Dearborn in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Fair Lane
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, March 2, 2023
1. Fair Lane Marker
Inscription.
Fair Lane. . Here Henry and Clara Bryant Ford lived from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950. The eminent American auto magnate and inventor named Fair Lane after the road on which his father, William Ford, was born in County Cork, Ireland. The fifty-six room mansion made of marblehead limestone and concrete was completed in 1915. Inventor Thomas A. Edison, a frequent guest here, laid the cornerstone in 1914 for the powerhouse which supplied power for the entire estate. Ford's popularization of the automobile propelled America into an era of accelerated urbanization and industrialization. Yet the home of this man of controversy and varied interests reflects a love of nature and the countryside. Donated by the Ford Motor Company in 1957 to The University of Michigan for a Dearborn campus. Fair Lane's secluded acres shelter a national bird sanctuary and nature trails.
Here Henry and Clara Bryant Ford lived from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950. The eminent American auto magnate and inventor named Fair Lane after the road on which his father, William Ford, was born in County Cork, Ireland. The fifty-six room mansion made of marblehead limestone and concrete was completed in 1915. Inventor Thomas A. Edison, a frequent guest here, laid the cornerstone in 1914 for the powerhouse which supplied power for the entire estate. Ford's popularization of the automobile propelled America into an era of accelerated urbanization and industrialization. Yet the home of this man of controversy and varied interests reflects a love of nature and the countryside. Donated by the Ford Motor Company in 1957 to The University of Michigan for a Dearborn campus. Fair Lane's secluded acres shelter a national bird sanctuary and nature trails.
Erected 1978 by Michigan History Division, Michigan Department of State; Dearborn Historical Society; and The University of Michigan-Dearborn. (Marker Number HB17.)
Location. 42° 18.85′ N, 83° 13.92′ W. Marker is in Dearborn, Michigan, in Wayne County. Marker is on Fair Lane Drive, on the right when traveling south. On the campus of The University of Michigan-Dearborn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Fair Lane Drive, Dearborn MI 48128, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Potting shed/greenhouse is on the right; powerhouse/garage is on the left.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 6, 1994
6. Fair Lane's Early Rose Garden
This garden is between the Fair Lane residence and the powerhouse/garage. At the far side of the image is the tea house.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 6, 1994
7. Rouge River and cascade dam-maker of electricity
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 3, 2018
8. Henry and Clara Ford Statue
Life-size statue of Henry and Clara Ford given to the Henry Ford Estate by great-granddaughter Lynn Ford Alandt and her husband Paul that was unveiled on June 13, 2018. The statue is at the far end of the Early Rose Garden to the right of the Tea House.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, June 1, 2016
9. Fair Lane marker base plaque
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 1, 2015
10. Fair Lane - National Historic Landmark Plaque
Photographed By Don Morfe, August 18, 2003
11. Edsel Bryant Ford grave marker
Edsel Bryant Ford is the son of Henry Ford. Edsel is buried in the Ford Family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit MI
Photographed By Don Morfe, August 18, 2003
12. Benson Ford grave marker
Benson Ford is the grandson of Henry Ford. He is buried in the Ford Family Plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit MI.
Photographed By Don Morfe, August 18, 2003
13. William Clay Ford
William Clay Ford died in 2014. He is the grandson of Henry Ford and he is buried in the Ford Family Plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit MI.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2010. This page has been viewed 1,425 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on March 3, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 2. submitted on June 9, 2010. 3. submitted on September 21, 2010, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 4. submitted on June 9, 2010. 5, 6, 7. submitted on January 8, 2017, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 8. submitted on July 5, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 9. submitted on July 29, 2016, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 10. submitted on October 18, 2016, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 11, 12, 13. submitted on September 11, 2017, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.