The Haven Hill Gate House

This is an audio/video short informing you of the history of special sites in the Haven Hill section of Highland State Recreation Area in Michigan. Haven Hill was once the country estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford and their family in Highland/White Lake, Michigan.

The Gate House was built in 1927, and housed the Haven Hill Farm administrator and his family.  It was the formal entryway into the 2,422 acre Haven Hill estate - Edsel Ford’s chosen “weekend getaway.” While Edsel gathered property for his country estate in the 1920s, Packard motor car Company and General Motors also bought large parcels of land in the area for development. Packard eventually sold its land to a farmer, but General Motors established its 4,000 acre proving grounds in the hilly, rural landscape in nearby Milford, Michigan .

The gatehouse was security for the Fords and their guests. Security was heightened in the 1920's and 1930's for such prominent families, arising from stresses including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, gangsterism during prohibition, and labor unrest in Flint and Detroit.

At approximately 1,800 ft.², the 1927 gate house was a three-bedroom home that served as the living quarters for the farm superintendent and family. Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

After renovation and repurposing, the Gate House will provide related historical details along with an intro to Jens Jensen’s landscape design, while also serving as a store/visitor center.