Ford Piquette Avenue Plant
Ford Piquette Avenue Plant | |
Field, Hinchman & Smith | |
Architectural style | Late Victorian |
---|---|
Visitation | 31,018 (2018) |
Part of | Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District (ID04000601) |
NRHP reference No. | 02000041 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | 2002 |
Designated CP | 2004 |
Designated NHL | 2006 |
Designated MSHS | 2003 |
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is a former factory located within the Milwaukee Junction area of Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. Built in 1904, it was the second center of automobile production for the Ford Motor Company, after the Ford Mack Avenue Plant. At the Piquette Avenue Plant, the company created and first produced the Ford Model T, the car credited with initiating the mass use of automobiles in the United States. Prior to the Model T, several other car models were assembled at the factory. Early experiments using a moving assembly line to make cars were also conducted there. It was also the first factory where more than 100 cars were assembled in one day. While it was headquartered at the Piquette Avenue Plant, Ford Motor Company became the biggest U.S.-based automaker, and it would remain so until the mid-1920s. The factory was used by the company until 1910, when its car production activity was relocated to the new, bigger Highland Park Ford Plant.
Studebaker bought the factory in 1911, using it to assemble cars until 1933. The building was sold in 1936, going through a series of owners for the rest of the 20th century before becoming a museum in 2001. The Piquette Avenue Plant is the oldest purpose-built automotive factory building open to the public. The museum, which was visited by over 31,000 people in 2018, has exhibits that primarily focus on the beginning of the United States automotive industry. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, became a Michigan State Historic Site in 2003, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
History
Ford period
Henry Ford, Detroit coal merchant Alexander Y. Malcomson, and a group of investors formed the Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903, to assemble automobiles.[1]: 10–11 [2] The company's first car model, the original Ford Model A, began to be assembled that same month at the Ford Mack Avenue Plant, a rented wagon manufacturing shop in Detroit, Michigan.[1]: 11–12 The company quickly outgrew this facility and, on April 10, 1904, bought a parcel of land off of Piquette Avenue in Detroit to accommodate a larger factory.[1]: 12 The land was located in the Milwaukee Junction area, whose name is derived from a railroad junction within it.[1]: 4, 12 The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant's construction started on May 10, 1904.[1]: 12 The company moved into its new factory the following October.[1]: 13
The Detroit-based architectural firm Field, Hinchman & Smith designed the Piquette Avenue Plant.
From October 1904 to the end of 1909, Ford Motor Company assembled car models B, C, F, K, N, R, S, and T at the Piquette Avenue Plant.[1]: 20 [9] Ford models B and C were the first car models produced at the factory starting in late 1904, and production of the Ford Model F began the following February.[1]: 14 The vast majority of factory tasks were done by men, except for magneto assembly, which was done by women.[1]: 20 Hand tools were used for the assembly work at fixed stations, and the completed components would be brought by hand to the chassis for final assembly.[1]: 17–18, 20 Completed cars were shipped to the company's distributors and dealers by rail using a spur line behind the building, which connected to a Michigan Central Railroad main line.[1]: 5, 12 Due to variations in demand and car model changeover, the number of employees varied constantly, ranging from as low as 300 to as high as 700.[1]: 20 The company did not recognize labor unions at the factory.[1]: 21 Ford Motor Company was a member of the Employers’ Association of Detroit, an organization that prevented most of the city's factories from unionizing until the 1930s.[1]: 21
In 1905, Ford Motor Company was the fourth-largest car producer in the United States, behind
In January 1907, in a room located on the Piquette Avenue Plant's third floor in the northeast corner, the design process began for the Ford Model T, the car credited with starting the mass use of cars in the United States.
