Phoenix Mill Explained

Phoenix Mill was part of Henry Ford's Village industries project and ran from 1922 to 1948 in Plymouth, Michigan.[1] Generator cutouts, voltage regulators, gauges and light switches for Ford vehicles were produced at the plant.[1]

After the original gristmill burned down, Ford bought the site and commissioned Albert Kahn to design a new mill in 1921.[1] Ford intended the factory to run entirely on a hydroelectric generator.[1]

Employees

Workers at Phoenix Mill were mostly women, with male maintenance workers and a male manager.[1] Before the union, women who were hired had to be single, widowed, or married with a husband who was not able to work.[1] Workers had limited breaks and were under pressure to keep optimum efficiency, but were paid the same or more than men who had similar jobs.[1]

Status

Ownership of the mill eventually passed to Wayne County. The building was used only for storage for decades.[2] In 2018, it was sold by Wayne County to a developer, who began converting it into an event space. The pandemic altered the timeline and plans, but the banquet center opened in 2022. The second floor was converted into offices.[3]

Further reading

The University of Michigan-Dearborn Center for the Study of Automotive Heritage

Notes and References

  1. Book: Howard E. Segal . 2005 . Recasting the Machine Age: Henry Ford's Village Industries . . 978-1-55849-481-7 .
  2. News: Wayne County looks to sell historic mills, have them redeveloped for 21st century . David Veselenak . Hometown Life . December 13, 2018 .
  3. News: The Phoenix Mill in Plymouth once manufactured Henry Ford's auto parts. Now its a banquet center . David Veselenak . Hometown Life . March 16, 2022 .