How Henry Ford helped create historic Dearborn neighborhood that's still popular today

When Henry Ford built a tractor plant in Dearborn in the early 1900s, hundreds of his employees were unable to live somewhere close by. 

Enter the creation of the Ford Homes Historic District. 

Located on the west side of the city near downtown Dearborn, Ford Homes is known for its charming, upscale homes with characteristics, such as slanted roofs, multiple windows, and arched doorways. Like Ford's automobiles, each house has its own distinct style, ranging from models A-F. 

Even 100 years after the automaker helped to create the subdivision, the Ford Homes District is still a popular neighborhood in Dearborn. Nolan and Susan Clark have lived in their house on Beech Street for 20 years. The 64-year-old husband and wife both had an interest in historic homes and knew the previous homeowner. 

"When they decided they wanted to sell the house, they actually approached us to see if we would be interested in it," said Nolan. 

The Clarks have kept their 1920 Model A home, "as original as possible." 

"One of the things that we have that's unusual is we have the original kitchen cabinets," said Nolan. "But they have all been rebuilt and updated, it's beautiful." 

While other parts of the kitchen such as the floors and countertops have been renovated, Nolan said they have kept the room true to the 1920s time period. In addition, the house has its original brick on the fireplace and hearth.

The Clarks, who have been married for 43 years, are Dearborn natives and lived in Virginia, Grand Haven and Howell before moving back to their hometown. Even when the couple has lived in those places, they were never as close to their neighbors like they are in Ford Homes, said Nolan. 

"The neighborhood is always active," he said. "There are lots of activities going on with the Ford Homes Association. There are always people out walking, either walking themselves or their dog. It's very much like you what you might expect a neighborhood was back in the 20s. 

"I feel more like I'm in a small town being right here in Ford Homes than anywhere else." 

On Dec. 8, residents will open their homes for one of the neighborhood's most popular events of the year — the Tour of Season's Past Holiday Home Tour. 

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From plain subdivision to historic district 

Located in small area south of Michigan Avenue and east of Outer Drive, the Ford Homes Historic District has been a part of Dearborn since the early 1900s. Originally part of the J.B. Molony subdivision, the land was bought by Henry Ford after he built his Henry Ford and Son tractor plant in 1915, a space now occupied by the Ford Engineering Laboratory.

By 1918, 400 employees worked at the plant, with the majority of them living in Detroit. Rent for many homes in the city was $75 a month — expensive at the time. In addition, employees would spend a half-hour each day on a Detroit United Railway streetcar to get to and from work. Meanwhile, Dearborn did not have much housing, as it was still a rural area, and the few homes that were available were expensive. 

To solve the housing issue, the Dearborn Realty and Construction was founded in 1919, with Ford's secretary Ernest Liebold stepping in as president, Edsel Ford as vice president and C.R. McLaughlin as secretary and treasurer.

Henry Ford did not want to be associated with the company, as he wanted the project to succeed or fail on its own. However, he did give three suggestions to the project planners: all of the homes should look different from each other to avoid looking machine-made, they should be spacious in order to accommodate the average-size family and that the best materials should be used in constructing the homes.

Between January and May of that year, Dearborn Realty bought 312 lots in the J.B. Molony subdivision, which was bounded by the Michigan Central Railroad tracks, Lapham Street (which is now Military), Nowlin and Monroe. The houses were designed by Albert Wood, an architect for Ford Motor Co. and chief construction engineer of Henry Ford Hospital.

To design the houses with their own style, he created six different models, A-F. Each house included a living and dining room, three bedrooms, (some later models had four), bathroom and a porch. 

Instead of offering amenities such as parks, stores, and community spaces, Dearborn Realty decided to focus on house features like telephones, optional garages, underground electric lines, and up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms. However, a school was built in the neighborhood in 1921, which is now Duvall Elementary. In 1931, Edison School opened but closed in the late 1970s. 

