MotorCities NHA - Dundee, MI
Posted by: bruce-e
N 41° 57.190 W 083° 39.330
17T E 279908 N 4647987
A place telling of local history. See the incredible hydro-electri turbine installed during Henry Ford's ownership.
Waymark Code: WMHH51
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2013
Views: 3
The facility first served as a gristmill for the growing milling industry in Dundee. Later, the building was converted to produce hydroelectricity as the village's only source of power around 1910. As the oldest surviving structure in Dundee, it was almost demolished in 1934 after years of disuse. Automotive magnate Henry Ford purchased the building and restored it at great cost as part of his village industries program. His only addition to the original three-story structure was the addition of a single-story structure on the side of the building. He converted the mill into a small factory to produce welding tips for his industry, and he was known to make many visits to Dundee. His interest in Dundee was an experiment to see if small towns could be used for his massive, global industry. After Ford's death in 1947, support for this small factory diminished, and it was sold in 1954 to the Wolverine Manufacturing Company, where the building was converted once more to produce paper products. The Wolverine Manufacturing Company used the facility until 1970, when they sold it to the village of Dundee for $1. The village revamped the structure and its surrounding 13.8 acres (5.6 ha) for public use as a museum and park. Although the property is praised for its historical nature, it is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places in its own right.
Address: 242 Toledo Street Dundee, MI USA 48131
NPS Web Page for this Station: [Web Link]
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