Haven Hill Lodge Ruins

Well I finally did it... I grabbed the dog and we headed over to the rec. area and hiked up to the ruins of the Edsel Ford Haven Hill lodge. Beautiful in winter, the ruins seemed kind of pristine covered by a blanket of snow. This was my 1st visit to the ruins - I had heard of the site that is inside of the Highland Recreation Area in Southeast Michigan several years ago. From the parking area the hike appears to be just at or under a mile (I'm guessing) until you come upon the "carriage house" or what appears to have been the "welcoming building" for guests.

This is an amazing little cabin - the only remaining structure from Edsel's day.

I am told that this carriage house is an excellent example how the lodge was constructed - solid stacked logs and a wonderful stone chimney.

From the backside it's obvious that vandals have broken into the old building - a gaping hole in a plywood board covering the window to a bathroom. Shame.

Here's a great photo (below) of the Haven Hill Carriage House - larger size. Click to view the full-size image.

As you look North and slightly west you then see what appears to be the remnants of an arched entranceway to what I assume was a walkway to the lodge's front door.

Then a large fireplace/chimney appears and you can begin to understand the actual size of the lodge by the ruins of the foundation. I wish I had seen the actual building before it was burned to the ground in 1997.

This day in mid February the snow was obscuring the ground all around and inside the foundation.

The building must have been truly amazing in it's hay day! And to think that the likes of Thomas Edison, Admiral Bird, and other famous figures have stood right there many years ago!

PRESERVATION: Sometimes I wonder if the information that I'm posting on this website might result in those with "ill-wills" damaging a historic site like this. I hope not. As a matter of fact, I believe that by sharing this information maybe attention can be drawn to this amazing location that might inspire caring persons to visit the area and be a part of its' preservation. Come and see and join the forces for good will!

Barn in a Deep Freeze

The only thing nice about today in Michigan was the sunshine managed to make it out between the clouds of blowing snow.  Eva and I went over to the barn inside of the Highland Recreation Area at about 10:30 am and the temperature was nearly only 4 Degrees! Wind chills are well below zero - and the wind has been blowing over 30 miles per hour all day! This photo gives the viewer a good perspective of how large the barn really is...

I took the photo looking to the North East down the hill. Click to see the full-sized picture. Is this picture "cool" or what? lol

Barn in a Blanket

The other day we received another 6 - 8 inches of snow. The barn seemed to be sleeping under a white fluffy winter blanket.

Barn Preservation/Renovation Goes High Tech!

I'm doing some experiments with PC software that can assist with interior and exterior design projects. Here's a start at re-creating the barn inside of a computer.

Pretty slick. This new way of looking at things really opens up the creative possibilities for the renovation/restoration. The graphics are 100% "fly-by" tourable. You can fly around and through the building!

1000 Points of Light

One look up to the ceiling inside of the barn and you can see how important it is to cover the roof. The tiny points of light are holes with daylight shining through.

Click on the picture and you can see the  image up close.  This last work party included more covering of the ever-important skin of the barn with heavy plastic/vinyl tarps.

January 13, 2008 Work Day

The day was cloudy but the spirits of the volunteers were "sunny" to say the least. Brooms, shovels, waste cans, tools, and other supplies all seemed to emerge from nowhere as everyone arrived and began a full day of work. This old barn seems to be yearning for help. This last Sunday was my 1st day in the building, and I was excited and optimistic about the project despite the sorry state of affairs inside.

Water damage has affected most of the interior. I'm no barn renovation expert, but I think the good news is that the major support beams (the "bones") appear to be in fairly good condition.

Above: Edsel Ford Haven Hill barn renovation activity. January 13, 2008.

Below you can see an interior photo with what appears to be the old boarded-up animal doors on the right. I assume they were the sheep paddock openings that allowed the animals to move in and out. The bundles on the floor are some of the tarps being used for the roof repairs.

Thanks for reading... I'll post again with a picture each day or so...

Work Party Entry

On January 13, 2008 we had a great group of volunteers come out to the Highland Recreation Area and work on the Edsel Ford Haven Hill barn. More large tarps were put on the roof to stop water and snow damage, and lots of interior cleanup was accomplished as well. It was my 1st time inside of the barn.

Believe it or not, the photo above is a picture of the SECOND FLOOR... the barn is huge! Click on the image to see a larger photo.

All of the volunteers had a great time and the weather cooperated (snow and rain were in the forecast but none fell). Keep in touch... a more extensive post will be coming soon...

1st Blog

This blog (established 1/12/08) documents the efforts of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area to "rehabilitate and preserve the vast educational resources of Haven Hill" - the past estate of Edsel Ford on the grounds of the Highland Recreation Area in Michigan.

Tomorrow my wife Eva and I will begin our "on-site" involvement with the restoration of the Edsel Ford barn. This massive structure is what drew us to the project in the 1st place. What a magnificent building!

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