Henry Ford is remembered mostly for revolutionizing auto manufacturing with the introduction of the assembly line. But he also applied that thinking to home building in a neighborhood in Dearborn, Michigan, which is this year celebrating its 100th anniversary. The Detroit News reports:
Auto pioneer Henry Ford wasn’t a home builder, but when his workers in Dearborn needed housing a century ago, the automaker switched gears. He built houses.
Between 1919 and 1920, Ford and his team built 250 homes just west of downtown Dearborn in what is now known as the Ford Homes Historic District to provide housing for workers at a nearby tractor plant.
Considered Dearborn’s first planned subdivision, all of the homes are still standing and this year the neighborhood marks a big milestone — its centennial anniversary. To celebrate, 15 homes will open their doors on Sunday for a special 100th anniversary Holiday Home Tour.
“There’s nothing like it in the Detroit area,” said Joe Oldenburg, the neighborhood’s historian who played a role in getting the area designated as a historic district.
