In March of 1994, the Rose Estate in the Detroit Golf Club became a second home to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The talented singer was well known for her soulful songs, including her biggest hit “Respect.” She also became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Her songs spoke to women and African Americans during the women’s movement and civil rights movement, and still do today.
Portrait artist and women’s rights activist Patricia Hill Burnett was the first to own the Rose Estate. Burnett challenged societal norms when she became the first woman to occupy a studio in the Scarab Club, an all-male artists’ club in Detroit. Burnett’s father-in-law built the 5,623 square-foot Tudor styled home in 1927. The home contains a grand staircase, five chimney stacks, and a Great Hall. Franklin bought the home from Burnett in 1993, as a fan of her activism and art.
Franklin held many parties and events at the Estate. She kept many of the home’s features the same, adding a few of her own personal touches like changing the primary bedroom into a dressing room with a tub and fireplace. She was also the one to give the home its Rose Estate name, working with interior designer Barbara Kopitz to add decorative rose embellishments into the home. One of the most famous design choices is the custom rose-red Kohler soaking tub.
During her final years, Franklin boarded up the mansion, retreating to her original home in Bloomfield Hills. The home fell into a bad state having no one to take care of it. After her passing in 2018, the home was sold for $300,000 to a Michigan developer and fell into the hands of Trevor Thomas and his partner, Brandon Lynum. The couple have dedicated their time to a multi-million dollar restoration of the Estate. While maintaining its finer details, the pair has also turned the home into a museum to commemorate Franklin and Burnett. They’ve filled the walls with photos and memorabilia from their lives from music to civil rights activism.
Now, with restoration going well, Thomas and Lynum have opened their private home to the public once a month for tours. They also make time available for private concerts, fundraisers, and meetings for the International Women’s Forum that Burnett was a founder of. Among special guests that have come to enjoy the beauty of the home are Linda Solomon, a photographer and journalist who was friends with Franklin and Burnett, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and Franklin’s own family members.
Restorative work continues to be done on the home to repair extensive water damage. Just recently, the kitchen was restored and painted Franklin’s favorite shade of blue. You can stay up-to-date with tours, events, and restoration updates at the Rose Estate by checking out its Instagram page roseestatedetroit.