Michigan (and the world) would not be what it is without Henry Ford. The creator of the automobile and the assembly line accumulated unimaginable wealth during his lifetime, and with it he used it to build his prized possession: his 56-bedroom estate in Dearborn known as Fair Lane.
Download the WGRD Mobile App Now
of returning the home to how it looked in the 1940s,
Fair Lane Estate
Fair Lane Estate was built in 1915 and was the home of Henry and Clara Ford until their deaths in 1945. The house was massive, with over 56 rooms, an experimental shower, a single-lane bowling alley, an indoor pool, a 12-car garage, and a powerhouse that generated all the home’s power.
Not to mention an expansive garden and trails spread all around the property. Between the architecture and the amenities that would make many today jealous, Fair Lane is one of a kind.
The Preservation Effort
This uniqueness has created a strong desire to restore and preserve the home. The estate has changed hands several times since the Ford’s deaths: first the Ford Motor Company, then the University of Michigan, which maintained it for over 50 years, then a non-profit, and today it functions independently as the Fair Lane Estate…