The Ford Engineering Laboratory is a

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 ...

facility designed by architect Albert Kahn in the 1920s and completed in 1930. It was originally used by Henry Ford as a multi-purpose facility. Its primary use was to house Ford's product development staff but was also home to a number of Ford's other projects such as the

Dearborn Independent ''The Dearborn Independent'', also known as ''The Ford International Weekly'', was a weekly newspaper established in 1901, and published by Henry Ford from 1919 through 1927. The paper reached a circulation of 900,000 by 1925, second only to the ...

newspaper, a folk dancing studio, and accounting department. FEL is located at 21500 Oakwood Blvd in

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 ...

. FEL is notable for its Bedford limestone facade, which includes Beaux Arts style carved figures representing natural forces, and the names of scientific and industrial figures that Henry Ford admired, including Ford's friend and mentor

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...

, and others. FEL is currently in use by Ford, where it houses engineering staff and the Ford Motor Company archives. The rear portion of the building is shared with

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 ...

as an annex. The interior of the building is not open to the public. File:Ford Engineering Laboratory, Main Entrance.jpg, Ford Engineering Laboratory, main entrance (designed by Albert Kahn, 1920s) File:Ford Engineering Laboratory, Southern Corner. Designed by Albert Kahn, 1920's.jpg, Ford Engineering Laboratory, southern corner (designed by Albert Kahn, 1920s) File:Ford Engineering Laboratory Detail, Figure of Electricity.jpg, Ford Engineering Laboratory—detail: Figure of Electricity File:Ford Engineering Laboratory Powerhosue (Designed by Albert Kahn, 1920's).jpg, Powerhouse of the Ford Engineering Laboratory (FEL), designed by Albert Kahn and completed in 1930

References

{{coord, 42, 18, 16, N, 83, 14, 14, W, type:landmark_region:US-MI, display=title Buildings and structures in Dearborn, Michigan Ford Motor Company facilities