The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel, is a luxurious historic hotel, conceived by
Henry Ford
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...
, who saw a need for food and accommodations for visitors flying into the nearby
Ford Airport, making it one of the first airport hotels. It is located in
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...
at 20301 Oakwood Boulevard in the suburban city of
Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...
near
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford (also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, and as the Edison Institute) is a history museum complex in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan, United States. The museum ...
and the
world headquarters building of
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
.
Albert Kahn designed the Dearborn Inn in the
Georgian architectural style. The Dearborn Inn is owned by Ford Motor Land Development Corporation and managed by Marriott International.
Features
Inspired by a passion for
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...
, Henry Ford commissioned renowned architect Albert Kahn to design The Dearborn Inn, who in 1931 would create a Georgian inn to serve Ford's Dearborn airport. The Dearborn hotel is now recognized on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
and features 231 rooms, including five Colonial guest homes, built in 1937. While thoughtful interior renovations have occurred over the Dearborn hotel's 82-year history, the exterior has remained the same as Ford's original vision. Additional features include Edison's, a fine dining restaurant; the Ten Eyck Tavern, a home-style dining establishment; a seasonal outdoor pool; and of meeting space including the Alexandria Ballroom, which Ford commissioned to satisfy his love of dancing.
History
In 1931, Henry Ford determined the need for lodging near his airport in Dearborn, Michigan, and he commissioned prominent architect
Albert Kahn, who built many of Detroit's magnificent landmarks to design The Dearborn Inn. Characteristically, Ford took a very active part in the development of the hotel.
![Colonial Home - Dearborn Inn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Colonial_Home_-_Dearborn_Inn.jpg)
The Dearborn Inn was situated on a site on Oakwood Boulevard across the street from
Ford Airport. The Colonial Revival style of the Inn was in harmony with the nearby
Edison Institute
The Henry Ford (also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, and as the Edison Institute) is a history museum complex in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, United States. The museum collection contains ...
, and the Inn's décor was early American colonial, a style favored by Henry Ford. With great fanfare, The Dearborn Inn opened for business in July 1931; Henry Ford was the first person to sign the guestbook.
Though the Ford Airport closed in 1933, replaced by the Ford vehicle test track, The Dearborn Inn continued to offer accommodations and dining, as the hotel already had a reputation as one of the nation's premier inns.
In 1933, the Dormitory Building was added to house employees of The Dearborn Inn; however, in the 1960s, it was converted into changing rooms for The Dearborn Inn's Swim Club.
Five replica homes were constructed in 1937, creating a small Colonial Village and adding 31 guestrooms to the Inn. Guests today can still enjoy a stay in the reproduction homes of famous Americans:
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
,
Walt Whitman
Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...
,
Barbara Fritchie
Barbara Fritchie (née Hauer; December 3, 1766 – December 18, 1862), also known as Barbara Frietchie, and sometimes spelled Frietschie, was a Unionist during the Civil War. She became part of American folklore in part from a popular poem ...
,
Oliver Wolcott
Oliver Wolcott Sr. (November 20, 1726 December 1, 1797) was an American Founding Father and politician. He was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Connecticut, and t ...
, and
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...
. While the original plan called for 18 historic homes in the Colonial Village, World War II halted further expansion. During the war, pilots from the Detroit airport, just a few miles away, had special accommodations on the Inn's first floor, and today, one wing of the first floor is still known as “Pilot’s Row”.
![Panorama_of_the_Colonial_ViIlage_at_the_Dearborn_Inn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Panorama_of_the_Colonial_ViIlage_at_the_Dearborn_Inn.jpg)
The Dearborn Inn secured its place in hospitality history with many industry “firsts”. It was called the first airport hotel when it opened although the Oakland Airport Inn had, in fact, opened two years earlier. In 1937, it became the nation's first hotel to have
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
, and in 1961, it was the first hotel in Michigan to install a direct-dial telephone system for guests. The Dearborn hotel is also said to have influenced the evolution of destination resorts and is considered to be one of the industry's first such properties. The hotel offered families many popular activities of the era, such as horseback riding, tennis, badminton, ballroom dancing for adults, a playground for children, and even sightseeing trips over
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
and
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
in a
Ford Tri-Motor airplane
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
.
![Ford Airport Historical Marker at Dearborn Inn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Ford_Airport_Historical_Marker_at_Dearborn_Inn.jpg)
In 1960, two motor lodges were completed, adding another 54 rooms to The Dearborn Inn complex. Named after two geniuses of American ingenuity admired by Henry Ford, the Burbank House (in honor of horticulturalist
Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank (March 7, 1849 – April 11, 1926) was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science.
He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's varied creations incl ...
) and the McGuffey House (in honor of
Dr. William Holmes McGuffey, author of the ''
McGuffey Readers
The Eclectic Readers (commonly, but informally known as the McGuffey Readers) were a series of graded reader, graded primer (textbook), primers for grade levels 1–6. They were widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th centur ...
'') were designed to offer larger rooms and suites for families and bridal couples.
Ballroom dancing was one of Henry Ford's great passions, and, emulating a space he had admired in Virginia, Ford designed the Alexandria Ballroom to provide a place to dance with family and friends. When the Greenfield Room, now the hotel's executive offices, was added in 1965, it was said to be the first of its kind with a ground floor, drive-in meeting and exhibit room. Today, the hotel's meeting and event space includes a total of .
On December 10, 1982, the National Park Service placed The Dearborn Inn on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The Michigan State Historic Register listed The Dearborn Inn and Colonial Homes on February 10, 1983. The hotel underwent extensive renovation and expansion in 1987, which enlarged the banquet facilities, increased and completely refurbished the guestrooms, including the historical homes. Also, the grounds were extensively landscaped and three of the guest cottages were relocated to an expansive common area behind the Inn. Throughout the design and construction phases, great care was taken to maintain the historical integrity of the Inn. The Dearborn Inn was rededicated upon its opening in 1989 as a Marriott Hotel.
As part of its 75th anniversary, The Dearborn Inn underwent another renovation in 2008, including a complete renovation of guest rooms and corridors as well as the addition of modern technological amenities. In 2009,
AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
recognized The Dearborn Inn as one of its top 10 U.S. historic hotels.
The Dearborn Inn is located two blocks from
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford (also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, and as the Edison Institute) is a history museum complex in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan, United States. The museum ...
, home of the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Rouge Factory Tour, and Giant Screen Experience, and near other area attractions, such as the
Henry Ford Estate, Detroit Casinos,
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the list of largest art museums, largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation a ...
, Museum of African American History, Automobile Hall of Fame,
Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ar, المتحف الوطني العربي الأمريكي) opened in 2005 and is the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, the Museum s ...
, and the
Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is a zoo located in Royal Oak, Michigan, spanning 125 acres and housing more than 2,000 animals and more than 245 different species. It was the first U.S. zoo to feature bar-less habitats, and is regarded to be an international ...
.
See also
*
Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island)
The Grand Hotel is a historic hotel and coastal resort on Mackinac Island, Michigan, a small island located at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac within Lake Huron between the state's Upper and Lower peninsulas. Constructed in the late 1 ...
References
External links
The Dearborn Inn, a Marriott Hotel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dearborn Inn, The
Hotels in Michigan
Buildings and structures in Dearborn, Michigan
Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan
Albert Kahn (architect) buildings
Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Colonial Revival architecture in Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan