2024 Detroit: Waterfront, Pewabic Pottery, Edsel Ford House - Grosse Pointe

Following our explorations of Detroit’s midtown and downtown, we spent some time around the waterfront. Unfortunately, our access was hampered by barricades put up in preparation for the Detroit Grand Prix, blocking us from exploring Hart’s Plaza, a large urban space by the water.  We did pass by the 26-foot tall, bronze Spirit of Detroit sculpture which was created by Marshall Fredericks in 1958 and has come to symbolize hope, progress and the human spirit in the people of Detroit.  We also saw “The Fist” sculpture, more formally known as the "Monument to Joe Louis", honouring the legendary boxer who was World Heavyweight Champion between 1937 to 1949 and is known for his fight against racism.  The 24-foot-long arm with a clenched fist weighs 8000 pounds and is made of bronze and painted steel.  Looking across the Detroit River, we could see the waterfront of Windsor, Ontario including the Caesar Hotel complex that dominates the Windsor skyline.  A looming presence on the Detroit Waterfront is the Renaissance Centre (RENCtr), which has been the headquarters for General Motors since 1996.

The Renaissance Centre is a complex of seven interconnected steel towers with sleek, black, glass façades that transform Detroit’s skyline, giving it a futuristic feel especially when juxtaposed with the surrounding heritage skyscrapers. The complex includes a 73-story luxury hotel operated by Marriott and four 39-story office buildings.  The Wintergarden atrium is a 5-story space that includes retail outlets, restaurants and exhibition space.  A “GM World” display space in the main lobby includes a 70x80foot video screen and an exhibition area dedicated to General Motors vehicles, displaying the company’s latest models and innovations including a yellow Corvette that was drawing lots of attention.

A revolving display in the centre of the lobby features vintage vehicles produced by GM through the decades including a 1902 Oldsmobile Pirate Beach Racer, 1910 Buick 60 Special, 1950 Cadillac Series 61, 1955 Chevrolet Nascar #92, 2017 Cadillac Dpi-V.R. race car, and a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro Nascar #6.  It was fun looking at the designs of the exterior and interior of some of the older cars.

Taking the escalators up to the higher floors, you encounter a 12-foot suspended walkway that allows navigation between the towers to access the hotel or office buildings.  Circling the walkway, you can look back down at the GM World lobby and sometimes it feels like you are on a manufacturing conveyor belt.  When we took a tour of the Fisher building, the tour guide indicated that General Motors was planning on moving its headquarters away from the RenCtr and indicated that the building was a bit of an eyesore to the locals.  I personally like the modern architecture of these buildings and we had fun exploring what felt to us like a small museum showcasing General Motor’s past, present and future.

Established in 1903 and founded by potter, artist and teacher Mary Chase Perry Stratton, Pewabic Pottery is one of the oldest continuously operating pottery studios in the United States. The name “Pewabic” comes from the Ojibwa word “bewabic” meaning iron or steel, referring to the Pewabic copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It has also been said to be a Chippewa Indian term meaning “clay with a copper colour”. During our previous days in Detroit, we were constantly seeing examples of Pewabic tiles at various locations including the Detroit Art Institute, the Scarab Club and many of the LRT stations serviced by the People Mover. We also saw Pewabic-designed vases and other ceramic items in gift shops. Rich wanted to buy a piece of Pewabic pottery as a souvenir, so we made the trip to their studio and shop, located in a 1907 Tudor Revival building in the east side of the city towards Grosse Pointe.

Pewabic Pottery produces handcrafted decorative objects including vases, bowls, tiles of various sizes featuring different designs, mugs and drinking vessels and architectural pieces.  The studio is known for its distinctive iridescent glazes and designs that were created as part of the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the century.  Many of the “classic” vases on sale in the shop are hand-thrown by artisans following designs and sketches created by founder Mary Stratton herself.  The resulting vases pay tribute to the past but are each unique with slight variations in glaze and firing results.  Each classic vase is stamped with the Pewabic logo at the bottom to prove authenticity and craftsmanship.  Pewabic green and blue as well as Gun Metal, Peacock, Midnight and Frost are some of the distinctive glazes used on the products.  We seriously considered buying one of the classic vases with floral designs, but there were so many beautiful pieces to choose from that it was a tough decision.

Before making our final choice, we went up to visit the museum on the second floor, which highlights the studio’s history with archival photos and blueprints, as well as displaying a diverse collection of historic and contemporary ceramic works including vases, bowls and architectural tiles that exemplify Pewabic’s distinctive iridescent glazes. Several stunning vases from the studio’s archives, made with Pewabic green glazes and adorned with images of peacocks and flowers, epitomize the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts periods.

Examples of tile work include physical samples that highlight the various glazes, as well as photographs of locations within Detroit and around the world that feature Pewabic tiles on walls, floors, fireplaces and more.  We had visited some of these places in person, including Rivera Court in the Detroit Institute of Art and the Cadillac Centre LRT Station. The photos do not do justice to how beautiful these tiles are in situ.

