Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is a three-story brick factory in Milwaukee Junction, Detroit, now serving as an automotive history museum. The building features maple floors supported by solid oak beams and contains 355 windows that flood the interior with natural light.

The factory opened in 1904 as a production facility for Ford Motor Company and remained operational until 1910. This is where the Model T was designed in 1908, later shaping the entire automobile industry.

The name Piquette comes from the street that became a center of vehicle production during Detroit's industrial rise. Visitors can see how workers assembled cars by hand in the early 20th century, before assembly lines transformed manufacturing.

The museum offers guided tours through the floors where visitors can explore different workshop areas and exhibits from early automobile production. It helps to set aside time for the design room on the third floor, where important technical developments are documented.

The facility received a fire sprinkler system in 1904, which was very rare for industrial buildings of that time. This safety feature shows that Ford valued the protection of workers and machinery early on.

Location: Wayne County

Architects: SmithGroup

Part of: Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District

Website: https://fordpiquetteplant.org

GPS coordinates: 42.36917,-83.06556

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:24