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Henry Ford’s Village Industries In 1938, the automotive industry was young and the early auto barons were bold, innovative men. One of Henry Ford’s pioneering ideas was the coexistence of technology, modern production and farming. Workers would have “one foot in agriculture…and the other in industry.” Ford began developing his vision by creating “Village Industries.” He chose sites in southeast Michigan: Milan, Brooklyn, Saline, Northville, Macon and Milford where early waterpowers still existed. He restored existing historic mills or constructed modern buildings, creating small industrial complexes in these rural settings. Milford’s Upper Mill Pond, created by an early 1845 dam, became the site of the 12th Village Industry when the Ford Carburetor Factory was built in 1938. Albert Kahn designed the factory and two hydroelectric stations, one on the Huron River and one on Pettibone Creek to supply the factory with power. The plant employed 350 workers, 53% of them farmers. The output was 1,700 carburetors per day. The larger hydroelectric station was demolished in 1997; the carburetor factory was razed in 2001. Milford’s Powerhouse, historically the Pettibone Creek Hydroelectric Station, is one of only a few buildings in southeast Michigan that remains from this interesting experiment. The striking silhouette of this restored Art Deco building will stand to tell an important story of local and regional history. |
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The Powerhouse as it looked in 1932 |
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More Help is Needed
Saving a local landmark from “demolition by neglect” depends on help from many sources: preservation grants, local businesses and a broad base of community support. While Phase 1 costs are completely funded, funding and in- Community support in the form of labor, materials, and equipment and additional funding,
will chip away at the wish list piece by piece. In addition, supporters can “Paint- Phases of the Project Work will be completed in phases: Building Enclosure Interior Restoration Site Improvements Hydro Infrastructure Repair Interpretation The exterior restoration will follow the U.S. Secretary of Interior Standards for
Rehabilitation. Completion of Phase 1 is projected for fall/winter, 2004. As funding
and in-
Interpretation will tell the stories of Henry Ford’s Village Industries, Milford workers, the Art Deco architectural style and hydroelectric power generation. The Powerhouse project is associated with the Auto National Heritage Areas, designated by the U.S. Congress in 1998. With this affiliation, Milford’s Powerhouse will be included in their mission to preserve and interpret the region’s automotive heritage as well as encourage tourism to southeast Michigan. Investors in the Project Village of Milford Milford Historical Society Milford Downtown Development Authority Mich. Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Americana Foundation Community Devlp. Block Grant Siplast/Icopal Roof Systems Automobile Nat’l Heritage Area Evans Memorial Grant Newton Crane Roofing Contractors Milford Township Western Waterproofing Johanna Favrot/ Nat’l Trust for Historic Preservation Integrated Engineering Assoc., Inc Colley Electrical Systems, Inc. Dan Christie Illustrations Milford Business Association Pettibone Creek Questers Mich. State Organization of Questers Detroit Area Art Deco Society Denise and Lyle Tyler Hines Park Ford, Inc. The Restoration Project The Building - - - - The Partners - - - The Plan - - - - Projected Costs Project Phases Funding Building Enclosure 100% Interior Restoration 0% Site Improvements 30% Hydro Infrastructure Repair 0% Interpretation 0% 2nd Revision 04/ 04 |
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