HISTORIC HOUSE FUND
To restore and repair the historic Alger family home
Help revive the 1910 Alger Estate
For over 75 years, the striking 1910 Alger House—originally named The Moorings—has served as the cherished home of The War Memorial. Designed by renowned architect Charles A. Platt for the family of Marion and Russell Alger, Jr., this Italian-style villa is proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1949, the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association has had the honor of preserving and utilizing this historic landmark as a residence, museum, veterans’ memorial, cultural hub, and vibrant community center.
With the 2022 expansion of the Fred M. Alger Center, The War Memorial reaffirmed its commitment to preserving this treasured estate. We launched the Historic House Fund, a dedicated campaign to ensure the careful restoration and continued care of the Alger House and its grounds.
Now, as we look toward the next phases of restoration in 2025, we embark on a journey to safeguard the enduring elegance of The Moorings. Designed in an era defined by craftsmanship and intention, the Alger House remains a symbol of artistry and legacy. A dedicated team of preservationists, artists, masons, and skilled craftspeople will guide this work—ensuring that every detail honors its original character.
We invite you to be part of this meaningful endeavor. With your support, we can preserve the Alger House for generations to come—continuing our mission to honor those who served, enrich our community, and deliver exceptional experiences to all who walk through our doors. Continue below to see some of the completed and upcoming projects. Click on the images to get a closer look.
Together, let us preserve the legacy and grandeur of The Moorings for the next hundred years.
See one recent restoration project in action, the Library restoration, in this video from our 2025 An Evening of Red, White & Blue fundraising gala! This 115-year-old building is more than just a house or local nonprofit center - it breathes life, brings about smiles, and exudes community!
Our 2025 fundraiser raised over $175,000 for our continued restoration and preservation projects!
Save the date for our next fundraising gala on Wednesday, May 20, 2026!
Completed Projects
Learn more about the reason behind the work by watching this video from our 2024 An Evening of Red, White & Blue annual fundraising gala! With the support of donors, sponsors and guests, our 2024 fundraiser raised over $150,000 which went towards these repair and restoration projects!
Exterior Doors
The original exterior doors on the lakeside of the house needed extensive repairs. Repairs differ from door-to-door including fascia pieces being broken, corrosion and water intrusion, and more. New storm doors were fabricated to improve the integrity of the building envelope, refacing of the outdoor portions of the interior doors, and repairs and painting of the vestibular area between the two sets of doors were all completed.
Terrace Steps
The steps leading from the Alger House Terrace to the lakeside lawn were worn and broken. Many cracks and breaks were showing through causing an eyesore for guests. Repairs were made to fill the blemishes and strengthen the gateway to Lake St. Clair.
Library Water Intrusion
The library of the Alger House had significant water intrusion on the former exterior wall, causing the need for extensive repairs to the cornice and walls. The ornamental ceiling plaster underwent a complete restoration including recreated some of the ornate Tudor Rosettes, fresh paint, and impressively hand-gilded to bring it back to historic accuracy. Work also included replacing the marble baseboards and other minor repairs throughout the room.
Reception Room
The Reception Room required restoration work to the ceiling and walls. For the walls, the monks cloth was stripped, holes and cracks repaired, then a fresh coat of paint. The ceiling had work done on the plaster beams and edges to bring them back to life following water intrusion.
Fountain Repair
Our lovely fountain that adorns our front circle required work to close up some issues that were present in the concrete foundation and basin. The issues were so severe that the fountain was not holding water. We are excited to see our lovely feature fully active again providing a beautiful centerpiece the front of our building.
Water Mitigation
The lower level of our Arts & Education wing needed some major water mitigation work. Repairs were needed in the hallway outside of our classrooms, and inside of our mechanical room. After the water mitigation work was completed, the walls were closed up and new flooring installed!
Shutters
The shutters of the Alger House were not original, nor accurate. Outside of those discrepancies, they were also in disrepair and needed replacement. We had new shutters crafted and installed that are closer to the look of the original shutters.
Upcoming Projects
Roof Repairs
The roof of the historic Alger House is currently undergoing an exploration phase to determine the full scope of needed repairs. This also includes fixes to compromised areas of the chimney and outer cases, and repairs to the skylight and roof section over the palm room.
Lakeside of House
The lakeside of the house requires concrete and stucco repairs to multiple areas, and repairs to the lower-level doors leading out onto the terrace. The cracks and breaks are thankfully not detrimental to safety, but the repairs are important.
Our Project Partners
Historic Surfaces LLC
Historic Surfaces have completed similar projects, like the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Michigan, Hegeler Carus House in Illinois, the Brucemore Estate in Iowa, and the St. George Greek Orthodox Church and Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
Owners Tony and Mata Kartsonas were guests on the first episode of our podcast, Inside The Memorial. You can watch their episode below.
Leverett Masonry Consulting, led by Simon Leverett will be assisting with multiple areas that need masonry work. Outside of their work being done here at The War Memorial, they have also completed projects at The Ford Estate.
Leverett Masonry Consulting
The Roy Company
The Roy Company has been hired as our owners representative to oversee current projects, assist with bid process, and ensuring we secure the right contractors that will honor the historic legacy of the home. Their past work includes projects at The Detroit Opera House and the Grosse Pointe Public Library.
John Kingsley has been hired to collaborate with conservators, designers and craftspeople to execute accurate reproduction furniture, window treatments and decorative art pieces for use in the historic home. He has completed work locally for Fair Lane: The Henry Ford Estate.
Historic Furnishings Consultant
The PEA Group had been retained to provide a Facilities Condition Assessment of our entire campus in 2023. You can see their work at The Children’s Hospital, M1 Concourse, and Rochester Community Schools.
PEA Group
Portions of the the historic consultation, restoration, and repair projects have been funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.