Once part of Woodward Avenue’s early residential landscape, the Bowen House has an understated but notable history. It was built for Lemuel Warner Bowen (1857–1925), a prominent Detroit businessman involved in several key enterprises, including early investment in the Detroit Automobile Company, leadership at Cadillac before its acquisition by General Motors, and executive roles with D.M. Ferry Seed Company and in insurance.

Bowen commissioned architect George D. Mason to design the home in the English Renaissance style, reflecting the period’s taste for historically inspired domestic architecture. Bowen did not live in the house long, and by the 1930s it had shifted to new uses. From 1931 to 1943, the building operated as La Casa Loma, a tea room and social club. In 1943 it became Art Centre Osteopathic Hospital, which added a south-side wing to expand operations. The mansion’s original garden was later replaced by Wayne State University’s Mortuary Science building. The Bowen House is now owned by Wayne State University and has been adapted for institutional use.