Detroit Secret Garden at the Moross House

Detroit Secret Garden Rentals

Imagine hosting your event at the Moross House, the oldest brick dwelling in Detroit and in its adjacent garden growing one of the oldest  - if not the oldest - wisteria in the midwest. The Garden at the Moross House is a verdant oasis featuring courtyard lush greenery between ivy covered brick walls. The transition from The Moross House interior to the outside garden transports from urban house to a secret garden. This space welcomes you and your guests to be delighted with enjoying an unparalleled authentic experience in Detroit. Contact us to learn more and bookings.

The Moross House

Schinkel Fine Art (SFA) moved their studio and opened a showroom in The Moross House, a National Historic Registered property, in 2016. The Greek Revival style of The Moross House, with right angles and defined planes, mirrors visual aspects of SFA artwork. The industrial yet elegant property echos the artists' aesthetic at the intersection of the old world and the 21st century.

The yard’s natural landscape connects to organic elements used in SFA work. Nature provides a dynamic duality in their work both for subject matter and materials used. The Moross House's urban yet natural setting amplifies organic and urban elements of the artists work.

From the early 1970s to 2005, the property was owned by the city of Detroit and operated by the Detroit Historical Society and Detroit Garden Center. The Moross family's original portraits displayed in the home are now at the Detroit Historical Society.

SFA at The Moross House is open during exhibitions Thursday - Saturday 11:00 - 7:00 and by appointment for showroom and studio visits.Free parking is available in front of The Moross House on E. Jefferson and also behind the property on Woodbridge.  Please call today for more information.

A Rich History of Artistic Passion

The history of The Moross House inspires SFA work and entrepreneurship. Christopher Moross (1821-1901), descendant of one of Detroit’s early French families, was a brick mason. Christopher built two brick homes on the property, one to live in and the other to rent. His father, Victor, acquired the land in 1843, originally part of the Riopelle Farm. Construction occurred between 1843 and the early 1850s; exact dates are not available. The distinguished home is a Greek Revival townhouse and the oldest brick dwelling in the city of Detroit.

Union Colonel Freeman Norvell, Michigan State Senator and University of Michigan Regent, and his family lived in the house. While residing in the home, Freeman was co-owner of the Detroit Free Press. Colonel Freeman fought at the decisive 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, where Lee was defeated. Freeman was the son of United States Senator John Norvell, one of the first two U.S. Senators from Michigan.

For more information about the Detroit Secret Garden Gallery, please call us today.