Henry Ford Estate, Dearborn, MI
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Henry Ford Estate, Dearborn, MI
The following photos are from the Henry Ford Estate, Fairline, in Dearborn MI. In the summer of 2013 (Henry Ford's 150th birthday), the estate transferred ownership from the University of Michigan to a nonprofit organization who will restore, refurbish, and reimagine the National Historical Landmark.
The estate was the home of Clara and Henry Ford from 1915 until 1950. Upon Clara's death, ownership transferred to Ford Motor Company. In 1957, Ford donated the estate and farmlands to the University of Michigan for construction of the Dearborn campus. In 1966, it was among the first in the nation to receive the prestigious designation as a National Historic Landmark from the National Register of Historic Places.
The estate's namesake, Fairline, comes from an area in County Cork in Ireland where Ford' s adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The estate is 1,300 acres and sits along the Rouge River. It includes a large limestone house, an electric power plant on a dammed river, a boathouse, a greenhouse, riding stables, a children's playhouse, a treehouse and large gardens designed by Chicago landscape architect Jens Jensen.
The boathouse allowed Henry Ford to travel on the Rouge River in his electric boat. The 56 room, 31,000-square-foot house was considered befitting, but less grand than other great houses and mansions of the era in America. It included an indoor pool and bowling alley. The pool is now covered over and serves as a restaurant.
Park Contact Information
One Fair Lane Drive
Dearborn, Michigan
Phone: 313-884-4222
Email: info@fordhouse.org
4901 Evergreen Road
Dearborn, MI 48128
(313) 593-5590
Vehicle Permit Required: No
