roughly two decades, and the carriage house pub was used by the firm for gatherings and events before the current listing hit the market.
Beyond the main house and its carriage house pub, the detached structure also includes an occupied two-bedroom, one-bathroom rental apartment, offering potential income for a new owner, per Zillow's listing details. Whether a buyer will convert the mansion back into a private residence or keep its commercial layout remains an open question.
Brush Park's Victorian Past
The Hudson-Evans House reflects Brush Park's Victorian-era architecture amid newer development.
That transformation has been dramatic. Brush Park's revitalization was capped by Bedrock's City Modern development, which added 20 contemporary buildings and 450 residences around restored Victorian mansions, according to Multi-Housing News.
A Living Link To Hudson's Modern Legacy
J.L. Hudson's time on Alfred Street also connects to a much larger project unfolding less than a mile away. Developer Bedrock completed the 12-story office building at Hudson's Detroit in late 2025 at 1240 Woodward Avenue, on the site of Hudson's former flagship department store, according to CBS News. That project includes retail, office, and event spaces bearing the Hudson name downtown.
Hudson's Detroit also includes a rooftop lounge. The Alfred Street listing connects Hudson's former Brush Park residence to the retailer's continuing downtown legacy.
