Rouge Park Question

[LDoolan]

Is this the former home of Henry Ford's right hand man Charles Sorensen? I know he sold the land to the city in 1944 and maintained residences in Detroit Towers and a riverfront place in Algonac, MI after the sale.

From what I know it was torn down in the 1980s, but I don't have much history on the land the house sat on aside from the fact that one of Henry Ford's relatives owned the land back in the day and a young Henry Ford used to lead sheep down to this portion of the river for bathing prior to shearing. I'm lacking in information on the house as well.

If this is the right house, does anyone have any other photos?

[MikeM]

From "My Forty Years with Ford":

..I bought on both sides of the river for a mile north on Warren Avenue. On a site fronting on that avenue, I built in 1914 a white, colonial-type home, the rear of which overlooked the River Rouge[sic]. Part of my land once belonged to one of Henry Ford's uncles. He used to drive sheep from his farm to a little sandy beach where later I often went wading. There he washed his sheep before clipping and young Henry Ford used to help him.

[DetroitPlanner]

I can't see the photo due to filters. The only homes I knew of in the park were located at Spinoza, 1 block N of Warren and at Outer Drive and W Chicago. The home on Spinoza was known as the Coon Farmhouse as it was once owned by the Coon Family who later owned the AMC/Eagle/Jeep Chrysler dealership at Telegraph and Plymouth. That residence was used as a recreation center and was torn down in the mid-1970's.

The other home was Detroit;s only nature center until the one on Belle Isle was built around 1980. At that time it was torn down.

[LDoolan]

From "My Forty Years with Ford":

I have a few copies of that book, reading that passage is what got me to thinking about it. Several other Ford books mention the same house, but they don't elaborate much more than Sorensen's own account.


Just trying to satisfy my curiousity

[MikeM]

Attachment 7815

http://www.clas.wayne.edu/photos/par...17562-4-87.pdf

This house at the intersection of Sawyer and Spinoza looks the same as the one in your picture.

[LDoolan]

Thanks MikeM! It certainly does.

Being stuck in FL, I don't get many chances to check out these locations in person. Ford history has always been a high point of interest for me, stems from collecting old Fords as a hobby I suppose.

[Jimaz]

Looks like there's just some playground equipment there now. I wonder what a metal detector would find?