Inside Detroit’s Largest Private Residence: The Bishop Mansion

The Bishop House, now sitting alone, was the largest private residence in Detroit.

In the 1920s the Auto industry was booming and Detroit's growth was accelerating. Amid this, the Catholic Church wanted to build a home like no other.

And so, between 1925 and 1928 this structure was built and was the official residence for Detroit's Catholic bishops. At 33,000 square feet, it became a statement of power. With a chapel, 12 bedrooms and 11 bathroom, every little nook and cranny was intended to awe all who visited.

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Sixty years later in 1989, the church sold the property to NBA star John Sally of the Detroit Pistons. The mansion went from a bishop sanctuary to a party house, with Sally throwing lavish parties with the glamorous elite and hangers-on.

That came to an end in 2017 when it was bought by a California investor, wanting to turn the home back to its past glory. That became too big of a project, so the house was once again put on the market for approximately $9 million. The price was dropped to $6 million but nobody was biting. In 2024 the house went to auction. It didn't sell there either.

A family ended up buying it for one million dollars, and has hopes of restoration.

And yeah, a huge house like this with its unique history has its rumors of ghosts. Human shapes in the windows, footsteps, and even the faint sound of organs coming from somewhere.

Now scroll down a bit to the photo gallery and take a brief look inside The Largest Mansion in Detroit.....

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