Josephine's Playhouse

In 1930, when Josephine Ford turned seven, her grandmother Clara Ford gave her a house of her own.

Josephine’s Playhouse is a two-thirds-scale cottage designed by architect Robert O. Derrick, a neighbor of the Fords in Grosse Pointe. It was not a simple toy. The playhouse was built with the same care and intention as the Main Residence: an electric range and oven, central heating, running water, plumbing, and a working fireplace. Every element was scaled for a child, and every element worked.

Josephine, the only daughter of Eleanor and Edsel Ford, enjoyed the Playhouse, but it was later generations who truly took advantage of it. It stood on the grounds throughout Eleanor’s remaining years and has been preserved as part of the estate ever since.

The Playhouse is one of the most specific and telling details on the entire property

Josephine’s Playhouse is accessible with any Ford House admission ticket and is open during estate hours on select dates. Please check our Hours of Operation or call 313-884-4222.