Many folks have heard about the famed Alger residence on W. Fort and First Streets in Detroit, a towering four-story brick Queen Anne showplace built in 1885 by architect Gordon W. Lloyd. Fort and Lafayette were the two ritziest streets to live on back then, with close neighbors including the Hinchman’s, Baldwin’s, Shelden’s, and Swift’s, people who soon figured into Alger history. The house saw U.S. presidents, titans of industry, and a Who’s Who of America pass through its entrance, hosted by Gen. Russell A. Alger and his charming wife, Annette Henry Alger. It was the epitome of Detroit Gilded Age living.

The interior was reportedly gorgeous, tastefully furnished with art, antique furniture, and unusual objet d’art collected from around the world by the Alger’s. The General was a serious fine art collector, and their drawing room was nicknamed “the picture gallery” by visitors due to the overflow number of valuable paintings displayed there. As one of the founders of the original Detroit Museum of Art (now the DIA), the General loaned many of his paintings to “stock” the Museum upon opening in 1883, yet still had a surplus of quality artwork for his home.

Reports from The Detroit News in the 1880’s spoke of the main hallway containing a good quantity of marble and oak woodwork, with large furniture pieces “inlaid with pearls and silver,” and a settle “inlaid with ivory” from Milan. There were references to a stained glass window dated 1530; a large carved ivory screen; and two large majolica pots containing palms reaching up to the top of the hall’s vaulted marble arches. There was also a great hallway fireplace with a stag’s head over it. The family used to gather around this fireplace at night when there was news or business to discuss; it will figure in again later in our story.

After Gen. Alger died in early 1907, it signaled a time of great uncertainty for the house. The five Alger children were all married and gone, and members of Annette’s family were no longer living there. The once vibrant mansion was now quiet and lonely with just Annette and her few servants inhabiting it.

Washington, D.C. society was dismayed that Gen. Alger’s popular widow did not return to the home where he had recently passed. They hoped she might choose to remain in the 16th Street mansion purchased while Russell was active in national politics. Instead, she sold up and had the furnishings sent to Fort Street.

Annette traveled extensively then took a summer rental in Grosse Pointe in 1908. In November of 1909, sons Russell and Fred purchased the summer home for her outright, Henry P. Baldwin’s former residence, “The Hedges,” right next door to Fred Alger’s estate, “By-Way” (17700 E. Jefferson Ave.). She was moved in by the following April and no longer needed the large downtown property.

The family agreed that their former grand home should not become another faded boarding house or occupied by a revolving door of businesses. What best then to do with the property?

Early July of 1913, Palestine Lodge No. 357, F. & A.M. – the then-largest Freemason fraternity in America at over 2,000 members – announced the purchase of the W. Fort Street Alger mansion and lot for $180,000 (over $5,700,000 in 2024 dollars). The transaction was not altogether surprising as Gen. Alger had been an enthusiastic Corinthian No. 241, F. & A.M. Master Mason (raised in 1895).

The Palestine’s planned to use the bottom three floors for club rooms: a reception room; billiard room; reading room; library; card room; pool room; various sitting rooms; two kitchens; pantry; two dining rooms; maintenance room; ladies’ parlor; coat check room; laundry; locker room; “plunge bath” room; storerooms; bathrooms; and an apartment for the live-in steward. They made very few changes to the basement, 1st, or 2nd floors, but turned the 3rd floor and attic into one huge, 22’ tall Lodge Room by knocking down internal partitions and removing most of the 3rd floor ceiling. A rear garage on the 100’ x 130’ lot was converted to a four-lane bowling alley with a ballroom above. After construction was complete, in addition to a piano and a player piano for entertainment, a 1914 11-rank, 628-pipe M. P. Möller Opus 1694 pipe organ was installed in the ceremonial Lodge Room. Removed when the Palestine’s vacated, this organ may currently be found on the 5th floor of the Masonic Temple in the Greek Ionic Lodge Room where it awaits full restoration.

With the various changes completed, the first official function in the new Palestine Lodge No. 357 was held on January 2, 1914; the formal dedication was March 9, 1914.

On April 27, 1916, a reverential ceremony was held that commemorated Gen. Russell A. Alger. A large bronze plaque was designed and executed by local craftsman Vernon C. Wood and placed in a location of honor over the main floor hallway fireplace beneath which the family used to gather. An invocation was given, several songs presented, and stories told by men who personally knew the General; the Alger family were in attendance as special guests.

Gen. Alger commemorative plaque (photo by Brandon Langford)

Although they were not allowed to become traditional Freemasons, the wives of members did their charitable part throughout the ‘teens by meeting regularly in the Lodge House to knit warm “helmets” (toques) and sweaters for those who had gone off to fight in WWI.

After the big 1920 renumbering of Detroit streets was completed, the longtime 150 W. Fort Street address changed to 510 W. Fort Street for the property beginning January 1, 1921.

The Lodge reopened in April 1926 after another big expansion and remodel were completed, some seven months before the massive new Masonic Temple (500 Temple Street) was dedicated. Additional floors were added over the former dining room wing and a new front entrance configured between the old and new sections of the now very large Lodge. By this point Palestine Lodge No. 357 membership had swelled to an unbelievable 5,000+ members and they badly needed the extra space.

After over twenty years of residency, the final Palestine Lodge No. 357, F. & A.M. meeting on W. Fort Street was held January 24, 1935, reportedly a bittersweet affair. After Lodge business and some reminiscing about their decades in the grand old building, the Palestine Quartet sang “Home, Sweet Home” after which preparations got underway to move their belongings to the Masonic Temple. The bronze Gen. Alger plaque was loaned to the Detroit Historical Museum by the Palestine’s during the relocation and still resides on a wall near their Russell A. Alger collection.

As seems only fitting, in late January 1935 the Old Newsboys Association closed out public events at 510 W. Fort St. with a memorial dinner and tribute to their beloved General Alger who, back in 1887, had begun the longstanding Alger family tradition of providing money “for a complete new suit of clothes” for each Detroit newsboy at Christmas.

The abandoned old house stood dark for another two years before it finally faced the inevitable bulldozer in July of 1937 to become yet another downtown Detroit parking lot, a shabby ending for a once glorious residence.

150 / 210 W. Fort St., Alger residence (1885-1913) to Palestine Lodge (1913-1935)

Special thanks to Doug Mooney / Secretary, Palestine Lodge 357 F. & A.M.; John Rohlman/ Secretary and Trevor J. Giannetti / Tiler, Corinthian Lodge 241 F. & A.M.; and Rob Moore / Detroit Masonic Temple Library Archive and Research Center 

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