Pettibone Creek Hydroelectric Station

Phase I, Exterior Restoration

March, 2005

With the removal of 80% of the brick, the exterior restoration of Milford’s Pettibone Creek Hydroelectric Station has temporarily turned the beautiful Art Deco building into a skeleton resembling a winged giant.

The Village of Milford, Milford’s Historical Society and the Downtown Development Authority have teamed up to complete Phase I of the authentic, sensitive restoration of Henry Ford’s 1939 powerhouse according to highest US Department of Interior Standards. This stage, begun in March, carries a $400,000 price tag. It will prepare the building for further phases of the project: interior restoration, site and utilities work and historic interpretation.

The Powerhouse is significant for its architecture as well as its historical importance. The elegant design bears the distinct signature of its architect, Albert Kahn. It was built as one of three buildings that comprise Henry Ford’s  “Village Industry” in Milford. One of Ford’s pioneering ideas was the coexistence of technology, modern production and farming. The restored Powerhouse will be a lasting resource for telling an important story, though little known, about automotive history in a small town

Funding for this significant preservation project comes from a large number of sources, local, regional and national:

Michigan Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration, Americana Foundation, Community Development Block Grants, “Milford Beauties” calendar sales, MotorCities/National Heritage Area, Evans Memorial Grant, Newton Crane Roofing Contractors, Milford Township, Johanna Favrot/National Trust for Historic Preservation, Colley Electrical Systems, Integrated Engineering Associates, Inc., Huron Valley chamber of Commerce, Milford Business Association, Michigan State Organization of Questers, Detroit Area Art Deco Society, Dan Christie Illustrations, Denise and Lyle Tyler, Hines Park Ford, Inc.