Making It Work

Every home has unique needs that must be tended to, and the home of Edsel and Eleanor Ford is, and was, no exception.

Hundreds of employees worked on the estate during the family’s residency, from when the Fords moved into the home in 1928 until Eleanor’s passing in 1976.

Making It Work invites visitors to learn about several historic staff who had a significant impact on the family and the estate. Interviews with staff members were recorded in years past, and those, combined with artifacts, news clippings, photos, and more, were carefully curated to present a unified story of the staff experience. Seven former employees, including a butler, chauffeur, and housekeeper, will have their stories shared through oral histories in the exhibit’s video presentation.

This exhibition is located in the Gaukler Pointe Gallery inside the Visitor Center and is open to the public without admission.