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Two Michigan builder brothers bought Ypsilanti’s crumbling 1861 Gilbert Mansion for just $1 in 1986 (Image Credit: Christopher White via Realtor.com)
A historic mansion in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that once appeared headed for demolition has taken a remarkable turn over the past four 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.
Speaking to Realtor.com, Christopher White recalled that the brothers spent the next 14 months rebuilding the neglected structure and converting it into 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.
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.
Its design includes two square towers, ornate exterior details and a distinctive mansard roof. But by the 1980s, the grand house had become a very different sight. The building had been left vacant and deteriorating, with broken and boarded-up windows, damaged brickwork, rotting sections and a missing original front door.
According to Realtor.com, Ypsilanti officials had spent seven years trying to find a buyer, with demolition becoming an increasingly likely outcome.
The Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation records that the mansion had become increasingly dilapidated after years of changing uses. It was eventually closed to the public and remained empty until 1986, when the White brothers took ownership.
The brothers saw a different future for the property
When the city sought proposals for the mansion, several ideas were considered. 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.
The White brothers proposed something different: converting the mansion into an apartment building. Their previous work on historic properties in Ypsilanti helped make their proposal stand out.
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. In 1986, they purchased the property for a symbolic $1.What followed was 14 months of intensive restoration work. The brothers stripped the interior down to the studs and rebuilt much of the building. The original hardwood floors were preserved, along with a Pewabic tile fireplace that was among the mansion's notable surviving historic features. The mechanical systems, drywall and interior finishes were otherwise rebuilt.
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.
The Whites adapted the roughly 8,000-square-foot mansion into seven residential units. The apartments range from about 800 to 1,200 square feet, while the common hallways retain elements of the building's historic configuration. The exterior was also restored to preserve its Second Empire character.One part of the mansion that required surprisingly little intervention was its slate roof. 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.
The transformation is also reflected in the property's history with the Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation. The foundation says the mansion was rehabilitated and divided into seven apartments.
It was also selected as the organisation's Outstanding Historic Structure of 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. According to Realtor.com, seven units were occupied when the property was put on the market, with the apartments rented to working professionals.
The building's location has also helped its appeal. It sits in Ypsilanti's historic district, about two blocks from Depot Town, an area known for its historic character and local businesses.
Current commercial property listings describe the building as an approximately 8,000-square-foot, seven-unit apartment property on about 1.46 acres.
Four decades after the $1 purchase
The Gilbert Mansion's transformation is ultimately a story of adaptation as much as restoration.
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. The result is a property that still retains its original architectural identity while functioning as a seven-unit apartment building.
The Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation now describes the mansion as meticulously restored and notes that it remains divided into seven 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. What once faced possible demolition has instead survived as one of Ypsilanti's distinctive historic buildings.
