Dearborn’s Ford Historic Homes District Turns 90
Earlier last week we mentioned in our Upcoming Events section that the Ford Historic Homes District was celebrating its 90th year with its annual home tour from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Well, The Detroit News ran a fantastic good-news story about Dearborn’s Ford Historic Homes District on Friday the 13th and the upcoming home tour that we’re hopeful will help generate even better attendance than in previous years for this neighborhood association.
This is a Model A home photo in the Ford Historic Homes District taken back in the day.
The article is a shot in the arm for Dearborn and does a nice job of capturing the neighborhood’s charm. It is well worth reading and clicking through the photographs, too.
Here is just the top few paragraphs from the story:
Ford Homes Historic District celebrates 90 years
By Susan R. Pollack / Detroit News Design Writer
Jason Hayburn and his family live in a Model A.
But it’s not one of Henry Ford’s vintage cars.
Rather, it’s a distinctive home in an historic west Dearborn neighborhood that’s a lesser-known — though no less fascinating — part of the auto pioneer’s legacy.
The Hayburns live in the Ford Homes Historic District, a community of 250 high-quality yet affordable houses built for Ford Tractor Plant workers in 1919 and 1920.
One of America’s first planned subdivisions, the neighborhood was built using production concepts borrowed from the assembly line. It features seven home styles — models A-F, plus a modified, four-bedroom version of D — by architect Albert Wood, who also designed Henry Ford Hospital and the Masonic Temple.
The two-story homes, sometimes called Ford Colonials, are set back at different distances from the streets to avoid cookie-cutter sameness, and included front or side porches to promote neighborliness, according to district historians. Building materials were delivered to the site via a mini railroad, they say, with horses pulling train cars along tracks laid in a backyard alley and separate crews of construction workers — diggers, plumbers, painters, etc. — rotating from house to house.
“It’s quaint and charming — I wouldn’t live anywhere else,” said Don Ludwig, a Ford Homes history buff, as he washed the original wavy-glass windows on his Model F home, with its trademark central entrance, on Nona Street this week.
Over in his Model A on Park Street, Hayburn is among 11 district homeowners preparing to throw open their front doors — his is a 1919 wood original — and welcome visitors to a Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 6, to celebrate the neighborhood’s 90th anniversary.
For the complete article in The Detroit News, click HERE.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Just like to ad that advance $10.00 tickets are available at Campbell’s Paint & Wallpaper, Dee’s Hallmark, Village Antiques and English Gardens.
$12.00 day of tour tickets can be purchased at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church on Mason at Monroe.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Very cool article and event. Something to be proud of for sure.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:08 am
I’m curious as to what kind of designation this historic district has. Does it have State, Local or National Designation? A few homes are wonderfully restored but most seem to have plastic windows, plastic siding and plastic shutters. I thought homes in historic districts had restrictions on exterior renovations.
November 16th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Just curious…who gets the monies collected and what do they do with it?
November 16th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I believe the district has the designation from the city. I have lived in the district for 18 years and am about 1/2 through restoring it. All new cedar lap siding, all original windows removed from the house and restored and reinstalled. All interior woodwork stripped and refinished, original mantel restored etc.. Lots more to do, but historic home livung is great. I am NOT a fan of genuine vinyl siding, plastic windows etc.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:58 am
The money stays in the neighborhood/district. There are elected “board members”. The money goes towards things like easement plants, street lights, the yearly Santa visit, welcome to the neighborhood kits etc.
Also, I don’t mind the vinyl siding and/or windows as long as everything is tidy. I just wish that some of the district residents would take better care of their homes “period”. Some of the homes clearly need a power washing! Then there are those that have way over-grown landscaping. If you want to keep the original clap-board wood siding, then scrape it and re-paint it once in awhile. Just because what you have is “original” does NOT mean it is attractive!
I also want to state that MOST of the people in the neighborhood are very nice and welcoming – but there is also a very distinct clique that will not take good suggestions. Very much their way or the highway. I have been to numerous neighborhood meetings. It has been brought up about getting the district the NATIONAL historic desgination (this will drastically raise the neighborhood housing value)- but the Queen Bee with all the info is too lazy to get it done. Which is fine if you are too busy, but then give your info to someone else who is willing to do the work. Someone offered at the meeting to do the leg work, but she seemed to not want to share her info.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Regardless of what replacement materials are used on these homes, this is still one of the nicest neighborhoods in Dearborn. While there may be a few vacant homes, I don’t recall seeing any vacant there and all the properties that I view regularly are kept up much better than most Dearborn neighborhoods. These homes are unique and attractive and I am glad they’re in Dearborn. They may not be high class homes, but the homes still show high class in their appearance and maintenance. Anyone living there should be proud of their neighborhood.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Packard1 glad to hear you are doing it the right way. I hope you are an inspiration to your neighbors. Such a shame to see original materials and details lost when the places are covered with vinyl siding.