Hidden architectural unicorn in western Wayne County unveiled
A sketch of the home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Thomas McEvoy shows the ruralness of the property.
65-year-old mid-century modern gem has Frank Lloyd Wright written all over it
Hidden behind a shroud of overgrown shrubbery on a 1.1-acre lot in southeast Canton rests an architectural unicorn most local residents know little about.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Thomas McEvoy, the 65-year-old ranch is an unpolished gem yearning for a little TLC, but coveted nonetheless by architecture historians and buyers yearning for a unique-beyond-its-curb-appeal property.
“This is a one-in-a-million house, especially for Canton,” said Realtor John Goci, who listed the home for $350,000 five months after its sole owner, Dr. Harold Kominars, died at 97. “You’ll find homes like this in older communities like Ann Arbor, Detroit and Birmingham, but I’ve never seen anything like it in Canton.”
The Kominars home was the first built in Canton Country Acres, a subdivision surrounded by farmland and named because its lot sizes were approximately one acre.
Crossing the front-door threshold of the 2,900-square-foot structure is like entering a mid-century modern time machine.
Enhanced with Wright’s trademark use of earthy colors, floor-to-ceiling windows that fuel the inclusion of natural light, and design concepts that encourage harmony between the structures and the surrounding environment, the home is decorated by furniture purchased by Kominars in 1957.
“Dr. Kominars put in his will that he wanted the furniture to sell with the house,” Goci explained. “The furniture alone is worth at least $25,000.”
Matching leather sofas and chairs located in a sunroom just beyond the entrance are still protected by thick plastic the Kominars family never removed, preserving their pristine condition dating back to the day in 1957 they purchased the ensemble at the downtown Detroit Hudson’s (the original tags are still connected to the underside of one chair’s cushion).
The four-bedroom, five-bathroom ranch is highlighted throughout by mid-century-modern highlights, including original turquoise sinks in one bathroom, several skylights and original bedding and art.
The stunning exclamation point on the Kominars home is a spectacular, mature trees-bordered backyard space whose centerpiece is a stylish pool that hosted lord knows how many much-talked-about parties during its heyday.
“Some of the old backyard videos Dr. Kominars’s daughter shared with me are breathtaking,” Goci said. “The flowers alone made it look like one of those fancy garden shows. Honestly, the pool hasn’t been used in several years so it needs some work, but somebody who appreciates history and has a vision can bring this place back to its past glory.
“You’re one with nature out here.”
Goci revealed a few potential buyers expressed plans to tear down the house if they were able to secure it, but the vast majority showed the architectural unicorn nothing but love.
“Most everybody falls in love with the architectural style of the house,” he said. “They’re begging me to give it to them.”
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