Why did the FORDS buy the property at Haven Hill and build the Estate and develop the grounds?
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When Edsel & Eleanor Ford first got married, they were living in the “Indian Village” section of downtown Detroit. As things started to develop and be built around this quaint section of downtown, the Fords wanted more privacy. So they purchased the lands on and around Haven Hill. The Lodge was only suppose to be a weekend retreat at first, but after some attempts at kidnapping were perpetrated on their friends families, they decided to make the Estate a year round home.
On your history section, under one of the Ford’s family pictures, it states that they lived in Goose Pointe….it should read Grosse Poine.
Sorry about the mis-spelling. Unfortunately the spell checker thinks Goose is a legitimate word too.
Technically the Fords bought the property in Groose Pointe Shores from Edsel’s father Henry. They realized that Haven Hill would not work as a place to do business and formal entertain. Have Hill remained their real family home though, and is where they mostly raised their children.
Haven Hill was a wonderful retreat for the family but it was not their “real” home nor was it where they mostly raised their children. All of the children attended elementary school in Grosse Pointe and their home at Gaukler Point was, and was always intended to be, their permanent home. For recreation, the family did weekend at Haven Hill quite regularly until 1943 when Mr. Ford passed away. Mrs. Ford never returned to Haven Hill after his death. Also, from early July until September, the family vacationed in Maine at their summer home and the horses from Haven Hill were sent by train to Seal Harbor. It is misrepresenting Haven Hill and a bit of revisionist history to say it was more than it was.
Interesting Susan. As the Ford’s did spend most of the minute by minute time at Gaukler, once it was completed, after Haven Hill was. Virtually every weekend Eleanor would take the kids for the Guakler “Show” home, to what was more of a real home at Haven Hill, for them. All of my research, letters, Archives and much more have indicated this. Haven Hill property was bought and put together first and ground was broke there at Haven Hill first as well. Edsel’s and Eleanor’s backgrounds also showed a more home like setting was their true comfort zone. I have not revised History for anyone or anything. This is what my data and research from the Ford’s have indicated to me, and anyone else that has spent the time and money that I have in obtaining many of these documents. I stand on the History as written. No revisionist intentions.
Your take on this is very interesting as well. You are correct that Haven Hill was built first and that the family spent a good deal of time there before Gaukler Point was completed. Like many families do, albeit at a much grander level, they had a place to live while their home was being built. But it was always built as a “weekend retreat” type home. There was never any intention to live their on a permanent basis. I too have done countless hours of research and actually worked at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House for many years- even before the devastating fire. Apparently, we will have to agree to disagree on what their “true comfort zone” many have been. I too stand on history as written.