Our road trip to Detroit and surrounding areas would immerse us in the world of Henry Ford and his Ford Motor Company.  We already had a healthy dose of this when we spent significant time in Rivera Court in the Detroit Institute of Art and admired Diego Rivera’s masterpiece “Detroit Industry Murals” which depicted lives and jobs of the workers at one of the Ford manufacturing plants.  We would also visit Henry Ford's house and museum in Dearborne, Michigan. 

But our last day in Detroit was dedicated to exploring the estate and grounds covering 87.5 acres, belonging to Edsel and Eleanor Ford, Henry’s only son, and daughter-in-law.  The Ford House is situated in Grosse Pointe, an affluent suburb of Detroit that sits on the eastern shores of Lake St. Clair.  The 30,000-square foot main house was built in 1927, designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn in an English Cotswold style with sandstone walls and a slate roof.  We had the option of purchasing a guided tour of the house and grounds that would take place later in the afternoon or doing a self-guided tour any time during the open hours of the property.  We opted for the later so that we could start our visit at the earliest possible time, to beat any tour buses that might arrive later.  It also meant that we could take our time in each room and tour at our own pace.  This turned out to be an excellent decision since for most of our time there, we had the house to ourselves and the docents in each room were anxious to talk to us, since there was no one else for them to pay attention to.

We entered through a guest entrance into the Main Hallway that was used for guest reception.  The large space features a low ceiling decorated with beautifully carved plaster patterns, stained glass windows, a wrought-iron gate that opened up to a Loggia or porch, a grand staircase to the second-floor bedrooms and long carpeted hallways leading to other rooms. The Library was used as a family room where the children did homework and played while Eleanor would read and listen to the radio including broadcasts of Detroit Tigers’ games. Floor-to-ceiling 17th Century oak paneling was used for the built-in bookshelves that line two walls.  A small wooden 3-step ladder is available for reaching the top shelves.  A limestone fireplace with ornate carvings adds elegance to the room.  Memorabilia including family photos can be found on the various side tables. The tiles from what appears to be a mahjong set sits on a games table towards the back of the room.

Next, we encountered the Drawing Room which was a formal space that acted as a meeting place for the Fords to receive guests and socialize.  Edsel and Eleanor were avid art collectors and after his death, much of their collection was donated to the Detroit Institute of Art.  Reproductions of favourite pieces still hang throughout the house today. Reproductions found in the Drawing Room include Edgar Degas’ Dancers in Blue and two paintings by Paul Cezanne including a landscape painting Mont Sainte-Victoire and a still life with milk jug, melon and sugar bowl, and more.  As the largest room in the house, the Gallery was used for large parties and celebrations.  It features 16th-century oak paneling carved with a linenfold relief design, 14th-century stained-glass windows, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling along with a hooded chimney piece from the 1600s that were taken from Wollaston Hall in Worcestershire, England when that building was demolished in 1925.

Edsel Ford’s Study was his private retreat from both his work and family life.  Here he could write private letters, have drinks with friends and indulge in his hobby of photography.  A hidden door in the study leads to Edsel’s dark room for printing and developing his photos.  Throughout the room are personal memorabilia including an American flag given to Edsel by explorer Admiral Richard Byrd as thanks for supporting Byrd’s expedition to the South Pole.  Photos of his family, friends and celebrities such as Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford line the walls.  A dedicated Floral Room provides overnight refrigeration for cut flowers and floral displays that Eleanor and the staff arranged throughout the day.

The Dining Room was an elegant space for formal meals, reflecting the family's taste for fine dining and entertaining.  The children sat at a smaller table with their governess until they turned twelve, when they could then join the big table.  There is no chandelier in the dining room since Eleanor preferred natural or candlelight.  To support the meals in the dining room there is a large Kitchen that was staffed by a head cook and five assistants who prepared the daily meals.  The kitchen was modern for its time with electric refrigerators (not ice boxes) and either a gas or electric stove.  A Butler’s Pantry acted as a transitional space between the kitchen and formal dining areas, providing space for storage of fine China, silverware and linens as well as areas for preparation of dining essentials.  The Butler’s pantry has a double sink and wooden cabinets with glass fronts. A smaller kitchen pantry provided storage space for cookware and groceries.

The Morning Room was a casual gathering place for the family, often used for morning activities and informal gatherings although despite its name, Eleanor preferred using the room in the evening to serve guests coffee after dinner.   Notable art reproductions found in this room include Portrait of Postman Roulin by Vincent Van Gogh and Water Lilies by German impressionist painter Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.  The last room that we visited on the ground floor was the “Modern” Room, which was my favourite because of its Art Deco furnishings including a curved dresser and deco-styled piano.  Originally a playroom, the space was redesigned by industrial designer Walter Darwin Teague in 1936 to give the room a sleek, Machine-Age aesthetic.  The room has taupe-colored leather wall panels, indirect lighting to give a softer, more diffused illumination, and a curved niche with 18 long, vertical mirrored panes.  This room contains one of the few original works of art, Diego Rivera’s Cactus on the Plains, which to me, looks like a set of creepy hands rising from the earth!

