One of Aretha Franklin’s Historic Detroit Homes is Being Renovated

A piece of Motor City history is being preserved as one of Aretha Franklin's iconic Detroit homes is getting a much-needed makeover from its new owners.

Aretha's Golf Club Home Has a Rich History

The home - located on the fairways of the Detroit Golf Club - first hit the market in December 2022, and was deemed at best, a "fixer-upper."

The 7,700 square foot home has been dubbed the 'Rose Estate' in part because Franklin was living in the home when she recorded the 1998 album "A Rose is Still a Rose."

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The historic home was previously owned by Patricia Hill Burnett, an early women's rights advocate who died in 2014, according to Crain's Detroit Business. 

The home was built in 1927 and went up for sale four years after the Queen of Soul passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2018. It was said at the time to have "plenty of potential."

New Owners, Lots of Renovations

In 2023, the home was purchased by Trevor Thomas and his partner Brandon Lynum for $510,000. We've included several pictures below, detailing many years of neglect and disrepair.

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Thomas tells Crain's that he's poured roughly $1 million into the estate, documenting the process of the restoration at 'The Rose Estate Instagram page. He adds that he's also begun the process of getting the property added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The couple will open the home for the first time since the restoration process began at a summer garden dinner on Saturday, June 15 to rededicate the Rose Estate. Tickets and RSVP are required, more information can be found here.

Numerous pictures of the restoration process can be found here at Thomas' Instagram page.