During July 1908, a few months before the Model T's introduction, a group of Piquette Avenue Plant employees experimented with the concept of using a moving assembly line to make cars, where the chassis would be moved to the workers for components to be installed.[1]: 18 This effort was led by Charles E. Sorensen, the assistant to Peter E. Martin, who was the factory's superintendent.[1]: 18 [7] Sorensen believed that a moving assembly line would make car assembly faster, simpler, and easier.[1]: 18 The experiments consisted of tying a rope to a Model N chassis and pulling it across the factory's third floor on skids until its axles and wheels were added.[1]: 18 The chassis would then be rolled across the floor in notches, where specific components would be attached.[1]: 18 At least one Model N was completed at the Piquette Avenue Plant using this process.[1]: 18 Although Henry Ford encouraged these experiments, he did not implement a formal moving assembly line at the Piquette Avenue Plant, as all of his attention was focused on getting Model T production started on time.[1]: 18 Despite not having a moving assembly line, the Piquette Avenue Plant, aided by the usage of interchangeable parts and other production improvements, produced 101 completed cars in a single day on June 4, 1908, an auto industry record at the time.[1]: 18 [10]
The first production Model T was completed at the Piquette Avenue Plant on September 27, 1908.[7] On May 1, 1909, due to overwhelming demand, Ford Motor Company stopped taking Model T orders for two months.[1]: 19 To satisfy the unprecedented demand for the Model T, the company moved most of its car production activity to the new, larger Highland Park Ford Plant in Highland Park, Michigan, by January 1910.[1]: 14, 22 The company completely vacated the Piquette Avenue Plant by October 1910.[1]: 14 The concept of using a moving assembly line to manufacture cars would be fully implemented at the Highland Park Ford Plant, starting on October 7, 1913.[11] Over 15 million Model T's would eventually be built, and the first 14,000 made in the United States were assembled at the Piquette Avenue Plant.[2][7]
Car model | Image | Engine | Transmission | Wheelbase | Lowest sale price | Production period | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Model B | 24 inline 4-cylinder
|
2-speed planetary |
92 inches (233.7 cm) |
$2,000 (equivalent to $67,822 in 2023) |
Late 1904 – April 1906 |
First Ford Motor Company car model with the engine mounted in the front, which was intended to match European-style car designs.[12] Rarest of the company's pre-Model-T car models, with only seven known complete units that survive today.[13] | |
Model C | 10 brake horsepower (7.5 kW) opposed 2-cylinder
|
2-speed planetary |
78 inches (198.1 cm) |
$800 (equivalent to $27,129 in 2023) |
Late 1904 – December 1905 |
Like the Model A, this car model had its engine mounted under the seat (its European-style hood was a false hood).[14] | |
Model F | 16 brake horsepower (11.9 kW) opposed 2-cylinder |
2-speed planetary |
84 inches (213.4 cm) |
$1,000 (equivalent to $33,911 in 2023) |
February 1905 – April 1906 |
Like the Model A, this car model had its engine mounted under the seat (its European-style hood was a false hood).[15] | |
Model K | 40 brake horsepower (29.8 kW) inline 6-cylinder |
2-speed planetary |
114–120 inches (289.6–304.8 cm) |
$2,500 (equivalent to $84,778 in 2023) |
Late 1905 – 1908 (before October) |
Wheelbase increased from 114 inches (289.6 cm) to 120 inches (304.8 cm) by 1907.[16] Evidence suggests that this car model's assembly and component production was moved to the Bellevue Avenue Plant by 1908.[1]: 17 | |
Model N | 18 brake horsepower (13.4 kW) inline 4-cylinder |
2-speed planetary |
84 inches (213.4 cm) |
$600 (equivalent to $20,347 in 2023) |
July 1906 – 1908 (before October) |
Best-selling car model in the United States at the time, with over 7,000 units produced.[13] Considered the predecessor of the Model T.[13] | |
Model R | 18 brake horsepower (13.4 kW) inline 4-cylinder |
2-speed planetary |
84 inches (213.4 cm) |
$750 (equivalent to $24,525 in 2023) |
February 1907 – 1908 (before October) |
An upscale version of the Model N.[1]: 15 | |
Model S | 18 brake horsepower (13.4 kW) inline 4-cylinder |
2-speed planetary |
84 inches (213.4 cm) |
$700 (equivalent to $22,890 in 2023) |
July 1907 – 1908 (before October) |
An upscale version of the Model N.[1]: 15 | |
Model T | 22 brake horsepower (16.4 kW) L-head 4-cylinder |
2-speed planetary |
100 inches (254.0 cm) |
$825 (equivalent to $27,977 in 2023) |
September 27, 1908[7] – December 1909[1]: 19 |
Declared the Car of the Century by an international jury of auto experts in December 1999.[17] |
After Ford in the 20th century
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant was sold in January 1911 to Studebaker, a major maker of various
In 1936, Studebaker sold the Piquette Avenue Plant to the
Model T Automotive Heritage Complex
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant was sold to the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex in April 2000.[21] Model T Automotive Heritage Complex is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has run the building as a museum since July 27, 2001.[22][23] The Piquette Avenue Plant is the oldest purpose-built automotive factory building open to the public.[7][24][25] The museum, located north of Midtown Detroit at 461 Piquette Street, attracted 31,018 visitors in 2018.[26][27] It contains over 40 early automobiles built by Ford Motor Company and other Detroit-area car makers, as well as recreations of Henry Ford's office and the room where the Ford Model T was designed.[26][28] One of the cars on display is Model T Serial No. 220, which was built at the factory in December 1908, and is one of the oldest surviving examples of that car model.[29] The museum's regular operating days are Wednesdays through Sundays.[26]
The Piquette Avenue Plant was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 2003, and became a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp Hyde, Charles K. (June 2005). "National Historic Landmark Nomination – Ford Piquette Avenue Plant" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780873411110.