The Grand staircase in the Main Hall leads up to a mid-floor landing where a pair of portraits hang depicting Eleanor in her youth and later in life.  Continuing up to the second-floor hallway, a portrait of Edsel painted by Diego Rivera is quite similar to the depiction of him which Rivera included in his Detroit murals.

The second floor is where the bedrooms for the family, their live-in governess and a guest room can be found.  In addition to the Fords’ bedroom, Eleanor had a sitting room designed for personal use and relaxation.  The governess’ room was placed between the ones for the younger children, giving her easy access to provide care for them. The oldest child Henry II’s bedroom was also designed by Teague and therefore had a similar feel to the Modern Room with deco-styled furniture and an adjoining modern bathroom.  Photos on the dresser show Henry II playing tennis and at tennis tournaments. The younger boys Benson and William shared a bedroom and obviously loved horses since there are horse figurines, sculptures and paintings throughout the large room.

It took a while for us to complete our tour of the house, but we were just getting started since there were still the massive grounds to explore including several floral gardens, a reflecting pool, vistas designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen and views of Lake St. Clair. A life-sized bronze sculpture of Edsel and Eleanor strolling was added in 2016 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the couple’s marriage.  Bird Island is a wildlife sanctuary located on the grounds that can be accessed by crossing a bridge into a wooded area with nature walks and scenic views of flora and fauna.  In addition to the main house, there are also several other buildings on the grounds.

The Fords' daughter Josephine’s Playhouse is a fully functioning child-sized house with furnishings including a carpet, tables and chairs, sofa and piano, tableware, a functioning bathroom and kitchen, electricity, heating, plumbing and even a fireplace, all built to 2/3 scale of a normal house.  The house was a gift from Josephine’s grandmother Clara for her 7th birthday in 1934. The structure was designed by architect Robert O. Derrick to complement the other buildings on the estate and had the same slate roof. Later, Josephine’s children also enjoyed this lavish playhouse.

The Recreation House sits near a man-made lagoon and giant swimming pool and provided change rooms and rest rooms for family and guests before and after a swim.  The Rec House also contains a squash court with a spectators’ gallery, a kitchen to prepare snacks and a covered seating area with glass on all sides to provide views of the grounds.  At one point, there was also a tennis court on the property.  On a video screen, images are shown of the family playing in the pool with the children paddling a small boat.

The Power House provided electricity and water for the estates with pipes leading to the house and swimming pool.  Oil-fired boilers (converted to natural gas in 1950s) heated the buildings and pool while chlorinating tanks disinfected the water.  Pumps operated a state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner system in the main house.  A massive chimney in the building hides the smokestack for the boilers. Large panels of gauges behind the boilers monitor water levels and temperatures. The Power House illustrates the architectural and engineering advancements of the period.

A Gatehouse at the entrance to the estate included apartments formerly used by staff.  Next to it, an 8-car Garage housed the Fords’ many vehicles. At the time, a turntable was used to rotate the cars so that they never needed to be backed out.  The cars on display in the garage highlight Edsel Ford’s contributions to automotive design.  They include a 1939 Lincoln Continental prototype, a 1932 Ford Model 18 Speedster, and a 1934 Brewster Town Car.  A 1952 Lincoln Town Car Limousine  was custom-built for Eleanor Ford including a raised roof so that she did not need to remove her hat while entering or exiting the vehicle, and power windows.  There is also a display providing examples of leather and fabric choices for the seats, as well as paint colours offered by Ford vehicles.

Open in 2021, a new Visitors Centre includes exhibition spaces, event spaces, dining options and educational programs.  The building itself emphasizes sustainability, aiming for net-zero energy consumption.  An exhibit called “Making it Work” focuses on the lives and contributions of the staff who managed the estate from 1928 until Eleanor Ford’s death in 1976.  There are stories about historic staff members including the butler, chauffeur and housekeeper including photographs, news clippings and video presentations.

A small museum in the Visitor's Centre delves into the lives, history and legacy of the Ford family including archival photos and memorabilia including a cool backgammon case disguised as the volumes of an encyclopedia.  There is a photo of Eleanor in her wedding dress, many images of the family at play and on vacation, and designs/plans for the building of the house.  A fun interactive display allows you to design your own house or interior room.  Another animated video recreates the lavish birthday celebration held for Henry Ford II’s 21st birthday party in which a scaled-down pirate ship was constructed and placed in the lagoon of the estate.  We ended up spending many hours at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House as there was so much to see and do.  This was well worth the visit.