Edsel and Eleanor Ford House facts for kids
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Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
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The front facade of the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House.
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| Location | 1100 Lake Shore Drive Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan |
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| Area | 87.5 acres (35.4 ha) |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Albert Kahn Jens Jensen |
| Architectural style | English Cotswold |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001164 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 24, 1979 |
| Designated NHL | October 31, 2016 |
The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House is a stunning mansion located in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. It sits on the shore of Lake St. Clair, just northeast of Detroit. This grand house became the home of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford family in 1928. Edsel Ford was the son of the famous Henry Ford, who founded the Ford Motor Company.
The main buildings of the estate were designed by architect Albert Kahn. The beautiful gardens and overall layout were created by the well-known landscape designer Jens Jensen. This historic property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was also named a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
Contents
A Look Back: The Ford House Story
How the House Was Built
Edsel and Eleanor Ford traveled to England with their architect, Albert Kahn. They loved the old-fashioned village cottages found in the Cotswolds region. They asked Kahn to design their new home to look like these charming English buildings.
Kahn's design included walls made of sandstone and a traditional slate roof. The stone shingles on the roof got smaller towards the top. Moss and ivy were even encouraged to grow on the outside walls. Construction of the house began in 1926.
The house itself was built in just one year. However, it took two more years to add special antique wood paneling and fireplaces. These unique pieces were brought over from old English Manor houses. Charles Roberson, an expert in fitting old European designs into American homes, handled these interior details.
The Gallery, which is the largest room, has oak wood panelling from the 1500s. Its large fireplace came from Wollaston Hall in England. A staircase was brought from Lyveden Manor House, another historic English home. Even some stained-glass window pieces from the 1300s were added in the late 1930s.
The Dining Room has no electricity and features paneling and doors from an old house in London. The Library's paneling and stone fireplace came from Deene Park in England. The Study has a wooden decoration above the fireplace dated 1585.
The house also has some very cool and unique features. The kitchen counters are made of sterling silver! Edsel Ford's office has a "secret" photographic darkroom hidden behind a wall panel. There are also Art Deco style rooms designed by Walter Dorwin Teague. He was a top industrial designer in the 1930s.
Teague's "Modern Room" on the first floor uses a new way of lighting called indirect lighting. It has cool taupe-colored leather walls and a curved area with many mirrors. He also designed bedrooms for all three of Edsel and Eleanor's sons. For example, their son Henry Ford II’s bathroom has grey glass walls, just like its shower.
Art and Furnishings Inside
The Ford House was filled with an amazing art collection. Edsel and Eleanor were big supporters of museums. After Eleanor Ford passed away, many important paintings were given to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). Copies of these famous artworks were then hung in their place in the house.
For example, the French-style Drawing Room has two original paintings by Paul Cézanne. It also has copies of works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas. A copy of Vincent van Gogh's The Postman Roulin hangs in the Morning Room. An original painting by Diego Rivera, called Cactus on the Plains, is in the Modern Room.
The Amazing Gardens
The gardens around the house were designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen. He used a special idea called the 'long view.' This means visitors first see a glimpse of the house down a long meadow after entering the gates. Then, they get small views along the long driveway. Finally, at the very end, the whole house appears, with another view back up the long meadow.
Mrs. Ford wanted a rose garden for the estate. Jensen, however, didn't like this idea at first. He felt it would spoil the natural look he designed for the landscape. Jensen had even quit working for Henry Ford and Clara Ford once. That was when Clara wanted a rose garden right in the middle of their backyard meadow at the Henry Ford Estate.
Eleanor and Jensen eventually found a solution. The rose garden was placed behind some native bushes. This way, it was out of sight of the main meadow. Jensen's son later added a new garden area with a reflecting pool. This part has neatly trimmed bushes and square grassy areas, unlike the more natural style of the rest of the grounds.
The estate also includes other buildings. There's a power house and a gate house along Lake Shore Drive. The gate house has apartments where staff used to live. It also has an eight-car garage with a turntable to spin cars around. This meant drivers didn't have to back out!
Beyond a man-made lagoon and swimming pool is the Recreation House. It has changing rooms and a squash court with a special area for people to watch. Closer to the gate house is Josephine Ford's child-sized playhouse. Her grandmother Clara built it for her in 1930. It even has working electricity and plumbing! Its outside is decorated with characters from nursery rhymes.
For William's 21st birthday, the family had a full-size replica pirate ship built on the lagoon. It was a fun centerpiece for his party. The party was held outside and featured live performers, including Frank Sinatra.
The Ford House as a Museum
Edsel Ford passed away in this house in 1943. His wife, Eleanor Ford, lived there until her death in 1976. She wanted the property to be used "for the benefit of the public." Today, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is open for guided tours.
The estate covers 87 acres (350,000 m2) of land. The house itself is 30,000-square-foot (2,787 m2) and holds a wonderful collection of original antiques and art. The beautiful grounds also have a long waterfront area on Lake St. Clair. The house now hosts special events, classes, and lectures for visitors.
Keeping History Alive: Restoration Projects
In recent years, many restoration projects have been started. Most of these projects fix the old stone work on the main house, the playhouse, and the pathways. The Edsel Ford house gets money from donations and a special fund set up by Mrs. Ford. She left $15 million in the 1970s to help keep the house going. By 2007, this fund had grown to $98 million!
The house has had several big restoration jobs. One project involved replacing the roof. A company from England used five expert masons to do the work. They took the roof down to the wood base and replaced any damaged wood. The new stone was chosen to match the original stone from the same quarry.
These restoration projects are done by very skilled craftspeople. They must have a lot of experience in their fields. The people in charge of the estate choose companies based on their past work and if they can find original or very similar materials. This helps make sure the estate is restored exactly as it was built.
The most recent project was to replace the sandstone pillars on the lakefront patio. These pillars had started to crack. To make sure everything was historically accurate, the foundation hired a company from the same region where the original stone was bought.
There are still many rooms that visitors can't see, like the basement. The estate has over 60 rooms and other buildings. However, public tours usually only show about 20 of them. Sometimes, special tours might show other rooms, like where the staff used to live. Some rooms are still being restored. The goal is to have the entire estate ready for visitors in the next few years.
Gallery
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Side of the house
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Rear of the house
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Powerhouse
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Pool house
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Playhouse
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Garage and south cottage
See also
