Author Archives: m_taylor
VINTAGE POINT: Botsford Inn
Farmington Hills’ historic Botsford Inn was built in 1836. Henry Ford bought it in 1924 and moved it back from the road, where it still stands today, surrounded by the Beaumont Hospital complex at Grand River and Eight Mile. Historic … Continue reading
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Tagged Beaumont, Botsford, Botsford Inn, Grand River, historic preservation, then and now, Vintage Point
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VINTAGE POINT: Quaker meetinghouse
This home at 34196 State Street, one lot south of the Quaker cemetery on Gill, was once the site of an 1832 Quaker meetinghouse. Subsequent owners built around it rather than tear it down; in the top photo (1957), you … Continue reading
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VINTAGE POINT: 33430 Shiawassee
This house at 33430 Shiawassee, no longer standing, was reportedly built in the 1820s or 1830s and owned by Arthur Power, who founded Farmington. It stood at what’s now the western edge of the First Baptist Church side lawn. See … Continue reading
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VINTAGE POINT: Grand River gas station
1930s Farmington had a Hi-Speed gas station at Grand River and Grace (33604 Grand River Avenue), across from Thayer-Rock Funeral Home. Today, it’s Acosta Sales & Marketing. See the then-and-now slider here. Historic photo courtesy of Michael Legg (thank you, … Continue reading
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Tagged downtown Farmington, Farmington, gas station, Grand River, history, then and now, Vintage Point
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VINTAGE POINT: Detroit United Railway
From 1900 to 1930, you could hop on the interurban at the local station — like this one at the south corner of Grand River and Orchard Lake — and take the Detroit United Railway streetcar to Northville, Plymouth, or … Continue reading
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VINTAGE POINT: Owen House hotel
In the early 1900s, the Owen House hotel stood at the site of The Village Mall, at the southeast corner of Grand River and Farmington. Rates were $1.50/day with a special Sunday dinner for 25 cents. See the then-and-now slider … Continue reading
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Tagged bank, downtown Farmington, Farmington, Grand River, history, hotel, owen, Owen House, then and now, Vintage Point
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DOWN AND DIRTY: How 1970s Farmington got mired in the mud…and how “Operation Shovel” pulled them out
This is the first in a multi-part series about Farmington’s muddy roads in the 1970s. We Michiganders love to complain about our roads. The potholes that tear up tires. The rim-bending, frame-smashing torture on the way to work. Highways that … Continue reading
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Tagged downtown Farmington, Farmington, Farmington Public Schools, Gill, history, Michigan, Michigan roads, mud, Power school, roads
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VINTAGE POINT: Farmington From Above
In 1930s Farmington, much of the area outside the immediate downtown–like the neighborhood between Grand River (at center) and Freedom–was still open land. See the then-and-now slider here. Historic photo from Brian Golden/Heritage & History Center. Contemporary image from Bing.com … Continue reading
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Tagged downtown Farmington, Farmington, Grand River, history, redevelopment, then and now, Vintage Point
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VINTAGE POINT: Old Town Hall
A hundred years ago, the Masonic Lodge (23715 Farmington Road) doubled as Farmington Township Hall. It also hosted talent shows, lectures, Eastern Star dances, political meetings, and basketball games—although some council members thought the games shouldn’t be allowed, as the … Continue reading
PRESERVATION FARMINGTON 