- ISBN 9781610393102.
- ISBN 9780814316658.
- ISBN 9780801867149.
- ^ "Our History". Model T Automotive Heritage Complex. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Weber, Austin (August 28, 2008). "The Model T Turns 100". Assembly Magazine. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Mulcahy, Marty (August 12, 2011). "Modern Fire Sprinklers Now Guard Ford's Historic Piquette Ave. Plant". The Building Tradesman Newspaper. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ^ a b Runyan, Robin (March 3, 2016). "Inside the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant". Curbed. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ Nevins, Allan (July 1963). "The Untold Story of the Model T". Popular Science. Popular Science Publishing Company. p. 71. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
- ^ "Ford's Assembly Line Turns 100: How It Changed Manufacturing and Society". New York Daily News. October 7, 2013. Archived from the original on November 30, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ "1905 Ford Model B Touring Car". The Henry Ford. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Before the Model T: Henry Ford's Letter Cars". The Henry Ford. September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ "1904 Ford Model C Tonneau". The Henry Ford. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ "1905 Ford Model F Phaeton". The Henry Ford. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ "1907 Ford Model K Five-Passenger Touring". RM Sotheby's. August 2010. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ^ Cobb, James G. (December 24, 1999). "This Just In: Model T Gets Award". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-8143-1819-5.
- ^ Tompor, Susan (July 23, 2017). "Volunteers Toil to Save Home of Ford's Model T in Detroit". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- Spiegel Online. Archived from the originalon July 15, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ "Model T Automotive Heritage Complex (T-Plex)". Detroit Historical Society. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy. August 11, 2017. Archived from the originalon April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- ^ "Out of This World – Model T Revisited". Central City Alliance. September 22, 2001. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "Experience the Original Model T Factory". Model T Automotive Heritage Complex. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ "Ghost Tours Set for Historic Ford Piquette Plant". Detroit Free Press. October 6, 2016. Archived from the original on December 5, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Ford Piquette Avenue Plant – Media Information" (PDF). Model T Automotive Heritage Complex. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 18, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- Crain Communications. Archived from the originalon July 27, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ "Henry Ford's 'Secret' Workplace Birthed Model T". The Detroit News. September 24, 2017. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ "Rare Model T Returns to the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant" (PDF). Model T Talk. Model T Automotive Heritage Complex. Winter 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 14, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ "Ford Piquette Avenue Plant". Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ "Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District". National Park Service. June 15, 2004. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ "Ford Model T Plant Gets Makeover". MotorCities National Heritage Area. September 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2017 – via PR Newswire.
- ^ "2011 ROSE Award Honorees". Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "Hospitality Rock Stars Honored at Detroit Metro CVB Annual Recognition of Service Excellence (ROSE) Awards" (PDF). Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "NAAMY Awards 2012". National Association of Automobile Museums. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "Awards of Excellence Recipients Announced at Special Ceremony". MotorCities National Heritage Area. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Morin, Bode (2017). "U.S.A.: World Heritage Tentative List" (PDF). TICCIH Bulletin. The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
External links
- Official website
- Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Online Exhibits
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. MI-347, "Ford Piquette Plant, Corner of Piquette Avenue & Beaubien, Detroit, Wayne County, MI", 5 photos, 1 photo caption page