A History Loves Company Original

In Detroit’s legendary Palmer Woods neighborhood — where winding streets are lined with enormous estates and century-old architecture — stands one of the largest homes ever built in Michigan.

Known today as the Bishop Mansion, the property at 19366 Lucerne Drive is more than a home: it’s a landmark. A massive, Tudor-inspired estate sitting on over 2 acres, stretching beyond 32,000 square feet, and towering over nearly everything around it.

But unlike most featured homes, this one tells a different kind of story — not only of grandeur, but of transformation. A story still being written.

Welcome to Homes of Michigan – Episode 4, where we explore the Bishop Mansion as it exists today: storied, enormous, partially restored, and newly listed for sale.

A Historic Estate With a Complex Story

The Bishop Mansion has long been associated with Detroit’s early-20th-century era of wealth, craftsmanship, and prestige. Various historical accounts — some using a different address (1880 Wellesley) — trace the property’s origins back to the late 1920s and link it to notable figures in Detroit’s industrial and civic landscape.

What is absolutely confirmed today is that:

• The home is located at 19366 Lucerne Drive in Palmer Woods

• It spans an astonishing 32,000+ sq ft (with some sources reporting higher)

• It occupies approximately 2 acres of land

• It remains one of the largest residential structures in the State of Michigan

• It is currently listed for sale around the $1,000,000 mark
  (per public listing data)

While some historical records tie the name “Bishop Mansion” to alternate addresses, the Lucerne property has long carried the Bishop Mansion name in the real-estate world, becoming the identity used in marketing, preservation conversations, and listing documents.

Architectural Style: A Tudor Giant

Even in its current condition — partially gutted, mid-renovation, and awaiting restoration — the architecture remains undeniably striking.

Exterior Highlights

• Tudor-Revival influence

• Stone, brick, and half-timbered design

• Multiple chimneys

• A stately front elevation with historic character

• Long, sweeping setbacks across a corner 2-acre lot

Interior Summary

Because the home has undergone partial deconstruction in preparation for a full restoration, interior details vary significantly. Recent listing photos show:

• Open, expansive rooms

• Exposed subfloors and framing in several areas

• Surviving pockets of historical detail (arches, woodwork fragments, masonry)

• Tremendous architectural potential

This is not a “museum-quality” preserved interior.
It is a once-magnificent mansion mid-transformation, awaiting a visionary owner.

Current Condition: A Restoration Opportunity

Public listing notes clearly state:

• New roof work has been completed

• Windows have been updated or replaced

• Portions of plumbing and electrical systems have been repaired or prepared for replacement

• Many interior rooms have been stripped to the studs for future layout reimagining

This is not a turnkey historic home — it’s a blank canvas within one of the most historically significant shells in Detroit.

And that’s exactly what makes it compelling.

A Massive Footprint

The scale of this home is extraordinary:

• Over 32,000 sq ft (some listings report 35,000+ sq ft)

• 12+ bedrooms

• Multiple wings

• Grand hall spaces

• A layout large enough to envision:

  • multi-family configurations

  • a single ultra-luxury residence

  • event space

  • creative redevelopment

Few homes in Michigan offer this magnitude at any price point.

Step Inside With Homes of Michigan – Episode 4

In this episode, we take you inside and around 19366 Lucerne Drive to show:

• The true scale of the building

• Surviving historic elements

• Areas under construction or awaiting restoration

• The massive 2-acre grounds

• The exterior architecture that still commands attention

• The potential pathways for the next owner

This tour doesn’t pretend the home is something it’s not.
We show it as it is — and what it could become.

📺 Watch the full tour:

https://youtu.be/RbLLo-eOWmw

Every home has a story… and some are waiting to be rewritten.