Historic Detroit home sinking into the ground as homeowner works tirelessly to save it

Detroit woman hopes to save historic home

The house in Detroit is beautiful with a speakeasy in the basement, even featured on the Discovery Channel. But the owner says it's sinking into the ground quickly.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Detroit resident is on a mission to save her home that was built in 1917 and once housed a speakeasy, but now it's sinking into the ground.

The house is beautiful with a speakeasy in the basement, even featured on the Discovery Channel. But the owner says it's sinking into the ground quickly.

The backstory:

Built in 1916 and completed in 1917, the owner, Kimberly Holt, bought it on Halloween 2022. Since then, she says it's been a nightmare, with everything from water exploding in the basement, mold, uneven floors, and then the bathroom collapsed, forcing her to move out for 7 weeks.

"The workload has been immense," said Holt. "If I had not stayed, many people told me just leave, file bankruptcy, lose your down payment and leave. But I couldn’t do that. Because I knew, I know what happens in Detroit if you leave the house. It’s empty for years. It destroys the neighborhood. It’s horrible. And I morally feel like I could do that to my neighbors."

What's next:

Through Holt's research, she learned that flooding occurred in 2021, before she purchased the home, which led to the sinkholes. 

She's put in $100,000 of her own money, hired an attorney, faced legal battles, and is doing whatever it takes, she says, to save the home. But the journey has been exhausting.

If you are interested in donating, you can by tapping here for their GoFundMe.