The mission of the Friends of the Freer House is to preserve and restore the Charles L. Freer House in order to maintain Freer’s legacy in American art and architecture, as well as his unique role in the cultural history of Detroit.

Charles Lang Freer (1854–1919) moved to Detroit in 1880, where he made a fortune manufacturing railroad freight cars and pharmaceuticals. Beginning in 1887, Freer amassed a spectacular collection of contemporary American art and older Asian art, with a particular focus on works by James McNeill Whistler.

A masterpiece of American shingle-style architecture, the Freer House was designed by the noted Philadelphia architect Wilson Eyre. Originally completed in 1892, it was enlarged to accommodate Freer’s growing art collections in 1902 and again in 1906. Considered one of Eyre’s premier works, the house is Michigan’s finest example of the shingle style.

Freer was a significant and early supporter of the Detroit Institute of Arts. He also championed Pewabic Pottery, and Pewabic works are integral to much of the interior design of the house.

The Peacock Room was once the dining room in the London home of Frederick R. Leyland, a wealthy ship owner from Liverpool, England. In 1876 Leyland commissioned James McNeill Whistler to paint the dining room, resulting in a brilliant and moveable set of panels. Purchased by Charles Lang Freer in 1904, the room was then installed in the Carriage House on the grounds of the Freer House. Today, the Peacock Room is permanently on display at the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Freer’s art collections remained in the house until his death in 1919, when they were transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. Today they can be seen at the Freer Gallery of Art, prominently located on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C. Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian.

Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian

In 1920, the Freer House became the home of the Merrill-Palmer Institute. Today, the Freer House is the location for MPSI administrative offices and meeting room facilities.

Freer House Committee Members

Phebe Goldstein, Chair
Freer House Committee

Julianne Bjarnesen
University Development

Thomas Brunk
Co-Chair Freer House Committee

William Colburn
Committee Member

Marianne Endicott
Committee Member

Judge Claudia House Morcom
Committee Member

Kenneth Myers
Curator, Detroit Institute of Art

Ann Nicholson
Chair, Merrill Palmer Board of Directors

Doug Peters
Charfoos & Christensen, P.C.

Marilyn Tuchow
Committee Member

The Freer House is a unique emblem of Detroit’s social and cultural history. The Friends of the Freer House offers tours, lectures, and other public programs that promote public awareness and understanding of this architectural gem and the Freer collections. The Friends also raise money to further the preservation and restoration of the house.

Please Join Us

Vibrant communities preserve their historic structures and celebrate their stories. By joining the Friends of the Freer House, you will both enjoy benefits of membership and help protect one of Detroit’s most important architectural treasures.

Yearly membership is $10.00 for students and $35.00 for individuals. Please fill out the registration below and mail in with a check payable to:

The Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
Wayne State University
Friends of Freer
71 East Ferry, Detroit, MI 48202.

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For more information, please call or email Rose Foster at (313) 872-1790  or rmfoster@wayne.edu