Detroit’s Ghost Bar
If you drive past 4421 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, it may look grand but, from the outside, but it doesn’t look very haunted. However, what lays inside this nearly 130-year-old mansion is bound to scare you, or at least send a chill down your spine.
The building that houses The Whitney restaurant and bar was built in 1894 by David Whitney JR. Its design is reminiscent of the storied family estates of English aristocracy and it stands out among the other buildings that line the street. But, it didn’t just have old-country charm, it had electrics installed by Thomas Edison himself, who was a friend of Whitney’s.
Rumors of hauntings and misfortune began almost immediately. Of course, anyone is bound to gossip a bit when a nearly 10 million dollar home is being built. It didn’t help that Whitney’s wife died during the construction of the grand mansion. Whitney, in a strange move, then married his dead wife’s sister...who also died in the home. And, after only 6 years of living in the home, Whitney himself died within its grand rooms. His family maintained the home until 1920.
Soon, manufacturing plants sprung up around the mansion and it began to fall from its former glory. After Whitney’s death, and the death of his wives, no one was eager to buy the home. So, a caretaker lived and maintained the home for nearly twenty years. Then, it was donated to the Wayne County Medical Society to house tuberculosis patients who were beyond help. The death and suffering and loneliness within the walls continued to add to its layered legacy of a haunted home.
After this, it was sold in the 1980s to businessman Richard Kughn. Kughn restored the mansions and turned it into a luxurious restaurant. It was then sold again in 2007 to Bud Liebler, who further restored it and fully renovated the garden area.
The home, like many homes in America over 100 years old, seems to be plagued with the typical elements of haunting. Guests and employees of The Whitney alike have heard disembodied voices, footsteps, the elevator traveling on its own (even though it requires an operator), and full-body apparitions.
One of the most haunted places in the building isn’t actually in the house - it’s the outhouse. It was originally built for Whitney’s slaves. One of the strangest characteristics of the outhouse is that there is a room that is perfectly set for tea, and it has never been touched or disturbed. Although, no one really knows why that is.
On the third floor, there is the notorious Ghost Bar. Originally, the third floor was completely dedicated to the Whitney family’s art collection, as well as some guest and servant rooms. At the bar, there have been several sightings of ghosts milling about, seemingly tied to the original layout of the floor.
Liebler is happy to discuss the strangeness of his restaurant and bar and frequently shares stories and has even opened the mansion up to ghost hunters. In one story, Liebler tells Opportunity Detroit, “We had a bartender on the third floor and he would always be pouring a drink for a customer when he’d see someone out of the corner of his eye. After he finished with his current customer, he’d go into the rooms to serve the next. He’d walk into the rooms and no one would be in there. That happened to him about 10 times and I guess he just had too much and he left.”
The Ghost Bar doesn’t seem bothered by its reputation and even boosts a drink called the Witching Hour Martini.
I would also like to dedicate this blog to my dad, John Pfeifle. He grew up in Detroit and gave me my curiosity for history. Thanks, Dad!
The blog image highlights the Whitney House circa 1905 and is licensed under the Public Domain.