Motown Icon Berry Gordy's Mansion for Sale

The “Motown Mansion” just went on the market in Detroit for $1.295 million. (All photos via Zillow)

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If a new real-estate listing for an estate once owned by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy were a liner note for a gold record backed by the father of Detroit’s R&B sound, it might start something like this:

The $1.295 million mansion is so saturated in soul it drips it – a defining quality retained in the award-winning restoration of a 1929 Italian Renaissance Revival mansion whose halls were once filled with the irrepressibly melodic lyrics of Diana Ross, who virtually defined Berry Gordy’s Motown sound.

Gordy gave up this gem in 2002. It was acquired a short time later by a Los Angeles lawyer who had the means to hire an architect who carefully preserved the mansion’s catchy hooks, its harmonious flow and an indelible story line that traces the legends whose chart-topping careers were launched on the Motown label.

Here, from Zillow.com, are some of the details of the restoration, overseen by the current owner, lawyer Cynthia Reaves, who moved from California to Detroit after obtaining the mansion:

Situated on a lush 2.2 acre lot at 918 W. Boston, this architectural marvel includes a 10,500-square-foot primary residence and adjoining 4,400-square-foot pool house. A carriage house on the property also has its own house-sized apartment.

The main residence boasts stained-glass windows, 10 bedrooms, five full and four half baths, and four fireplaces that provide warmth and ambience on cold Michigan nights. The living room spanning the west side of the main floor features black walnut paneling and wood floors. It opens through five French doors to an adjacent tiled and carpeted sunroom with a stunning hand-crafted fountain as a centerpiece.

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The updated kitchen is a chef’s dream, with granite counters and a ceramic floor with granite inlay. Built-in stainless steel appliances are included. The sprawling mansion has seven dining areas and a wine cellar.

The property is the second-most expensive home for sale in Detroit right now, The Detroit News reports.

It’s also priced about a million dollars north of other houses is in the city’s Boston-Edison District, but real-estate agent Deborah Smith, of Keller Williams Realty, said the Motown legacy adds dollar sings to the property.

She’s confident a buyer willing to pay nearly $1.3 million will come forward. Several potential buyers inquired before 24 hours had elapsed on the listing, Smith told The Detroit News.

“We’re very optimistic about securing that price and finding a buyer who appreciates the house and who wants to carry on that legacy,” Smith said.

Reaves listed What she has dubbed the “Motown Mansion” for $1.3 million in 2010, but failed to attract a buyer at that price. A rebounding economy and competitive market among young executives looking to move back to Detroit could make the difference, Smith said.