In 2007, Patrick and his father, Bud Liebler, purchased the property and continued its legacy as a restaurant and historical site.

The two entities possessed the building until the mid 70s when Richard Kughn bought it and converted it into a restaurant that opened in 1986. His family remained in the home until 1920, donating the building to the Visiting Nurses Association in 1929 and ultimately the Nurses Association. He was laid out for his viewing on the first floor of the mansion. Unfortunately, Whitney didn’t fully experience the grandeur of his estate as he passed away in the mansion in 1900, just a few years after the building’s completion. “Because his business was in raw materials, he had access to all the greatest woods,” Liebler said. Liebler explains how Whitney built a train track from the riverfront to the site of the mansion just to bring some of his raw materials up. “There are a lot of stories about how it was built and some of the tools he used.” “This was his private residence,” said Liebler. At the time of his death in 1900, he was considered to be the wealthiest citizen in the city of Detroit with a net worth of $15 million, equivalent to $400 million today.

A successful lumber baron, Whitney owned vast tracks of hardwood land in the entire Midwest. built the Whitney Mansion from 1890 – 1894. Check out our exclusive interview with executive director and co-owner, Patrick Liebler, for an inside look at all things that go bump in the night. However, the world famous Witching Hour Martini isn’t the only spirit inhabiting the bar. Today, the mansion is known for its romantic atmosphere and quality cuisine, winning awards for their decadent desserts and naughty nightcaps served at their famous Ghost Bar.

The Whitney Mansion, located in Midtown at 4421 Woodward Ave., is home to many rooms once maneuvered by David Whitney Jr., a lumber baron and once wealthiest citizen in the city of Detroit, his wife Flora McLaughlin and four children, David, Flora Ann, Katherine, and Grace.

Ghost bar