Henry Ford Birthplace

At this intersection stood the home in which Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863. The farmhouse was owned by Ford’s parents, William and Mary Ford, and in 1944 it was moved to Greenfield Village. In a space of less than ten years at the beginning of this century, the founder of Ford Motor Company developed three separate and distinct concepts, any of which would have assured him an honored niche in history. He designed and built the Model T Ford car, “the car that put the world on wheels.” He inaugurated the moving automotive assembly line and developed the process of mass production on which modern industry is based. By instituting a five-dollar wage for an eight-hour day, he promulgated a new economic concept that opened the door to mass distribution. Henry Ford was also a pioneer in the field of aviation and in the development of the farm tractor.