National Historic Landmark

Fair Lane

Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
November 13, 1966
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000399

About this property

Fair Lane is the former estate of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Bryant Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was named after an area in Cork, Ireland, where Ford's adoptive grandfather, Patrick Ahern, was born. The 1,300-acre (530 ha) estate along the River Rouge included a large limestone house, an electrical power plant on the dammed river, a greenhouse, a boathouse, riding stables, a children's playhouse, a treehouse, and extensive landmark gardens designed by Chicago landscape architect Jens Jensen. The residence and part of the estate grounds are open to the public as a historical landscape and house museum, and preserved as a National Historic Landmark. Part of the estate grounds are preserved as a university nature study area.

Location

4901 Evergreen Rd.
Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan
42.31527, -83.23760

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCETRANSPORTATIONSCIENCEINVENTION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Fair Lane

This page lists Fair Lane. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Commandant's Quarters
Industrial
0.7 mi
Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum
Listed
0.9 mi
Dearborn Inn and Colonial Homes
Colonial
1.4 mi
Dearborn City Hall Complex
Listed
3.1 mi
Ford River Rouge Complex
Listed
3.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fair Lane listed on the National Register?

Fair Lane was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Fair Lane?

Fair Lane is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Fair Lane a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Fair Lane has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Fair Lane?

The period of significance for Fair Lane is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Fair Lane?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fair Lane will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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