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Barn Spotlight: The long-range plan is to make the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Barn a public space for recreation and events.

Jan Corey Arnett

December 31, 2019

6 Slides

Never underestimate the power of perseverance and the value of vision. They can be lifesaving, and to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Barn in the Highland Recreation Area at Haven Hill north of Detroit, they were, are and will continue to be.

Yes, that Edsel Ford. And yes, that barn.

The double- or triple-monitor barn, depending on personal preference, at the time of its construction in the 1930s was 225 feet long, providing 15,000 square feet of interior space — initially for 1,500 sheep and later for horses and cattle. 

The top level supported the main hay rail, ventilation, some lighting and exhaust functions. The second level provided hay storage for the animals on the main floor. The second and third levels are supported by “knee walls” for additional interior support.

Jay Fitzgerald, a multi-tasking volunteer with the Friends of Highland Recreation Area, has been a devotee of the barn for many years. 

“Prior to 2008, it was believed to be the largest barn in Michigan, and perhaps also east of the Mississippi River,” he says. “It has three levels of windows. One chain can open three levels at a time for ventilation. It also had four giant galvanized metal ventilators.”

Interestingly, the monitor design is akin to the roof of a sugar shack or sugar house, but in that case, the raised center section is for venting steam from the process of converting sap to syrup. 

The Fords, of Ford Motor Co. fame and fortune, created Haven Hill as a country retreat. It was a working farm on a “self-sufficient estate.” A large informational sign posted at the barn by the National Park Service, in cooperation with the MotorCities project, refers to the Haven Hill farm as “A Working World of Agriculture.”  

The sign also states that Edsel’s father, Henry Ford, was a strong advocate of partnerships between agriculture and industry, once proclaiming, “With one foot in industry and one foot in agriculture, America is safe." The Fords experimented with soybeans and other farm products for use in auto parts.

Sadly, Edsel’s death at age 49 in 1943 led to an early end to the magnificent estate and its working farm structures. Eleanor sold the entire estate with more than 2,000 acres of land to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 

For a time, the barn was used by MDNR as a wood and metal working shop and for storage. In the 1950s, a small portion served as a gathering place for ticket concession sales and as a warmup area for skiers and visitors to Teeple Hill, a ski area operated by the Pontiac Ski Club.

Reality bears proof that once a building stands empty it begins to die, and such was the situation for both the barn and the impressive residence known as Haven Hill Lodge. A group formed in hopes of revitalizing the lodge, but tragically, the building was destroyed by teenage arsonists in 1999.

Another group, Friends of Highland Recreation Area (FOHRA), sanctioned by MDNR, came together to focus its energies on the barn. But repairs and planning for the future had just begun when 90-mph winds slammed the barn's broadside June 8, 2008, taking down the livestock section comprising the back three-quarters. 

The devastation was heartbreaking, with the only good news being that no lives were lost and that a small portion had withstood the onslaught — it was as if the barn had fought to hold its ground.

What to do? Tear everything down and declare it the end of an era? Or take lemons and make lemonade?

FOHRA was undaunted. With the help of skilled carpenters and volunteers, over a period of years, a core group of about 10 volunteers and more than 100 additional supporters at various “work bee” events have worked together, and the site has been cleaned up.

The remaining front of the building has been reinforced, enclosed and reroofed. Money for the work has come from FOHRA members and a variety of organizations.

Perseverance and passion, along with appreciation for the value of history and a vision for preserving it, are paying off for the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Barn. The barn remains impressive. Long-range plans are to make it a public space for recreation and events. It remains under the ownership of MDNR.

“We couldn’t control what history and nature did to this barn,” Fitzgerald says. “But we could choose to preserve what remained. When people become advocates for places that matter, great things can be done. You cannot get back what is lost. You have to hold on to what is.”

Individuals and groups interested in supporting the ongoing renovations and repurposing of the barn can volunteer by going to the FOHRA website at fohravolunteers.org.

Arnett is co-founder of the Barn Believers Community Project Fund. She is interested in learning about barns and their stories throughout the state. Reach her at [email protected]. She writes from Battle Creek, Mich. Special thanks to Jay Fitzgerald for his help in compiling this story and providing images.

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