Fair Lane Awarded the Governor's Award for Historic Preservation

(From left to right: Nick Speth, Horticulturist; Jody Ford, Facilities; Annie Rubel, Director of Preservation and Operations; Robert Bury, President; Tamsen Brown, Head of Conservation; Karen Marzonie, Director of Landscapes; and Austin Eighmey, Restoration Project Manager.)

We are honored to announce the restoration of Fair Lane: Home of Clara and Henry Ford has won the 2021 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation! With Governor Whitmer’s support and that of the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, Fair Lane’s award is “For the exacting restoration of Fair Lane Estate: Home of Clara and Henry Ford. The attention to detail at this National Historic Landmark site carefully restored the late 1910s appearance of the property--both inside and out--and intentionally focused on hands-on training for emerging preservationists, artisans, and tradespeople.” Our work not only celebrates the iconic home of this internationally significant couple but also preserves the historic trades and crafts through this once-in-a-lifetime project.

We are delighted to accept this award in partnership with Quinn Evans Architects, The Christman Company, SmithGroup Inc., National Restoration Inc, and Historic Surfaces LLC. There have been countless artisans, tradespeople, and craftspeople who have passionately and skillfully participated in this exciting project, but with the partnership of these firms, we have ensured the continued preservation of this National Historic Landmark.

We thank all those who have committed themselves to this great work, including past leadership and staff including, but not limited to the late Dr. Kathleen Mullins, previous President and CEO of Historic Ford Estates; the late David Miller, VP of Special Projects; Mark Heppner, past VP of Historic Resources at Historic Ford Estates and current President and CEO of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House; Lisa Worley, Director of Material Culture at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House; Julie Cook, Collections Manager at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House; Patti Timmins, Administrative Manager; Charles Jones, former Senior Security Officer; Mark Gervasi, former Head Conservator; Caroline Thibodeau, Conservator; Gisvi Pardo, Conservator; Andrea Robin, Research Specialist; Ashlee Beever, Research Specialist; John Kinglsey, Research, and Furnishing Specialist; Mose Nowland, Restoration Engineer; Pamela Morrison, Volunteer Coordinator and Horticulturist; Ronnie Francek, Horticulturist.

We wish to thank all those who have contributed to our project and made this great honor possible. Our donors, board of trustees, stakeholders, and community members who support our great project deserve our gratitude, as well as those at the State Historic Preservation Office and the Governor’s Office who have recognized our work.