Detroit lawyer bought Motown mansion for $250,000, sold it for $1.65m

A century-old Detroit mansion with deep ties to the city’s music and industrial history once changed hands for just $250,000 before a painstaking restoration helped it sell for $1.65 million. Known as the Motown Mansion, the 10,500-square-foot residence at 918 W. Boston Blvd. was built in 1916-17 for lumberman Nels Michelson and later became the home of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. Historic Detroit identifies the property as the Nels Michelson Mansion and documents its origins, architecture and notable owners. Gordy bought the house in 1967 and lived there during a pivotal period for Motown before eventually selling it to Detroit attorney Cynthia F. Reaves, who restored the landmark and later sold it in 2017.A mansion built for a Detroit lumber baronThe story of the property began long before Motown.