Highland Park Ford Plant
Encyclopedia
The Highland Park Ford Plant is a former factory located in Highland Park
, Michigan
at 91 Manchester Avenue (at Woodward Avenue). The second production facility for the Model T automobile, it became a National Historic Landmark
in 1978.
in the city of Highland Park, Michigan
, which is surrounded by Detroit. The Highland Park Ford Plant was designed by Albert Kahn in 1908 and was opened in 1910. Ford automotive production had previously taken place at the facility known as the Piquette Plant
.
The complex included offices, factories, a power plant and a foundry. Because of its spacious design, it set the precedent for many factories and production plants built thereafter. In 1913, the Highland Park Ford Plant became the first automobile
production facility in the world to implement the assembly line
. In the late 1920s Ford moved automobile assembly to the River Rouge Plant
complex in nearby Dearborn
. Automotive trim manufacturing and tractor assembly continued at the Highland Park plant.
As of 2011, is is used by Ford Motor Company to store documents and for artifact storage for the Henry Ford Museum
. A portion is also occupied by a Forman Mills
clothing warehouse that opened in 2006.
's 2011 Disney/Touchstone Pictures
film Real Steel
.
42.411°N 83.100°W
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
at 91 Manchester Avenue (at Woodward Avenue). The second production facility for the Model T automobile, it became a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1978.
Description
The Highland Park Ford Plant was a production plant for Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in the city of Highland Park, Michigan
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
, which is surrounded by Detroit. The Highland Park Ford Plant was designed by Albert Kahn in 1908 and was opened in 1910. Ford automotive production had previously taken place at the facility known as the Piquette Plant
Piquette Plant
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is located at 411 Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, within the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District. It was the second home of Ford Motor Company automobile production...
.
The complex included offices, factories, a power plant and a foundry. Because of its spacious design, it set the precedent for many factories and production plants built thereafter. In 1913, the Highland Park Ford Plant became the first automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
production facility in the world to implement the assembly line
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
. In the late 1920s Ford moved automobile assembly to the River Rouge Plant
River Rouge Plant
The Ford River Rouge Complex is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan, along the Rouge River, upstream from its confluence with the Detroit River at Zug Island...
complex in nearby Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. Automotive trim manufacturing and tractor assembly continued at the Highland Park plant.
As of 2011, is is used by Ford Motor Company to store documents and for artifact storage for the Henry Ford Museum
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark, , in the Metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, USA, is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex...
. A portion is also occupied by a Forman Mills
Forman Mills
Forman Mills, Inc., is a Pennsauken, NJ, -based retail chain and department store with 28 stores, located in Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, Delaware, New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago, New York and their suburbs. They also operate a store at the Iverson Mall in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland...
clothing warehouse that opened in 2006.
In the media
The plant was used as a location for director Shawn LevyShawn Levy
Shawn Adam Levy is a Canadian-American actor, director and producer who directed the comedy films Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, Night at the Museum, Date Night, and the sci-fi movie Real Steel...
's 2011 Disney/Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
film Real Steel
Real Steel
Real Steel is a 2011 American science fiction film starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. The film is based in part on the 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson, though Levy placed the film in U.S. state fairs and other "old-fashioned" Americana settings. Real Steel was in...
.
External links
- The Moving Assembly Line Debuted at the Highland Park Plant, Historic Sites, Heritage, Ford Motor Company official site.
- National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, May 1977.
- Ford's Highland Park plant a manufacturing pioneer, MotorCities National Heritage Area, Detroit News article, May 21, 2009.
- National Historic Landmarks in Michigan, Michigan Historical Center, State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
- Ford search results - Historic Sites Online, Michigan Historical Center, State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
42.411°N 83.100°W