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Historic, Barn, Home Moved by Henry Ford, 4 Day National Sale Farmington Original, Home C. 1845

estate sale | 4 day sale | 33 days away

Address

The address for this sale in Farmington Hills, MI 48331 will be available after 9:00am on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025.

Dates

Wed

Sep 24

9am to 6pm

Thu

Sep 25

9am to 6pm

Fri

Sep 26

9am to 6pm

Sat

Sep 27

9am to 6pm

***Terms and Conditions:
Items sold as-is. No returns, exchanges, or warranties. Cash, Check, Visa / MC / Amex / Discover accepted. Items available at location on sale start supersedes the photo array as evidence of what is available. We do not own the items therefore we are subject, to some degree, as to the owners ultimate actions as it relates to availability. We cannot quote prices over the phone. Enter at your own risk as we are not responsible for any accidents or injuries.
All purchases are final with no returns for refunds.

Hartt Estate Sales

Here are some historical visuals related to the Stephen Jennings House and the Botsford Inn in Farmington, Michigan—including period images and architectural context:

Relationship Between Henry Ford and the Stephen Jennings HouseHistorical Background

Around 1841, Stephen Jennings purchased and converted an existing house into a tavern—later known as the Botsford Inn. At the same time, he built a Greek Revival-style residence immediately to the east for his own use Wikipedia.
The Jennings house, along with another family residence built for his daughter Jane upon her marriage to Eber Durham in 1845, were located adjacent to the inn Wikipedia.

Henry Ford’s Role and Actions

In 1924, Henry Ford purchased the dilapidated Botsford Inn and its surrounding property. He moved the structure back from the road and initiated a high-quality restoration, transforming it into a historical site The Henry FordWikipedia.
As part of his restoration plan, Ford also had both the Stephen Jennings house and the nearby Eber Durham house relocated and fully restored:
- The Durham house became the residence for Ford’s on-site caretakers (Mr. and Mrs. Frank Shaw).
- The Jennings house was repurposed to house some of Ford’s workers on the property The Henry Ford.

Summary at a Glance

Property	Built / Purchased by	Henry Ford’s Action	Purpose After Ford’s Intervention
Botsford Inn	Originally built 1836; bought by Jennings 1841	Purchased (1924), moved, restored	Preserved as a historic inn and restored landmark
Jennings House	Built ~1841 by Stephen Jennings	Relocated, restored	Used as worker housing by Ford
Durham House	Built ~1845 by Jennings for daughter	Relocated, restored	Served as caretaker residence

In Summary

Henry Ford's connection to the Stephen Jennings House (and the adjacent Durham House) was part of his broader effort to preserve local history in Michigan—similar to his broader vision embodied in Greenfield Village. After acquiring the Botsford Inn, he took deliberate steps to safeguard and repurpose the neighboring historic homes associated with Stephen Jennings, integrating them into his restored heritage landscape.

MORE DETAILED PHOTOS WITH MANY ANTIQUES FROM THE ORIGINAL RESIDENCE

WE WILL UPDATE DETAILS OF DESCRIPTIONS AND DETAILS OF HOUSEHOLD CONTENTS.

ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT MICHAEL HARTT AT 313-885-5600