The first 94 houses went up on Park and Nona from May to October 1919. In 1920 and 1921, 156 more homes were built, erected on Edison, Francis, Gregory, Beech and Military. 

Prices ranged from $6,750 to $7,750 in 1919, but costs increased the following year, with homes selling between $8,750 to $9,550. Buyers did not have to get banks involved, as they purchased their house directly from Dearborn Realty. Monthly payments were 6% of the total cost of the house for the first five years, with payments rising to half the house cost after that.

Other rules included homeowners could not sell their house for seven years after purchase and the realty company could buy back any house within that time if the buyers were seen as undesirable. According to an article from The Henry Ford, this only happened once when one homeowner was found brewing wine in their basement. 

The total number of houses planned for the neighborhood was 350, but those numbers never came to fruition.

After World War I, sales at Henry Ford and Son began to decline because of a depressed agriculture market. In September 1920, the machinery at the tractor plant was moved to the Rouge factory, and by February 1921, employees followed.

With the route from the Ford Homes District to the Rouge plant difficult at that time, construction in the neighborhood ceased, while the remaining homes were tough to sell. According to Detroit Saturday Night, only 115 of the 250 homes were occupied in October 1921. Records from Dearborn Realty indicate that homes were still being sold as late as 1924. Despite the decline in interest, the company turned a profit and became involved in other ventures until Dearborn Realty dissolved in 1943.  

A distinct style 

Each house in Ford Homes was a two-story colonial with a central chimney and block shape. However, to create a group of homes that did not look alike, Wood focused on distinct features that would set the houses apart.

One of those differences was having the houses staggered. According to the Ford Homes website, three houses would be set 24 feet from the street, and the next four built 32 feet from the street. In addition, various models were interspersed on each block. 

Stylistic variations included round-arched hoods above some entrances and triangular pediments on others and round, square and pergola-like recessed porch columns, according to Old House Journal.

Roof styles included a mix of gable, hip, gambrel and jerkin-head. A common feature of houses built post-World War I was triple sets of double-hung windows, giving a passerby a peek into one's living or dining room. 

The interior of the houses were medium-size, as there were small enough to be efficient, but large enough to accommodate a family and activities. Kitchens had modern appliances such as an electric stove and bathrooms were located on the second floor to be close to the bedrooms. 

Building materials were also varied. Wall-surface materials were used singly or in combination, such as cedar shingles, wide and narrow clapboards, brick, stone, and stucco. 

Holiday home tour 

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Ford Homes Historic District Association is hosting the Tour of Season's Past Holiday Home Tour from noon-6 p.m. Dec. 8. Guests will be able to look inside 15 homes, decked out in holiday decorations and lights. To add to the theme of a historic town during Christmastime, historic lamp posts will be dressed in greens and vintage Model Ts will line the streets, according to the neighborhood's website. 

Association President Kathleen Zubok said the Ford Homes hosted its first holiday tour in 1990 and in recent years, has held the event every few years. 

Zubok and her husband, Glenn, "go all out for Christmas." They put up two real trees in their living and dining rooms, each filled with white lights, ornaments and a giant star at the top. They also decorate the mantel over the fireplace in their living room with garland. 

The Clarks will also have two Christmas trees in their house, with the majority of the ornaments originally belonging to Susan's grandparents. 

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the same day of the event. Tickets can be purchased online at fordhomes.org or at several businesses around Dearborn such as: 

• Speckles +Splatter, 22471 Michigan Ave. 
• Dearborn Historical Museum, 915 S. Brady
• Z-Coil Comfort Shoes, 410 N. Telegraph 
• Cabinets to Go, 1860 N. Telegraph 

Same-day tickets are available at Duvall Elementary, 22651 Beech. 

"We love the neighborhood, we love our neighbors," said Zubok of Ford Homes.

"It's a very friendly neighborhood. You can go out for a walk and be gone for three hours because you run into people and start talking."