HISTORIC HOUSE FUND
To restore and repair the historic Alger family home
Help revive the 1910 Alger House
For the past 75 years, the striking 1910 Alger House, originally named The Moorings, has stood as the cherished residence of The War Memorial. Crafted by the skilled architect Charles A. Platt for Marion and Russell Alger, Jr., this architectural gem is proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1949, the esteemed Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association has been honored to call this Italian styled villa and its expansive grounds its home. The historic Alger House has been in constant use since being built in 1910 - first as a family home, then a museum and now as the community, cultural and enrichment hub you know today! It is now time for the much needed restoration work in order to ensure the facility can continue to provide the southeast Michigan community for many generations to come.
Now, with the recent expansion of our programmatic spaces in the Fred M. Alger Center, we are better equipped than ever to commit the requisite time and resources to safeguard the longevity of our cherished historic buildings and grounds. Embarking on a new chapter, we are thrilled to announce the establishment of the Historic House Fund, dedicated to the meticulous restoration and enhancement of the Alger House.
The War Memorial is moving forward with these next phases in 2025, assisted by Simon Leverett (historic masonry specialist), John Kingsley (historic furnishings consultant), Anthony Kartsonas (interior historic preservationist), and led by project management expertise of Andrew Roy - ensuring that the right contractors will honor the historic legacy of the home. Below we have highlighted some of our completed and upcoming projects.
We extend a warm invitation for you to be part of this exciting venture. By supporting The War Memorial, you contribute to our efforts of being a steadfast patriotic, cultural, and community leader, with a mission to honor those who served, enrich our community, and deliver exceptional experiences. Together, let us preserve the legacy and grandeur of The Moorings for another hundred years.
Learn more about the reason behind the work by watching this video, originally shown in May 2024 at our annual fundraising gala, An Evening of Red, White & Blue.
Our 2024 fundraiser raised over $150,000 which went towards these repair and restoration projects! Thank you to our many donors, sponsors, and guests! Save the date for our next gala on Wednesday, May 21, 2025!
Completed Projects
Reception Room
The Reception Room required restoration work to the ceiling and walls. For the walls, the monks cloth was stripped, holes and cracks repaired, then a fresh coat of paint. The ceiling had work done on the plaster beams and edges to bring them back to life following water intrusion.
Fountain Repair
The lower level of our Arts & Education wing needed some major water mitigation work. Repairs were needed in the hallway outside of our classrooms, and inside of our mechanical room. After the water mitigation work was completed, the walls were closed up and new flooring installed!
Our lovely fountain that adorns our front circle required work to close up some issues that were present in the concrete foundation and basin. The issues were so severe that the fountain was not holding water. We are excited to see our lovely feature fully active again providing a beautiful centerpiece the front of our building.
Water Mitigation
Upcoming Projects
Library Water Intrusion
The library of the Alger House has significant water intrusion on the former exterior wall, causing the need for extensive repairs to the cornice and walls. The ornamental ceiling plaster needs touch up work done on some unstable pieces, along with fresh paint to bring it back to historic accuracy. Work will also include fixes to cracking in the marble baseboards.
Wall Renovations
Much of the interior walls on both the first and second floor of the home were covered in monks cloth and burlap, which has also been painted over many times throughout the years. This will be removed and the walls restored.
Roof Repairs
The roof of the historic Alger House is currently undergoing an exploration phase to determine the full scope of needed repairs. This also includes fixes to compromised areas of the chimney and outer cases, and repairs to the skylight and roof section over the palm room.
Exterior Doors
The original exterior doors on the lakeside of the house need extensive repairs. Repairs differ from door-to-door including fascia pieces being broken, corrosion and water intrusion, and more. New storm doors will be fabricated to improve the integrity of the building envelope.
Lakeside of House
The lakeside of the house requires concrete and stucco repairs to multiple areas. The cracks and breaks are thankfully not detrimental to safety, but the repairs are important.
Shutters
The shutters of the Alger House are currently not original, nor accurate. Outside of those discrepancies, they are also in disrepair and need replacement. We are currently working to have new shutters crafted and installed upon completion.
Our Project Partners
Historic Surfaces LLC
Historic Surfaces have completed similar projects, like the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Michigan, Hegeler Carus House in Illinois, the Brucemore Estate in Iowa, and the St. George Greek Orthodox Church and Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
Owners Tony and Mata Kartsonas were guests on the first episode of our podcast, Inside The Memorial. You can watch their episode below.
Leverett Masonry Consulting
Levertt Masonry Consulting, lead by Simon Levertt will be assisting with multiple areas that need masonry work. Outside of their work being done here at The War Memorial, they have also completed projects at Fair Lane: The Henry Ford Estate, and The Ford Estate.
The Roy Company
The Roy Company has been hired as our owners representative to oversee current projects, assist with bid process, and ensuring we secure the right contractors that will honor the historic legacy of the home. Their past work includes projects at The Detroit Opera House and the Grosse Pointe Public Library.
Historic Furnishings Consultant
John Kingsley has been hired to collaborate with conservators, designers and craftspeople to execute accurate reproduction furniture, window treatments and decorative art pieces for use in the historic home. He has completed work locally for Fair Lane: The Henry Ford Estate.
PEA Group
The PEA Group had been retained to provide a Facilities Condition Assessment of our entire campus in 2023. You can see their work at The Children’s Hospital, M1 Concourse, and Rochester Community Schools.
Portions of the the historic consultation, restoration, and repair projects have been funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.